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Jesus Christ
Messiah of the
Rabbinical Writers
The charge is often made that the
prophetic scriptures cited by the writers of the New Testament do not refer to
the Messiah, but to other people, places, or events. However, this paper
demonstrates that even the rabbinical writers recognized the
messianic nature of these prophecies. Some of these writings are, of themselves
prophetic, and contain prophecies not even found in the Old Testament scriptures.
One stunning example is from the Sibylline Oracles, which were written during
the period of 184-117 B.C.:
"And being beaten
He shall be silent lest any one should know what the word is, or whence it
came, that it may speak with mortals; and He shall wear the crown of thorns."
Sibylline Oracles (B.C. 184-117)
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Subject
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Prophetic Scripture
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Rabbinical Writing
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Fulfilled
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seed of a woman
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And
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her
seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the
heel." (Genesis 3:15)
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And
I will put enmity between thee and the WOMAN, and between the seed of thy
sons, and between the SEED of her sons; and shall be when the sons of the
WOMAN keep the commandments of the LAW. Thou wilt be prepared to smite thee
on thy HEAD; but if they forsake ;the commandments of the LAW, thou wilt be
prepared to wound them in the heel. Nevertheless for them there shall be a
MEDICINE; and they shall make a REMEDY for the heel in the days of the KING
MESHIHA (Targum Palestine, Targum Jerusalem)
And I will
put enmity between thee and between the WOMAN, and between thy son and her
SON. HE will remember thee and what thou didst to HIM from (at) the
beginning, and thou shalt be observant unto HIM at the end." (Targum
Onkelos)
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But
when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman,
born under the Law, (Galatians 4:4)
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descendant of Abraham
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"And
in your seed [Abraham's] all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,
because you have obeyed My voice." (Genesis 22:18)
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The
promise in Gen. 22:18 is also explained messianically in Bermid Rabbah 2 (ed.
Warsh., p. 5, b.)
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The
book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
(Matthew 1:1)
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descendant of Isaac
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But
God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall
call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an
everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. (Genesis 17:19)
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the
son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son
of Nahor, (Luke 3:34)
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descendant of Jacob
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"I
see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; a star shall come forth
from Jacob, and a scepter shall rise from Israel, and shall crush through the
forehead of Moab, and tear down all the sons of Sheth. (Numbers 24:17)
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"The
Israelites said to God: How long shall we be in bondage? He replied: ?Till
the day comes of which it is said: ?There shall come a star out of
Jacob.'"
Debarim Rabba, (Sec. 1.).
When a king shall arise out of Jakob And the Messiah be anointed from Israel,
He will slay the princes of Moab, and reign over all the children of man.
Targum Onkelos.
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To
Abraham was born Isaac; and to Isaac, Jacob; and to Jacob, Judah and his
brothers; (Matthew 1:2)
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from the tribe of
Judah
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"The
scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his
feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. (Genesis
49:10)
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"Kings
shall not cease, nor rulers from the house of Judah, nor sapherim teaching
the Law from his seed, till the time that the King the messiah shall come,
who will arise from Jehudah. How beauteous is the king, the messiah who will
arise from Jehuda."
Targum Palestine.
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the
son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the
son of Perez, the son of Judah, (Luke 3:33)
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descendent of Jesse
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Then
it will come about in that day that the nations will resort to the root of
Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting place will
be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10)
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"From
the children's children of Jesse shall proceed Messiah, and 'His works shall
be among you as flying serpents."
Jonathan (on Isaiah 14:29).
And there shall go forth a King from the Sons of Jesse, and the Messiah shall
be anointed from his children's children.
Targum Jonathan.
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And
again Isaiah says, "THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE, AND HE WHO
ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES, IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE." (Romans
15:12)
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descendant of David
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"Behold,
the days are coming," declares the LORD, "When I shall raise up for
David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do
justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and
Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called,
`The LORD our righteousness.'" (Jeremiah 23:5-6)
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"As
thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people by the hands of the
Meshiha, the son of David. Who shall wound Satan who is the head, the King
and Prince of the house of the wicked, and shall raze up (overturn) all his
strength, power, policy and dominion." R. David Kimchi.
"Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise up to David the
Messiah, who is righteous, and He shall reign a King, and shall prosper, and
execute the Judgment of truth and Justice in the earth."
Targum Jonathan.
"And they shall worship before the Lord their God, and they shall
hearken to Messiah, the Son of David, their King, whom I will raise up to
them."-Jonathan (on Jer. 30:9, 21).
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The
book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
(Matthew 1:1)
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will shepherd His
people
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"And
My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd;
and they will walk in My ordinances, and keep My statutes, and observe
them." (Ezekiel 37:24)
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This
is the faithful Shepherd; Of ,thee it is said, "Kiss the Son," thou
art the Prince of the Israelites, the Lord of the earth... the Son of the
Most High, the Son of the holy God - -and the gracious Shekinah.
Zohar (Gen. f6l. 88, c. 348).
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"`And
you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of
Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler, Who will shepherd My people
Israel.'" (Matthew 2:6)
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heir to the throne of
David
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There
will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne
of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice
and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts
will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:7)
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"Behold
the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise up to David the Messiah, who
is righteous, and He shall reign a King, and shall prosper, and execute the
Judgment of truth and Justice in the earth."
(Targum Jonathan)
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"He
will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God
will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the
house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end." (Luke
1:32-33)
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anointed and eternal
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Thy
throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter
of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness;
therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee with the oil of joy above Thy
fellows. (Psalms 45:6-7)
"Of old Thou didst found the earth; and the heavens are the work
of Thy hands. Even they will perish, but Thou dost endure; and all of them
will wear out like a garment; like clothing Thou wilt change them, and they
will be changed. But Thou art the same, and Thy years will not come to an
end." (Psalms 102:25-27)
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When
the mighty King of Jacob's house shall reign and the Meshiha, the Power
Sceptre of Israel, be anointed He shall slay the princes of Moabee.
Targum Jerusalem
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But
of the Son He says, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the
righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. Thou hast loved
righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed
Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy companions." And, "Thou,
Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the earth, and the heavens
are the works of Thy hands; They will perish, but Thou remainest; and they
all will become old as a garment, and as a mantle Thou wilt roll them up; as
a garment they will also be changed. But Thou art the same, and Thy years
will not come to an end." (Hebrews 1:8-12)
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born in Bethlehem
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"But
as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are
from long ago, from the days of eternity." (Micah 5:2)
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"Out
of thee Bethlehem shall messiah go forth before me, to exercise dominion over
Israel. Whose name has been spoken from of Old from the day of
Eternity."
Targum Jonathan.
"Out of thee (Bethlehem) shall come forth unto me Messiah, the Son of
David."
R. Jarchi.
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And
Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the
city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and
family of David, in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to
him, and was with child.... And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she
wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room
for them in the inn. (Luke 2:4-5, 7)
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time for His birth
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"So
you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and
rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and
sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times
of distress. (Daniel 9:25)
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God
has decreed to build up Jerusalem and show a star... This star is the
Messiah.
Sohar (Num. fol. 85, c. 340).
"I have examined and searched all the Holy Scriptures, and have not
found -the time for the coming of messiah, clearly fixed, except In the words
of Gabriel to the prophet Daniel, which are written in the ninth chapter of
the prophecy of Daniel."
R. Moses Abraham Levi.
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Now
it came about in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that
a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken
while Quirinius was governor of Syria. (Luke 2:1-2)
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to be born of a virgin
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"Therefore
the LORD Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child
and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
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"Behold,
a Virgin shall conceive." There are some who say that this was made a
sign , because a Virgin "fuit non apta generationi."
Jarchi.
