Question:

I am struggling with my beliefs regarding the life and crucifixion of Jesus.  I dearly want to believe in this, but need some evidence for my beliefs.  I read a lot about a passage from The Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 43a), also your reply to someone’s question.   If I read answers from Jewish rabbis that explains that this is not Jesus for more reasons than you discussed.  Can you please give your feedback on this: This passage refers to a date 150 years before the life of Jesus The name of Jesus in Hebrew is Yehoshuah. Answer: I want to reply to your question, but unless you give me information on where you found this material and the evidence they are using, it is really hard for me to respond.  Please send me the reference so I can give a better response. I did a bit of research and here is what I found.  Most scholars believe that Yeshu was a shortened form of Yeshua which lost the unpronounced Hebrew letter ayin.  Yehoshuah and Yeshua are slightly longer and slightly shorter versions of the same name.  This is pretty much a common knowledge to scholars.  Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that Yeshu is an early second century version of Jesus’ Hebrew name.  Then there is the question of whether the person in the Talmud is in fact a reference to the Jesus we know from the New Testament.  The nearly universal conclusion of Christians, including in the second and third centuries is that this is one and the same person.   The Jewish commentators are more skepical.  Some believe Yeshu in the Sanhedrin 43a is Jesus of Nazareth and more do not agree.  Like I said above, I want to respond to the claim you read, but without knowing the evidence presented I cannot respond.  Both the Christians and the Jews have a bias here which we should acknowledge.  I believe that our faith that Jesus was a real person who worked miracles and was crucified does not depend on this one passage. There is plenty more information to support this belief! However, in my opinion, it is almost certainly an early second century reference to the Jesus we all know.  The connections, including the crucifixion and the fact that the name is the same, that the execution occurred on the eve of the Passover, and the claim of being a miracle worker all agree, so that is my conclusion, but I do not base my entire faith in Jesus on this, and neither should anyone else. John Oakes