Theos-Talk Archives (March 2004 Message tt00344)

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Bart Lidofsky <bartl@s...> wrote:
> Erica Letzerich wrote:
> > Nor is she named as the woman who was 
> > caught in the act of adultery and saved from being stoned to 
death 
> > by Jesus (John 8:1-11). 
> 
> Please read the passage. It is clear that this was simply a 
theoretical 
> question, apparently designed to expose Jesus' lack of knowledge of 
the 
> Talmud, therefore being a fake rabbi

Interesting theory. If you are right, then the story is a later 
interpolation by some scribe because proving Jesus to be a fake would 
go against the whole intent of the book, which was to show almost 
fawning devotion to him. That the original text was tampered with to 
some extent is quite certain, as is the fact that it was not the work 
of the person whose name it bears (but probably a rewrite of his 
memoir by one of his disciples.)

On the surface of it, the story of the woman taken in adultery is 
probably the most dramatic in all ancient literature. Regrettably 
when it has been brought to the screen it has always been done 
amateurishly and with no concept of what the original author seemed 
to be trying to say.

As for the Talmud, the oldest portions of that document were not 
written until after Titus destroyed the Temple, which was almost 
forty years after the Crucifixion.

> this is one of the pieces of 
> evidence that Jesus might have been a composite of several leaders, 
some 
> more educated than others.

Agreed but the reason for this has to do with hidden meanings in the 
texts. Most people do not realize that all sorts of esoteric ideas 
are cleverly concealed in what appear to be banal stories and 
sayings. Tiy would be astonished if yoy knew what is really there 
beneath the surface. Early Christianity was a sect of Jewish 
Kabbalists before it turned into a large and profitable business.

Here is the article from THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA on Magdala, presumed 
birthplace of Mary:

MAGDALA: By : Richard Gottheil Samuel Krauss   

Town in Palestine in the province of Galilee; probably the
birthplace of Mary Magdalene. There is a Talmudic sentence which
declares that Magdala was destroyed (by the Romans) on account of
its immorality (Lam. R. ii. 2). Jesus once went to Magdala by
ship on the Sea of Gennesaret (Matt. xv. 39; even if the reading
Μαγαδάν [= Μαγλδάλ] be accepted in place of
Μαγδαλά, it must be inferred that Magdala is meant).
Because he made the journey by boat some have held that the town
was on the eastern shore of the sea; such a conclusion is not
necessary, however, and Magdala was more probably on the western
shore, perhaps the present Al-majdal, a small village an hour and
a quarter north of Tiberias.

Rabbinical accounts are clear only in indicating Magdala as
situated near Tiberias. In Tosef., 'Er. vi. 13 (ed. Zuckermandel,
p. 145; comp. Yer. 'Er. v. 22d, where the description is more
detailed and accurate), it is true, Tiberias is placed near
Gadara also, which latter place is known to have been situated
east of the Jordan. But the proximity to Tiberias is noted also
in Yer. Ma'as iii. 50c; andSimeon ben La&#7731;ish, who had a quarrel
with the patriarch, fled to Magdala from the neighboring Tiberias
(Yer. Sanh. ii. 19d; Hor. iii. 47a). There were in Magdala a
seminary or a synagogue, and a school for children (Eccl. R. x.
8). In several passages in the Talmud and Midrash "Magdala"
occurs as a variant of "Migdal &#7826;abba'aya" (tower of the dyers).
Neubauer is consequently of the opinion that the latter as well
as other names compounded with "Migdal" refers to a quarter in
the town of Magdala; but this is not the case. Only so much is
certain, that a few teachers of the Law were born in
Magdala—e.g., R. Isaac (B. M. 25a) and Yudan (Yer. Ber. ix.
14a; Ta'an. i. 64b). In the Talmud besides the usual Aramaic name
"Magdala" the Hebrew form "Migdol" occasionally occurs (e.g.,
Tosef. 'Er. vi. 13). This is without significance, however, as is
shown by the fact that the Biblical "Migdol" is regularly
rendered by the Septuagint as Μάγδωλος (e.g., in Num.
xxxiii. 7).

Bibliography: Winer, B. R.; Neubauer, G. T. p. 217; Lightfoot,
Horoe Hebraicoe, p. 136.G. S. Kr.