Jesus Reclaimed Jewish Perspectives on the Nazarene Walter Homolka
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Jesus Reclaimed JESUS RECLAIMED Jewish Perspectives on the Nazarene Walter Homolka Translated by Ingrid Shafer C F S H I B I O /&8:03,t09'03% XXXCFSHIBIOCPPLTDPN Published by Berghahn Books www.berghahnbooks.com Revised and enlarged English-language edition © 2015 Walter Homolka German-language edition © 2009–2011 Hentrich & Hentrich Gbr Jesus von Nazareth im Spiegel jüdischer Forschung All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purposes of criticism and review, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be in- vented, without written permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Homolka, Walter, author. [Jesus von Nazareth. English] Jesus reclaimed : Jewish perspectives on the Nazarene / Walter Homolka ; translated by Ingrid Shafer. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-78238-579-0 (hardback : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-78238-580-6 (ebook) 1. Jesus Christ—Jewishness. 2. Judaism—Relations—Christianity. 3. Christianity and other religions—Judaism. 4. Jesus Christ— History of doctrines—Early church, 30–600. I. Title. BM620.H66 201513 232.9’06—dc23 2014029071 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Printed on acid-free paper. ISBN: 978-1-78238-579-0 hardback ISBN: 978-1-78238-580-6 ebook For Otto Kaiser, teacher and friend )KNOWAGOOD(AMBURG#HRISTIANWHOCANNEVERRECONCILE HIMSELFTOTHEFACTTHATOUR,ORDAND3AVIOURWASBYBIRTH A*EW!DEEPDISSATISFACTIONSEIZESHIMWHENHEMUSTAD MITTOHIMSELFTHATTHEMANWHO ASTHEPATTERNOFPERFEC TION DESERVESTHEHIGHESTHONOR WASSTILLOFKINTOTHOSE SNUFmING LONG NOSED FELLOWS WHO GO RUNNING ABOUT THE STREETSSELLINGOLDCLOTHES WHOMHESOUTTERLYDESPISES ANDWHOAREEVENMOREDESPERATELYDETESTABLEWHENTHEY LIKEHIMSELFAPPLYTHEMSELVESTOTHEWHOLESALEBUSINESS OFSPICESANDDYE STUFFS ANDENCROACHUPONHISINTERESTS (EINRICH(EINE Shakespeare’s Maidens and Women Contents Foreword xi Leonard Swidler Translator’s Preface xv Ingrid Shafer Preface xix Introduction. When a Jew Looks at the Sources: T e Jesus of History 1 4HE3OURCES 4HE%ARLY9EARS 0UBLIC!PPEARANCE *ESUSS-ESSAGE !RRESTAND4RIAL $EATH Chapter 1. Jesus and His Impact on Jewish Antiquity and the Middle Ages 13 *ESUSINTHE-ISHNAHAND4ALMUD 4HEToledot Yeshu 2ABBINIC0OLEMICSAGAINST*ESUS #HRISTIAN4ALMUD#RITICISMAND #ENSORSHIP Chapter 2. T e Historical Jesus: A Jewish and a Christian Quest 29 *ESUSANDTHE*EWISH%NLIGHTENMENT x • Contents 4HE#HRISTIAN1UESTOFTHE(ISTORICAL*ESUS !