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Now
in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee,
called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the
descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.... And the angel said
to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And
behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name
Him Jesus." (Luke 1:26-27, 30-31)
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preceded by Elijah
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"Behold,
I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and
terrible day of the LORD. And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to
their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come
and smite the land with a curse." (Malachi 4:5-6)
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"Malachi
3:1 is applied to Elijah as the forerunner of the Messiah in Pirke de R.
Eliezer, c. 29.
Edersheim, app. 9. p. 736
"And Israel will not make great repentance till Elijah-his memory for
blessings!- come, as it is said in Malachi 4:5, 6, 'Behold, I will send you
Elijah, the prophet'."
Pirke de R. Elieser (c. 43).
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"For
all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you care to accept
it, he himself is Elijah, who was to come." (Matthew 11:13-14)
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declared the Son of
God
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"I
will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, `Thou art My Son,
today I have begotten Thee.'" (Psalms 2:7)
Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind
in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established
all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son's name? Surely you
know! (Proverbs 30:4)
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This
is the faithful Shepherd; Of ,thee it is said, "Kiss the Son," thou
art the Prince of the Israelites, the Lord of the earth... the Son of the
Most High, the Son of the holy God - -and the gracious Shekinah.
Zohar (Gen. f6l. 88, c. 348).
Know him as your God, who is the Son of God.
Sibylline Oracles (Lactantins p. 10 s.)
R. Huni in the name of R. Ide and R. Joshua said, that this man is the King
Messiah of whom it is said, Psa. 2:7, "This day have I begotten
thee."
Talmud Babylonian
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"He
will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God
will give Him the throne of His father David;" (Luke 1:32)
and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is My
beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." (Matthew 3:17)
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a prophet
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"The
LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from
your countrymen, you shall listen to him." (Deuteronomy 18:15)
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"A
prophet from among thee, of thy brethren, like unto me, will the Lord thy God
raise up unto thee, to Him shall ye hearken."
Targum Onkelos.
"And a right prophet (prophet of Righteousness) will the Lord your God
give you, a prophet from among you of your brethren like unto Me with the
Holy Spirit, will the Lord your God raise up unto you; to Him shall ye be
obedient."
Targum Palestine.
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and
that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you... "Moses said,
`The Lord God shall raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to
Him you shall give heed in everything He says to you.'" (Acts 3:20,
22)
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blind, deaf, and lame
are healed by the Messiah
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And
on that day the deaf shall hear words of a book, and out of their gloom and
darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. (Isaiah 29:18)
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears of the deaf
will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the
dumb will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness and
streams in the Arabah. (Isaiah 35:5-6)
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"And
there shall be a rising again of the dead; and the course of the lame shall
be swift, and the deaf shall hear, and the blind shall see, and the dumb
shall speak. Sibylline Oracles (Lactantius).
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And
He answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you have seen
and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed,
and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached
to them." (Luke 7:22)
and said to Him, "Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for
someone else?" And Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and report
to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the
lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the
poor have the gospel preached to them. (Matthew 11:3-5)
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Messiah will be meek
and mild
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"He
will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street.
"A bruised reed He will not break, And a dimly burning wick He will not
extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. (Isaiah 42:2-3)
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth;
like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before
its shearers, so He did not open His mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)
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"And
being beaten He shall be silent lest any one should know what the word is, or
whence it came, that it may speak with mortals; and He shall wear the crown
of thorns."
Sibylline Oracles (B. C. 117-184.)
