INTRODUCTION
31
literature, because such a canon seems to me to be
greatly needed. So far as I am competent to judge,
it appears to me that Jewish historians-as is only
natural-make a far more legitimate and intelligent
use of the Rabbinical literature for historical purposes
than is generally to be observed in the writings of
Christian historians who have dealt with that litera-
ture. Even in the works of Keim and Schurer,
whose scholarship is above reproach, I do not remem-
ber to have found any attempt to set forth the
principles on which they make use of the Rabbinical
literature for historical purposes. And it is perhaps
not too much to say that in most Christian writings
that touch upon
the Rabbinical literature there is
little or no appearance of any such principles ;
sometimes, indeed, there is a mere reproduction of
statements from previous writers, which the borrower
has not verified and not always understood.
The principle which I have stated above will, of
course, find its illustration in the treatment of the
passages from the Rabbinical literature to be presently
examined. That is to say, an attempt will be made
to estimate the historical value of the statements
contained in them. But it should be observed that
for historical purposes they may be valuable in one
or both of two ways. Whether or not they establish
the fact that such and such an event took place, they
at least establish the fact that such and such a belief
was held in reference to the alleged event, or the
person concerned in it. Thus we shall find that
several instances are mentioned of miracles alleged
to have been worked by Jews or Christians. The
mere statement does not prove that these were
actu-
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