PASSAGES RELATING TO JESUS
47
opinion, but because R. Eliezer never said anything
which he had not heard from his teacher.' The same
explanation is given in reference to another set of
questions addressed to Eliezer (b. Succ. 27b,
281),
and
f r
om
the latter passage it appears to be Eliezer's own
declaration concerning himself. But it has no bear-
ing on the questions and answers translated above,
unless it be this, that as Eliezer was known to have
had some connexion with Christianity, his questioners
tried to get at his own opinion concerning Jesus,
and that he fenced with the questions, not caring to
answer directly, and perhaps not being able to
answer
on the authority of his teacher. The particular point
of each question I am unable to explain ; but one
can see an opportunity for allusion to Jesus in the
questions as to the fate of ' pelOni ' in the future life,
as to the ' Mamzer' founding a house (i.e. a family),
or a sepulchre, if it were known that Jesus was not
married, and that he was buried in the grave of a
stranger. I can throw no light upon the ' saving the
sheep
(or the shepherd) from the lion.' That this
passage contains a covert reference to Jesus is the
opinion of Levy, N.H.W., iv. 541, s.v. '»5c, and also of
Edersheim, L. &. T. of J. Al., ii. 198, who ventures a
comparison with John x. 11. Is it likely that the con-
tents of that Gospel, supposing it to have been in
existence at the time, would be known to Eliezer or
his questioners i'
THE ANCESTRY OF THE MOTHER OF JESUS
(5) b. Sanh.
1001.-R. Johanan said
[concerning
Balaam], ' In the beginning a prophet, in the
end a deceiver.' Rab Papa said, ' This is that
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