While Toldot Yeshu is not a historical work, but more like "fan fiction", it is a hobby of mine, and I was doing some research today, at a more acedemic level than one might suppose.
Some of the fragments of some early Toldot Yeshu are in the Russian National Library. While doing an internet search for the frament group marked "Evr. I 274", based on Dr. Deutsch's work New Evidence of Early versions of Toldot Yeshu", I came across a good paper on Toldot Yeshu at this site It is well written, delivered at a symposium at Princeton, and some of Dr. Deutsch's work is included, and titled "Judeo-Arabic Versions of Toldot Yeshu".
Arabic? Why not? It is also in Latin, Persian, French, and our old standby - Yiddish. But the Arabic version is significant in that it shows the influence of the Islamic culture on the Jews who lived there, even taking their literary style. (see below)
Ah, the fun never ends. Here is a snippet from the end of the document, noting a bit of the the Arabic version - the preface anyhow:
Goot times!
Some of the fragments of some early Toldot Yeshu are in the Russian National Library. While doing an internet search for the frament group marked "Evr. I 274", based on Dr. Deutsch's work New Evidence of Early versions of Toldot Yeshu", I came across a good paper on Toldot Yeshu at this site It is well written, delivered at a symposium at Princeton, and some of Dr. Deutsch's work is included, and titled "Judeo-Arabic Versions of Toldot Yeshu".
Arabic? Why not? It is also in Latin, Persian, French, and our old standby - Yiddish. But the Arabic version is significant in that it shows the influence of the Islamic culture on the Jews who lived there, even taking their literary style. (see below)
Ah, the fun never ends. Here is a snippet from the end of the document, noting a bit of the the Arabic version - the preface anyhow:
Quote:Praised be God, the God of Israel, creator of the heavens and the earth with his power and greatness, [who] destroyed the infidel tyrants and showed preference to the beloved righteous. Master of masters, motivator of all heavenly forces, liberator of the bound, mover of clouds, ruler of rulers, the all-powerful and the staunch, the clear truth, the destroyer of the polytheists and humbler of the infidels and destroyer of the oppressors and exterminator of the wicked. Protector of those close to him and the righteous, who saved the children of Israel from the Pharaohs, who are the Christian infidel people, and who gave them the cursed Jesus the Nazarene, and who caused them to follow his severe blasphemy in his great ignorance, and caused their leaders to perish by means of cursed counsel and caused them to worship wood and idols, and God, the blessed and exalted, caused him to perish within a short time because of his blasphemy and overstepping of bounds. And Israel suffered great difficulties on his account and they tried to return him [to the correct path], but they could not, because in our sources, every place where it is written wayyehi indicates great difficulties, as it is said, “In the time (wayyehi bi-ymei) of Tiberias Caesar [and] his minister Herod,” in those days there was a man of the line of King David, of blessed memory, and his name was Yoh˙anan, and he had a beautiful wife whose name was Miriam. Her husband was a God-fearing man, and was one of the students of Rabbi Shim’on ben Shatah', of blessed memory. He had a wicked neighbor named Yosef Pandera, and that wicked man was quite dishonorable, and he was always looking at the women. He coveted the wife of that Yoh˙anan, and it was the month of Nisan immediately after the beginning of the Passover, and that righteous man (Yoh˙anan) would rise to go to the yeshiva at night. So one night he arose to go the yeshiva, locking the door....
Goot times!
“I've done everything the Bible says — even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff!"— Ned Flanders
