44
CHRISTIANITY IN TALMUD
enough to have seen and remembered Jesus.' The
Rabbis mentioned here were amongst the leading
men of their time, and on that account must have
been much concerned
with the questions arising out
of the growth of Christianity. R. Jehoshua is ex-
pressly mentioned as having been one of the chief
defenders of Israel against the Minim ; and, whatever
may be the precise significance of that term, it will
be shown subsequently that it includes Christians,
though it may possibly include others also. R.
Aqiba also is said to have been a particularly zealous
opponent of the Christians. Indeed, according to
one of the two conflicting opinions represented in the
Talmud, Jesus was actually a contemporary of Aqiba,
an anachronism which finds its best explanation in a
pronounced hostility on the part of Aqiba towards
the Christians. When, therefore, Shim'on b. 'Azai
reported that he had found a book of pedigrees, in
which it was stated that
f
a certain person' (peloni)
was of spurious birth, it is certainly probable that the
reference is to Jesus. Unless some well-known man
were intended, there would be no point in referring
to him ; and unless there had been some strong
reason for avoiding his name, the name would have
been given in order to strengthen the argument
founded upon the case. For it is said that Shim'on
ben 'Azai made his statement
'
in order to confirm
the words of R. Jehoshua.' And R. Jehoshua had
laid it down that a bastard is one who is condemned
' It has been suggested that the John mentioned in Acts iv. 6 is the
same as Jol?anan ben Zaccai ; but there is no evidence for this identification
except the similarity of name. Since the Rabbi was
a Pharisee, it is not on
the face of it probable that he should be "of the kindred of the High
Priest."
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