Jewish Talmuds

What is a Non-Biblical Source?

 

A Non-Biblical source is a person or group of people who have a written a document that is not part of the bible. Although, specifically, in Christian Apologetics, a Non-Biblical source is a person or group of people who wrote a document concerning Jesus, early christianity, the Jews before Jesus, or the Bible. This source would not be a part of the Bible but would be important to Corroberate what it is saying.

 

Why do Non-Biblical Sources Matter?

 

Non-Biblical Sources are important for a few reasons. In apologetics, they attest to Jesus's existence, the existence of his followers, and collaberate with the Bible in showing how it is accurate in what it says occured. Both positive Non-Biblical sources and negative Non-Biblical sources towards christianity; do corruborate these things. Also, there is a misconception that the bible is less trustworthy than these Non-Biblical sources. Despite this not being true, people who hold this misconception will have a higher appreciation seeing Non-Biblical Sources attesting to the intellectual credibilty of christianity.

 

What was this?

 

 Talmud, meaning 'teaching' is an ancient text containing Jewish sayings, ideas and stories. Written in 100 AD all the way to 500 AD, by a group known as the Talmudists.

 

Writings related to Jesus:

 

Jesus is mentioned in this “… and hanged him on the Eve of Passover”

 

The Talmud title referring to Jesus was “Ben Pandera or Ben Pantere, and Jeshu ben Pandera”. Many scholars believe Pandera is a play of words, basically using the Greek word for virgin which was Parthenos and moving it to a Greek - Hebrew hybrid which would have meant “son of a virgin”.

 

Babylonian Sanhedrin 43a: “On the eve of Passover they hanged Yeshu (of Nazareth) and the herald went before him for forty days saying (Yeshu of Nazareth) is going forth to be stoned in that he hath practiced sorcery and beguiled and led astray Israel. Let everyone knowing aught in his defense come and plead for him. But they found naught in his defence and hanged him on the eve of Passover”.

 

The Amoa ‘Ulla’ adds to last point “And do you suppose that for (Yeshua of Nazareth) there was any right of appeal? He was a beguiler, and the merciful one hath said: “thou shalt not spare neither shalt conciel him.” It is otherwise with Yeshu, for he was near to the civil authority”.

 

Sanhedrin 43a: also makes reference to Jesus’ disciples.

 

Yeb. IV 3; 49a: “I found a genealogical roll in Jerusalem wherein was recorded, Such-an-one is a bastard of an adulteress”.

 

An early Baraita in which R. Eliezer is the central figure and the brackets are Diduke Sof’rim to Abada Zara: “He answered, Akiba, you have reminded me! Once I was walking along the upper market of Sepphoris and found one [of the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth] and Jacob of Kefar Sekanya was his name. He said to me, It is written in your law, ‘Thou shalt not bring the hire of a harlot, etc.’ What was to be done with it-a latrine for the High Priest? But I answered nothing. He said to me, so [Jesus of Nazareth] taught me ‘For of the hire of a harlot hath she gathered them, and unto the hire of a harlot shall they return’; from the place of filth they come, and unto the place of filth they shall go. And the saying pleased me, and because of this I was arrested for Minuth. And I transgressed against what is written in the law; ‘keep thy far away from here’-that is Minuth; ‘and come not nigh the door of her house’-that is the civil government”.

 

Source: Josh McDowell