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"Behold,
My Servant whom I have chosen; My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased; I
will put My Spirit upon Him, And He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
He will not quarrel, nor cry out; Nor will anyone hear His voice in the
streets. A battered reed He will not break off, And a smoldering wick He will
not put out, Until He leads justice to victory." (Matthew 12:18-20)
"Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble
in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29)
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will minister to
Gentiles
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"Behold,
My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put
My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. (Isaiah
42:1)
Listen to Me, O islands, and pay attention, you peoples from afar. The
LORD called Me from the womb; from the body of My mother He named Me. (Isaiah
49:1)
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"And
in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, which shall stand for an Ensign
of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and His rest shall be
glorious." If so, then why should the messiah come, and what will he do
to the congregation of Israel? He will redeem Israel, and give them thirty
commandments according to Zech. 11:12
Edersheim
When the king messiah shall be revealed all the nations of all the world
shall be gathered to Him"
R. Simeon ben Jochai
"In fact the messiah is such a prophet as it is stated in the Midrash on
the verse, "Behold my servant shall prosper... Moses by the miracles
which he wrought drew but a single nation to the worship of God, but the
Messiah will draw all nations to the worship of God."
R. Levi ben Gershom.
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MAT
12:18 "Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen; My Beloved in whom My soul
is well-pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall proclaim justice
to the Gentiles... "And in His name the Gentiles will hope." (Matthew
12:18-21)
A light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Thy people
Israel. " (Luke 2:32)
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to interceed for the
people
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Therefore,
I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with
the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the
transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the
transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12)
And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no
one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him; And His
righteousness upheld Him. (Isaiah 59:16)
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"and
with the mighty he shall divide the spoils," which the Messiah and his
sons will take, and some of it will be given to the "wise ones."
"Jesus was numbered with the transgressors, in the penalty which befell
them.
Jacob ben Ruben (The Quarate).
He (Messiah) shall intercede for many sins, and the rebellious for His sake
shall be forgiven.
Targum Jonathan.
And when Israel is sinful, the Messiah seeks for mercy upon them, as it is
written, "By His stripes we were healed, and he carried the sins of
many; and made intercession for the transgressors."
B'reshith Rabbah (pp. 430, 671.)
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who
is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was
raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. (Romans
8:34)
Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God
through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews
7:25)
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rejected by His own
people, the Jews
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He
was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with
grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we
did not esteem Him. (Isaiah 53:3)
"Then He shall become a sanctuary; But to both the houses of
Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, And a snare and a trap
for the inhabitants of Jerusalem." (Isaiah 8:14)
Therefore thus says the LORD God, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a
stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly
placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed." (Isaiah 28:16)
The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner
stone. (Psalms 118:22)
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"Then
he (my servant Messiah) will become despised, and will cut off the glory of
all the Kingdoms; they will be prostrate and mourning, like a man of pains,
and like One destined for sickness; and as though the presence of the
Shekinah had been withdrawn from us, they will be despised, and esteemed
not."
Targum Jonathan.
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He
came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. (John
1:11)
But they cried out all together, saying, "Away with this man, and
release for us Barabbas!" (Luke 23:18)
He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which
became the very corner stone. (Acts 4:11)
For this is contained in Scripture: "Behold I lay in Zion a choice
stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him shall not be
disappointed." This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But
for those who disbelieve, "The stone which the builders rejected, This
became the very corner stone," and, "A stone of stumbling and a
rock of offense"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the
word, and to this doom they were also appointed. (1 Peter 2:6-8)
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priest after the order
of Melchizedek
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The
LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, "Thou art a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek." (Psalms 110:4)
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"
Likewise we find (Zech. 4:14): 'These are the two sons of the clear-oil, that
stand by the Lord of the whole earth." This refers to Aaron and the
Messiah and we do not know who is more beloved; but as it is written, (Psa.
110:4): 'The Lord hath sworn and will not repent of it, 'Thou shalt be a
Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."
Talmud Babylonian (Aboth p. 112).
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So
also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who
said to Him, "Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee"; just as
He says also in another passage, "Thou art a priest forever according to
the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 5:5-6)
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triumphal entry
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Rejoice
greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation,
Humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah
9:9)
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"R.