$EPARTUREFROM$OGMA 4HE*EWISH1UESTAS2EPATRIATING*ESUSTO *UDAISM *UDAISM/UTOF0LACE4HE"ERLIN!NTI 3EMITISM$EBATEAND-AX,IEBERMANNS h*ESUSv ,EO"AECKAND!DOLFVON(ARNACK #ONTROVERSYAND#LASHESBETWEENTHE *EWISHAND#HRISTIAN1UESTS 4HE*EWISH1UESTFROM*OSEPH+LAUSNERTO %RNST,UDWIG%HRLICH Chapter 3. Jesus the Jew and Joseph Ratzinger’s Christ: A T eological U-Turn 101 *ESUS7ASA*EW!#ULTURAL #OINCIDENCE 4HEh2ABBI*ESUSv&OR#HRISTIANS/NLY )MPORTANTAS#HRIST h2EADINGTHE7HOLE"IBLEINTHE ,IGHTOF#HRISTv*OSEPH2ATZINGERS (ERMENEUTICS #HRISTIAN&AITHANDh(ISTORICAL2EASONv Conclusion 111 Bibliography 117 Index 135 Foreword Leonard Swidler 2ABBI 7ALTER (OMOLKA CAREFULLY LAYS OUT THE CONTRIBU TIONS*EWISHSCHOLARSHAVEBEENMAKINGTOTHEEVER FULLER HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE MOST INmUENTIAL *EWOR PERHAPSTHEMOSTINmUENTIALHUMANBEINGEVER *ESUSOF .AZARETH )T IS BUILT ON SOLID SCHOLARSHIP BUT WRITTEN IN TERMSTHATMAKEITACCESSIBLETOTHEEDUCATEDLAYPERSON .OW IN THE EARLY TWENTY lRST CENTURY WE ARE STILL LEARNINGMOREABOUT*ESUSOF.AZARETHASARESULTOFTHE hTHIRDQUESTOFTHEHISTORICAL*ESUSv4HElRSTQUESTWAS LAUNCHED DURING THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY %NLIGHTENMENT BYSCHOLARSLIKE(ERMANN2EIMARUSANDGAINEDMOMEN TUM IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF hSCIENTIlC HISTORYv UNDER SCHOLARS SUCH AS ,EOPOLD VON 2ANKE4HEQUESTGROUNDTOAHALTEARLYINTHETWENTIETH CENTURY WITH THE DECLARATION BY !LBERT 3CHWEITZER AND 2UDOLF"ULTMANNTHATITWASIMPOSSIBLE!LLWEHADTOGO ONWERESEVERALFAITHSTATEMENTSABOUT*ESUSAND THERE FORE ITWASIMPOSSIBLETODISCERNTHEHUMANFACEOF*ESUS BENEATHALLTHEPROJECTIONS 4HE SECOND QUEST WAS STARTED BY "ULTMANNS PRIZE STUDENT %RNST +ÊSEMANN WITH HIS INAUGURAL ADDRESS AT THE 5NIVERSITY OF 'ÚTTINGEN IN HE LATER BECAME PROFESSORATMYALMAMATER THE5NIVERSITYOF4àBINGEN (EARGUEDTHATDESPITETHEhFAITHSTATEMENTvNATUREOFTHE 'OSPELS WEcanATTAINAHISTORICALPICTUREOFTHEREAL*ESUS BYUSINGTOOLSSUCHAS dissimilarityIFASTATEMENTWAS xii • Foreword CONTRARYTOTHEAIMSOFEARLY*UDAISMORTHEEARLY#HRIS TIANS ITLIKELYCAMEFROM*ESUS multiple attestation IFASTATEMENTISFOUNDINMORETHANONESOURCE AND coherence IFASTATEMENTCOHEREDWITHALREADYACCEPTED *ESUSSTATEMENTS TOWHICHWASLATERADDED linguistic