Yshua: The Jewish Way to Say Jesus

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface / ix

Acknowledgments / xiii

Introduction: All About the Messiah (and Everyone Else) / 1

1. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” / 11

2. Of Snakes and Seed / 15

3. Fathers and Sons / 19

4. A Prophet Like Moses / 23

5. Forerunner / 27

6. The King-on-a-Donkey / 32

7. A Clockwork Angel / 37

8. Benedict Arnold Goes to a Seder / 41

9. The Crucifixion Psalm / 44

10. An Unrefreshing Drink / 47

11. Bones, Bones, Bones / 19

12. Resurrection! / 53

13. The Suffering Servant / 57

Postscript / 66

Appendix 1: Biblical Passages Applied to the Messiah in Early Rabbinic Writings / 69

Appendix 2: Mikveh and Baptism / 78

Appendix 3: Conversion in Tanach and the New Testament / 82

Appendix 4: Israel and the Gentiles / 85

Appendix 5: Portions of Tanach Quoted in the New Testament / 96

Appendix 6: Jesus and Christians Outside the New Testament / 102

Appendix 7: Early Jewish Christians and the Jewish Community / 106

Appendix 8: Order of Books in Different Versions of the Bible / 114

Appendix 9: Explanation of Terms / 117

Bibliography / 127

General Index / 130

Index of Scripture References / 141

Index of Hebrew Terms / 147

Index of Rabbinic Sources / 149