In my online search I have not come across any references to Jesus in the Talmud Yerushalmi. I realize in the Bavli sometimes he is not identified by name or passages are censored/removed. I would like to know if there are any references to Jesus (or a person of another name who shares some characteristics of the 'historical' Jesus) that can be found in the Talmud Yerushalmi
asked Dec 4, 2018 at 14:48
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The Yerushalmi usually does not concern itself with stories ,so makes sense ישו does not make it in– samCommented Dec 4, 2018 at 14:50
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There's very little Aggada in the Yerushalmi. It's not like the Bavli. I don't know if Jesus is mentioned or not, but it wouldn't surprise me if he isn't.– Double AA ♦Commented Dec 4, 2018 at 14:52
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@sam and DoubleAA that sounds like a worthwhile answer.– Isaac Moses ♦Commented Dec 4, 2018 at 14:55
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12 down votes? really?– rikitikitemboCommented Dec 5, 2018 at 22:25
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2@TurkHill, there are many references, not none "at all, whatsoever". E.g. see Argon's suggested reference, or look at Sanhedrin 43a: "On Passover Eve they hung the corpse of Jesus the Nazarene after they killed him by way of stoning. And a crier went out before him for forty days, publicly proclaiming: Jesus the Nazarene is going out to be stoned because he practiced sorcery, incited people to idol worship, and led the Jewish people astray.". Or search for Jesus the Nazarene in The Sefaria Library.– Ray ButterworthCommented Aug 25, 2020 at 18:20
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1 Answer
Firstly, Mr. J. wasn't only referred to by his name, he had other names that referenced him (see Jastrow, Wiki, Jewish Wiki). Thus, only searching his name will not always yield results. Secondly, the Talmud Yerushalmi was censored just like the Bavli - something to keep in mind. In general, many 'famous' passages found in the Bavli were earlier teachings that were compiled into the Yerushalmi long before the Bavli was completed, so there is often overlap.
Shabbat 14:4 presents a story which also appears in Bavli Avodah Zarah 27b (and Tosefta, Chulin 2; see Tosafot, Sanhedrin 27b, Ed. Oz Vehahdar, note #20). This discuses the censorship in Yerushalmi and this the Bavli.
Yerushalmi [standard] censored:
מעשה בר' אלעזר בן דמה שנשכו נחש ובא יעקב איש כפר סמא לרפותו ולא הני לו ר' ישמעאל. אמר לו אני מביא ראייה שירפאנו לא הספיק להביא ראייה עד שמת בן דמה.
Uncensored, according to here (See Plates 1, 2):
מעשה בר' אלעזר בן דמה שנשכו נחש ובא יעקב איש כפר סמא משם של ישו פנדירא לרפותו ולא הניח לו רבי ישמעאל אמר לו אני מביא ראייה שירפאני לא הספיק להביא ראייה עד שמת בן דמה
The consensus is that איש כפר סמא was in relation with Mr. J. himself one way or another, if not said directly in his name.
Yevamot 16:6 (from here) mentions the equivalent (additions in) Bavli 67a (more discussion here). [Munich Manuscript does not have yeshu either; see Plate 6]
ישו בן פנדירא נתלה בערב פסח בלוד משום שהסית, ואף הכמינו עדים בשביל להרוג אותו על כה
However, all Yerushalmi versions of the incident only mention ben stada; see Plates, 3, 4. The Leiden Manuscript (Plate 5) seems to have a corrupted version, with lines drawn on top, perhaps indicating the corrupted text.
שכן עשו לבן סטדא בלוד שהכמינו לו שני תלמידי חכמים והביאוהו לבית דין וסקלוהו
[Plate 1: Shabbat, Venice 1523 - The Chaim Elozor Reich z"l / Renaissance Hebraica Collection][12] [![Shabat][13]][13]
Plate 2: Shabbat, Kraków 1609 -
The Chaim Elozor Reich z"l / Renaissance Hebraica Collection
Plate 3: Yevamot, Kraków 1609 -
The Chaim Elozor Reich z"l / Renaissance Hebraica Collection
Plate 4: Yevamot, Venice 1523 - The Chaim Elozor Reich z"l / Renaissance Hebraica Collection
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There is an old manuscript ,will check it to see if that Yerushalmi has it– samCommented Dec 4, 2018 at 20:26
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1@rikitikitembo This essay, by Dr. Solomon Zeitlin, should be of interest to you.– OliverCommented Dec 4, 2018 at 22:12
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2And another thorough essay on the topic (dispelling common theories) by Jacob Lauterbach.– OliverCommented Jan 27, 2019 at 3:14