Hillel says there will be no Messiah for Israel, because they have enjoyed
him already (fol. 99, col. 1) in the days of Hezekiah. Said Rav. Joseph, may
God pardon R. Hillel. When was Hezekiah? In the first house, but Zechariah
(9:9) prophesied in the second house. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion;
shout O daughter of Jerusalem; behold thy King cometh unto thee: he is just,
having Salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of
an ass." (Talmud Babylonian Sanh. fol. 99, c. 1).
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And
they brought the colt to Jesus and put their garments on it; and He sat upon
it.... And those who went before, and those who followed after, were crying
out, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;"...
And He entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking all
around, He departed for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late. (Mark
11:7, 9, 11)
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entered the temple
with authority
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"Behold,
I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the
LORD, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of
the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says the LORD
of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)
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"What
is to be the manner of Messiah's coming, and where will be the place of his
first appearance? He will make his first appearance in the land of Israel, as
it is written, 'the Lord whom ye seek will come suddenly to His Temple."
R. Mosheh ben Maimon.
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And
Jesus entered the temple and cast out all those who were buying and selling
in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats
of those who were selling doves. (Matthew 21:12)
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sheep of the Shepherd
scattered
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"Awake,
O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate,"
Declares the LORD of hosts. "Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be
scattered; and I will turn My hand against the little ones." (Zechariah
13:7)
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"I
fear, O my Lord, that that which Zechariah, the prophet said, 'I will smite
the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered,' was fulfilled
when we smote the Shepherd of those little ones, and holy apostles.
R. Samuel Marochinanus, apud Burkium in loco e Mullero
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Then
Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of Me this night,
for it is written, `I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the
flock shall be scattered.'" (Matthew 26:31)
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betrayed for thirty
pieces of silver
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And
I said to them, "If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if
not, never mind!" So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my
wages. (Zechariah 11:12)
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Is
Messianically explained in Bermid Rab. 98 fol. 85, 3), but with this remark,
that the thirty pieces of silver apply to thirty precepts, the messiah is to
give to Israel.
Edersheim (App. 9, p. 736).
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Then
one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, and said,
"What are you willing to give me to deliver Him up to you?" And
they weighed out to him thirty pieces of silver. (Matthew 26:14-15)
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accused by false
witnesses
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Malicious
witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know. (Psalms 35:11)
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"And
afterward the Holy One will reveal to them Messiah, the Son of David, whom
Israel will desire to stone, saying, 'Thou speakest falsely; already is the
Messiah slain and there is none other Messiah to stand and so they will
despise him.'"
Shim'on ben Yohai.
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And
some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying, "We
heard Him say, `I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days
I will build another made without hands.'" (Mark 14:57-58)
|
|
silent to accusations
|
He
was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a
lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its
shearers, so He did not open His mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)
|
"And
being beaten He shall be silent lest any one should know What the word is, or
whence it came, that it may speak with mortals; and He shall wear the crown
of thorns."
Sibylline Oracles (B. C. 117-184.)
|
And
Pilate was questioning Him again, saying, "Do You make no answer? See
how many charges they bring against You!" But Jesus made no further
answer; so that Pilate was amazed. (Mark 15:4-5)
|
|
spat on and struck
|
I
gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the
beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. (Isaiah 50:6)
|
"And
-they shall inflict on God blows with impure hands, and with polluted mouths
they shall send forth polluted spittle, and He shall then absolutely give his
holy back to stripes.
Sibylline Oracles (B.C. 117-184).
|
Then
they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him,
(Matthew 26:67)
And they spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on
the head. (Matthew 27:30)
|
|
scourged
|
But
He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our
iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His
scourging we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
|
"And
-they shall inflict on God blows with impure hands, and with polluted mouths
they shall send forth polluted spittle, and He shall then absolutely give his
holy back to stripes.
