66
CHRISTIANITY IN TALMUD
did lead the people astray ; but so far as religion was
concerned, he acknowledged and obeyed the God of
Israel. Moreover, Balaam was not an Israelite, and
therefore could not logically be included in a list of
exceptions to a rule which only affected Israelites.
It is evident that Balaam here does not mean the
ancient prophet of Num. xxii. fol., but some one else
for whom that ancient prophet could serve as a type.
From the Jewish point of view there was considerable
likeness between Balaam and Jesus. Both
had led the
people astray ; and if the former had tempted them
to gross immorality, the latter, according to the Rabbis,
had tempted them to gross apostasy--not unaccom-
panied by immorality, as will appear from some of the
passages relating to Christians. This was the great
charge against Jesus, that 11 he practised magic and
deceived and led astray Israel" (see above (7) last
line).
It should not be forgotten that even in the
O.T., unfaithfulness in the covenant-relation be-
tween Israel and God is symbolised under the form
of unfaithfulness in marriage, so that Balaam, the
chief corrupter of the morality of Israel, might
naturally be taken as a type of Jesus, the chief
corrupter of its religion. I am well aware that this
does not amount to a
proof that Balaam is a type of
Jesus. But it establishes a probability, which is
strengthened by the consideration that the
animus
displayed against Balaam in the Talmud would be
very artificial if its object had been really the ancient
prophet, while it is very natural and intelligible if it
was really directed against Jesus, who had dealt a
blow at the national religion such as it had never re-
ceived. To show the violence of the hatred against
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