suitabilityIFASTATEMENTMADESENSEIN*ESUS!RAMAIC (OWDIDTHESECRITERIAWORK,ETMEGIVEJUSTONEEX AMPLE4HE.EW4ESTAMENTWRITINGSAREFULLOFNEGATIVE STATEMENTSABOUTWOMENBYPERSONSotherTHAN*ESUSFOR EXAMPLE h7OMENSHOULDKEEPSILENCEINTHECHURCHv #OR h)SUFFERNOWOMANTOHAVEAUTHORITYOVERA MANv4M h7IVES BESUBJECTTOYOURHUSBANDSv 0T -OREOVER *ESUSS YOUNGER *EWISH CONTEMPO RARY*OSEPHUSWROTE h4HEWOMAN SAYSTHE,AW ISINALL THINGSINFERIORTOTHEMANv)NCONTRAST INALLFOUROFTHE 'OSPELS nowhereDOES*ESUSSAYORDOANYTHINGNEGATIVE REGARDINGWOMENONTHECONTRARY HESAYSANDDOESMANY MANY POSITIVE THINGS #ONCLUSION THOSE hFEMINISTv RE MARKSANDACTIONSATTRIBUTEDINTHE'OSPELSTO*ESUSCOULD NOTSTEMFROMTHEFREQUENTLYMISOGYNIST*EWISHOR#HRIS TIANSOURCES BUTHADTOGOBACKTO*ESUSHIMSELF !SHELPFULASTHEhPRINCIPLEOFDISSIMILARITYvWAS AT THESAMETIMEITTENDEDTOALIENATE*ESUSFROMHISNATURAL *EWISH CONTEXTWHICH DID NOT MAKE ANY SENSE (ENCE STARTING IN THE LATE S RESEARCHERS FOCUSED ON THE BROADERBACKGROUNDOFTHE.EW4ESTAMENT ANDMOSTES PECIALLYITS*EWISHBACKGROUND4HISAPPROACHDREWTHE INTERESTOFMANYEXCELLENTSCHOLARS INCLUDINGMANYOFTHE MOSTRESPECTEDCONTEMPORARYBIBLICALSCHOLARS RESULTING INWHATHASBEENNAMEDTHEhTHIRDQUESTOFTHEHISTORICAL *ESUSv )NTHE@THIRDQUEST WHICHlRSTEMERGEDPREDOMI NANTLYINTHE%NGLISH SPEAKINGWORLD ASOCIOLOG ICAL INTEREST REPLACED A THEOLOGICAL INTEREST AND THE CONCERN TO lND *ESUS A PLACE IN *UDAISM RE Foreword • xiii PLACEDTHEDEMARCATIONOF*ESUSFROM*UDAISMAN OPENNESSTONON CANONICALSOMETIMESHERETICAL SOURCESALSOREPLACEDTHEPREFERENCEFORCANONICAL SOURCES *EWISHSCHOLARSWEREONTHIShTHIRDQUESTFORTHEHISTORICAL *ESUSvLONGBEFOREWE#HRISTIANSCHOLARSTOOKUPTHEQUEST !TONEPOINTWE#HRISTIANSlNALLYREALIZEDTHATITISABSO LUTELYESSENTIALTOVIEW*ESUSAS2ABBI9ESHUA(A .OTZRI 2ABBI*ESUSOF.AZARETH ANDTORECOGNIZEALLHISRELATIVES -ARY *OSEPH *AMES AND SO ON AND lRST FOLLOWERS AS FELLOW*EWSIFWEAREEVERGOINGTOUNDERSTANDWHOTHE hFOUNDERvOF#HRISTIANITYWASANDWHATHEWASALLABOUT (ENCE ITISWITHDEEPGRATITUDETHAT)WELCOMETHISLAT ESTBOOKINAGLORIOUSTRADITIONOF*EWISHSCHOLARSHIPTHAT IS OF IMMENSE HELP TO ITS SIBLING #HRISTIAN SCHOLARSHIP "UTITISMUCHMORETHANTHAT)TISAHANDYHANDBOOK A VERITABLE VADE MECUM ON THE GROWING DEEPER HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDINGOF*ESUSAMONG*EWISHSCHOLARSANDTHUSAN IMPORTANTSOURCEFOR#HRISTIANAND)SLAMICSCHOLARSALIKE Notes *OSEPHUS Against Apion,)) CITEDIN,EONARD3WIDLER Women in Judaism: The Status of Women in Formative Judaism-ETUCHEN .