Sibylline Oracles (B.C. 117-184).
|
Then
he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he delivered
Him to be crucified. (Matthew 27:26)
|
|
vicarious sacrifice
|
But
He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our
iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His
scourging we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
|
"And
Messiah the King, who was chastened and suffered for the transgressors, as It
is said, "He was wounded for our transgressions. and so on - how much
more shall He justify all generations, and thus is what is meant when it is
written, "And Jehovah made to meet upon Him the sins of us all."
Pugio Fidei (p. 675).
|
For
while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the
ungodly.... But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6, 8)
|
|
crucified with
malefactors
|
Therefore,
I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with
the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the
transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the
transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12)
|
"The
fact is that it (Isa 52:53) refers to the king messiah, who will come in the
latter days, when it will be the Lord's good pleasure to redeem Israel from
among the different nations of the earth... "He was counted with the
transgressors," because they appointed his grave by the side of the
wicked.
Herz Homberg.
|
And
they crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left.
[And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And He was numbered with
transgressors."] (Mark 15:27-28)
|
|
pierced through hands
and feet
|
"And
I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom
they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only
son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a
first-born. (Zechariah 12:10)
For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet. (Psalms 22:16)
|
"And
the heathen will look unto me to see what I will do to those who have pierced
messiah, the son of Joseph."
Aben Ezra.
"It must be granted 'him that says, for Messiah the son of Joseph that
shall be slain as it is written, 'And they shall look upon me whom they have
pierced.'"
Talmud Babylonian (Succah 52, 1).
"The earliest Talmudic reference to this Second Messiah (son of Joseph)
dates from the Third century of our era, and contains the strange and almost
blasphemous notices that the prophecy of Zechariah concerning the mourning
for him whom they have pierced, refer to Messiah the son of Joseph, who would
be killed in the war of Gog and Magog, and, that, when Messiah the son of
David, saw it He ,asked life of God, who gave it to Him, as it is written in
Psa. 2: 'Ask Me and I will give Thee,' upon which God informed the messiah
that His Father David had already asked and obtained this for him according to
Psalm 21:4.-Sukka (52, a. and b)"
Edersheim (Vol. 2, p. 434).
|
The
other disciples therefore were saying to him, "We have seen the
Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I shall see in His hands the
imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put
my hand into His side, I will not believe."... Then He said to Thomas,
"Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and
put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing." (John
20:25-27)
|
|
prayer for His enemies
|
In
return for my love they act as my accusers; but I am in prayer. (Psalms
109:4)
? yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the
transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12)
|
"He
(Messiah) shall intercede for many sins, and the rebellious for His sake
shall be forgiven."
Targum Jonathan.
And when Israel is sinful, the Messiah seeks for mercy upon them, as it is
written, "By His stripes we were healed, and he carried the sins of
many; and made intercession for the transgressors."
B'reshith Rabbah (pp. 430, 671.)
|
But
Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they
are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among
themselves. (Luke 23:34)
|
|
His side pierced
|
"And
I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom
they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only
son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a
first-born. (Zechariah 12:10)
|
"And
the heathen will look unto me to see what I will do to those who have pierced
Messiah, the Son of Joseph.
Aben Ezra.
"It must be granted 'him that says, for messiah the son of Joseph that
shall be slain as it is written, And they shall look upon me whom they have
pierced."
Talmud Babylonian (Succah 52, 1).
|
but
one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came
out blood and water. (John 19:34)
|
|
buried with the rich
|
His
grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death,
because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth. (Isaiah
53:9)
|
"The
fact is that it (Isa 52:53) refers to the King Messiah, who will come in the
latter days, when it will be the Lord's good pleasure to redeem Israel from
among the different nations of the earth... "He was counted with the
transgressors," because they appointed his grave by the side of -the
wicked. Herz Homberg.
By the rich are meant the powerful men among the Gentiles, who are rich,
while Israel in exile, is spoken of as poor and needy: at that time some of
them will perish, and the prophet here declares, how the Messiah will resign
himself to die, and be buried in their tomb.
Yapheth ben Ali.
Hence it is here said that he himself "Made His grave with the
wicked"; he also made it with the rich in his death; he was not poor,
but in His death could be . counted with the rich.
R. Sh'muel Lanyado. "The sense of the whole is, And He made in His
deaths His grave with the wicked, and the rich: the plural "deaths"
is used because Piercing Him as cruel men do, through and through, they
would, so speak, be putting Him to death again and again."
Herz Homberg.
|
And
when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself
had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for
the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given over to him. And Joseph
took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own
new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone
against the entrance of the tomb and went away. (Matthew 27:57-60)
|
|
to be resurrected
|
For
Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy One
to undergo decay. (Psalms 16:10)
O LORD, Thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol; Thou hast kept me
alive, that I should not go down to the pit. (Psalms 30:3)
But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol; for He will
receive me. Selah. (Psalms 49:15)
I shall not die, but live, And tell of the works of the LORD. (Psalms
118:17)
|
"And
after sleeping three days, He shall put an end to the fate of death; and then
releasing himself from the dead, He shall come to light, first showing to the
"called ones." the beginning of the Resurrection.
Sibylline Oracles.
|
And
he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the
Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here
is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, `He
is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He said to
you.'" (Mark 16:6-7)
|
|
sent the Holy Spirit
|
`For
I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I
will pour out My Spirit on your offspring, and My blessing on your
descendants;' (Isaiah 44:3)
"And it will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit
on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will
dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. (Joel 2:28)
|
"And
a right prophet (prophet of Righteousness) will the Lord your God give you, a
prophet from among you of your brethren like unto me with the Holy Spirit,
will the Lord your God raise up unto you; to Him shall ye be obedient."
Targum Palestine
|
And
when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive
the Holy Spirit." (John 20:22)
"but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: `And it
shall be in the last days,' God says, 'That I will pour forth of My Spirit
upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your
young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;'" (Acts
2:16-17)
|
|
Establishes a new
covenant
|
"Incline
your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an
everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to
David. Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and
commander for the peoples. (Isaiah 55:3-4)
Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will
make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of
Judah,...But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel
after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within
them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they
shall be My people. (Jeremiah 31:31)
|
"The
Lord is both the Divine Majesty, and the Angel of the Covenant, for the
sentence is doubled." Aben Ezra.
"'The lord' is the King Messiah; He is also the Angel of the
Covenant."
Kimchi.
|
for
this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for
forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:28)
And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying,
"This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. (Luke
22:20)
But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is
also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better
promises... For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds,
And I will write them upon their hearts. And I will be their God, And they
shall be My people. (Hebrews 8:6-10)
|
|
His ascension to God's
right hand
|
Thou
hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captive Thy captives; Thou hast received
gifts among men, even among the rebellious also, that the LORD God may dwell
there. (Psalms 68:18)
The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand, until I make
Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet." (Psalms 110:1)
|
"And
this is the messiah our Righteousness, as it is said, "The Lord said
unto my Lord, Sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
R. Sa'adah Gaon
|
So
then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven,
and sat down at the right hand of God. (Mark 16:19)
and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day
according to the Scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15:4)
Therefore it says, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a
host of captives, And He gave gifts to men." (Ephesians 4:8)
|
|
the Gentiles will seek
the Messiah
|
The
people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark
land, The light will shine on them. (Isaiah 9:2)
Then it will come about in that day that the nations will resort to the
root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting
place will be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10)
"I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for
Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said,
'Here am I, here am I,' To a nation which did not call on My name." (Isaiah
65:1)
|
"And
in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, which shall stand for an Ensign
of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and His rest shall be
glorious." If so, then why should the Messiah come, and what will he do
to the congregation of Israel? He will redeem Israel, and give them thirty
commandments according to Zech. 11:12"
Edersheim.
|
For
I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be
wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel
until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; (Romans 11:25)
"THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND TO
THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT
DAWNED." (Matthew 4:16)
|
Notes:
Beshore, F. Kenton ,
D.D., LL.D., Ph.D. 1971. The Messiah of the Targums, Talmuds and Rabbinical
Writers, World Bible Society.