*3CARECROW0RESS 3EE ,EONARD 3WIDLER Biblical Affi rmations of Woman 0HILADELPHIA7ESTMINSTER0RESS ,EONARD3WIDLER Jesus Was a Feminist,ANHAM -$3HEED7ARD 'ERD4HEISSEN !NNETTE-ERZThe Historical Jesus-IN NEAPOLIS&ORTRESS0RESS )TOO BELATEDLY JOINEDTHEPIONEER#HRISTIANSCHOLARSIN THIS hTHIRD QUESTv ,EONARD 3WIDLER Yeshua: A Model for Moderns+ANSAS#ITY3HEED7ARD NDEX PANDEDED Translator’s Preface Ingrid Shafer 7HILEREADING7ALTER(OMOLKAS'ERMANBOOKJesus of Nazareth, ) BECAME CONVINCED THAT IT DESERVED TO BE BROADLY DISTRIBUTED BEYOND A 'ERMAN SPEAKING PUBLIC BOTHACADEMICANDLAY)WASESPECIALLYFASCINATEDBYTHE SECONDPARTOFTHETITLEim Spiegel jüdischer ForschungIN THE-IRROROF*EWISH3CHOLARSHIP 4HETITLEHAPPENEDTO COINCIDEWITHONEOFMYLIFELONGPERSONALANDACADEMIC PASSIONSMYCONVICTIONTHATALLOFUSPERCEIVEWHATWE CONSIDERREALITYTHROUGHWHAT)HAVECALLEDhHERMENEUTI CALLENSES vSPECTACLESORMIRRORSTHATDETERMINEWHATWE hSEEvANDWHATWECONSIDERhTHETRUTHv)SPENTFORTY ONE YEARSTEACHINGINTERDISCIPLINARYGLOBALHISTORYOFIDEASATA LIBERALARTSCOLLEGE AND)NEVERQUITECEASEDBEINGAMAZED ATTHEEXTENTTOWHICHMYSTUDENTS OFTENUNWILLINGCAP TIVESINREQUIREDCOURSES WERETHREATENEDBYHAVINGTHEIR PRECONSCIOUS ASSUMPTIONS CHALLENGED ESPECIALLY CON CERNINGTHEIRRELIGIOUSORIDEOLOGICALCONVICTIONS3IMPLY SAYING h*ESUSWASA*EWvORh*ESUSWASNOTA#HRISTIANv RAISEDACHORUSOFOBJECTIONS9ET THISWASPRECISELYWHAT )HADHOPEDTOCOMMUNICATETOOTHERSEVERSINCE)WASIN MYLATETEENSINTHES ) WAS BORN IN )NNSBRUCK !USTRIA ONE MONTH BEFORE (ITLER MARCHED INTO 0OLAND AND HAVE BEEN HAUNTED BY IMAGESOFTHE3HOAHEVERSINCE)WASOLDENOUGHTOREAD MAGAZINES AND QUESTION ADULTS %VENTUALLY ) BEGAN TO SEEKARATIONALEXPLANATIONFORWHATSEEMEDTHEUNCON xvi • Translator’s Preface SCIOUS KNEE JERKANTI *EWISHPREJUDICESOFSOMANYhGOOD PEOPLEv ) KNEWTEACHERS CLASSMATES EVEN MY FATHER .OONE FOREXAMPLE SEEMEDTOQUESTIONWHATTOMEAP PEAREDANABSURDANDHATE FOMENTINGLOCALSTORYOFTHEJu- denstein *EWSTONE THESHRINEOFTHE"LESSED!NDREWOF 2INN;!NDERL= THElNALRESTINGPLACEOFASMALLBOYWHOSE THROAT THETEACHERTOLDUSDURINGACLASSOUTING HADBEEN SLITCENTURIESBEFOREBYAGROUPOF*EWISHMERCHANTS)NTHE CHAPEL WESAWTHEGRAYBOULDERONWHICHTHETODDLERHAD REPORTEDLYBEENSLAUGHTERED7EMARVELEDATTHEIMPRINT OFTHETINYBODYMIRACULOUSLYLEFTBEHIND ASILENTWITNESS TOACRIMESOHEINOUSITSOFTENEDTHEVERYSTONE7EWERE ENCOURAGEDTOPONDERTHEPICTURESONTHECHAPELWALLSOF THE HEINOUS ACT BEING COMMITTED TO KNEEL FOR PRAYER