2. The rabbinical writings
include the Targums, Talmuds, and writings of individual rabbis. A brief
description is included below:
The Targum is the Aramaic translation of the Old Testament. It forms a part of
the Jewish traditional literature, and in its inception is as early as the
time of the second temple. The use of the term "Targum" by itself was
restricted to the Aramaic Version of the Bible. As an interpretation of the
Hebrew text of the Bible the Targum had its place both in the synagogual
liturgy and in Biblical instruction, while the reading of the Bible text
combined with the Targum in the presence of the congregation assembled for
public worship was an ancient institution which dated from the time of the
second temple, and was traced back to Ezra by Rab when he interpreted the word
"Meforash" as referring to the Targum.
"Palestine Targum" or Targum Yerushalmi). "A responsum of Hai
Gaon already cited with reference to the Targumim, answers the question
concerning the Targum of the land of Israel (Palestine) in the following words:
"We do not know who composed it, nor do we even know this Targum of which
we have heard only a few passages. If there is a tradition among them (the
Palestinians) that it has been made the subject of public discourse since the
days of the ancient sages it must be held in the same esteem as our
Targum, for otherwise they would not have allowed it. But if it is less
ancient, it is not authoritative."
The Talmuds are two works which have been presented to posterity as the product
of the Palestinian and Babylonian schools during the Amoraic period which
extended from the third to the fifth century, C.E. One of these compilations is
entitled, "Talmud Jerusalami" (Jerusalem Talmud), and the other
Talmud Babli (Babylonian Talmud). Linguistically, the Palestinian Talmud is
Aramaic. The Aramaic, which assumed a fixed literary form in Yerusalami, is
almost the same as that of the earliest Palestinian midrashic works, differing
from them only in a few peculiarities, mostly orthographic. The first complete
edition of the Babylonian Talmud was printed at Venice, 1520-23, by Daniel
Bomberg, and has become the basis, down to the present day, of a very large
number of editions.
3.
|
Approximate Dates of
Pseudepigraphic and Apocryphal Books
|
|
NAME
|
B.C.
|
A.D.
|
|
Book of Enoch
|
400-40
|
|
|
Book of Tobit
|
350
|
|
|
Book of
Esdras
|
336-100
|
|
|
Book of
Maccabees (Vols. I-II)
|
200-70
|
|
|
Book of
Jesus, Son of- Sirach (Phys.)
|
200-175
|
|
|
Book of
Judith
|
147-145
|
|
|
Book of
Baruch
|
150
|
|
|
Book of
Wisdom
|
150-140
|
|
|
Book of
Jubilees
|
137-64
|
|
|
Septuagint
(LXX)
|
287
|
|
|
Sibylline
Oracles
|
184-117
|
|
|
Psalms of
Solomon
|
187-4
|
|
|
Jonathan ben
Uzziel Targum
|
30
|
50
|
|
Onkelos
|
4
|
40
|
|
Aquilla
|
|
128
|
|
Philo Judaeus
(Claudius Caesar)
|
20
|
41
|
|
Flavius
Josephus
|
|
37--103
|
|
Mishna
|
|
105--220
|
|
Talmud
(Jerusalem)
|
|
320--350
|
|
Talmud
(Babylon)
|
|
427--550
|
|
Joseph ben
Gorion
|
|
900
|
|
R. Saadiah
Gaon
|
|
936
|
|
R. Solomon
Jarchi (Rashi)
|
|
1040-1105
|
|
R Aben Ezra
|
|
1092-1167
|
|
R. Moses ben
Maimon (Maimonides)
|
|
1135-1204
|
|
R. David
Kimchi
|
|
1160-1240
|
|
R. Abarbanel
(Abrabanel)
|
|
1437--1508
|
|
Zohar
|
|
70--1306
|

|