Did Jesus Exist? (Part 5: Mara Bar-Serapion & the Talmud)

It’s remarkable that many thinking people today deny the historical existence of Jesus. In this series of articles, we have been exploring the evidence for the existence of Jesus purely from extrabiblical sources, rather than by appealing to the NT documents (see Evidence Unseen “Part Four,” 2013). In earlier articles in this series, we have considered the works of Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, Suetonius, Josephus, Lucian, and Thallus. In this installment, we will consider the works of the Syrian Mara Bar-Serapion and finally the Jewish Talmud.

Mara Bar-Serapion (Syrian)

Mara Bar-Serapion was a Syrian philosopher, who wrote a letter to his son sometime after AD 73. William Cureton dates the letter to the end of the first century,[1] though most scholars date this letter to the second century, because he refers to the Jews as desolate and scattered, which fits better after the Bar Kokhba Revolt (AD 135). There is only one manuscript of his letter in existence, dating to the 7^th century and preserved in the British Museum.

What advantage did the Athenians gain from putting Socrates to death? Famine and plague came upon them as a judgment for their crime. What advantage did the men of Samos gain from burning Pythagoras? In a moment their land was covered with sand. What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise King? It was just after that that their kingdom was abolished. God justly avenged these three wise men: the Athenians died of hunger; the Samians were overwhelmed by the sea; the Jews, ruined and driven from their land, live in complete dispersion. But Socrates did not die for good; he lived on in the statue of Hera. Nor did the wise King die for good; he lived on in the teaching which he had given.

Was this a forgery? Craig Evans writes, “Regarding Jesus as the Jew’s ‘wise king,’ instead of the world’s savior or God’s son, suggests that bar Serapion’ impressions were probably formed more by non-Christian sources than by Christian. Indeed, both elements, ‘wise’ and ‘king,’ cohere with the best attested non-Christian witnesses… Further proof that Bar Serapion was not himself a Christian is seen in his statement that Jesus lives on in his teaching, rather than living on in his resurrection.”[2]

What can we learn from this letter? (1) Jesus was called the King of the Jews (Mk. 15:26). (2) He was killed before AD 70 and the destruction of the Temple. (3) God judged the nation of Israel for rejecting Jesus (Mt. 23:37-39, 24:2, 27:25; Mk. 13:1-2; Lk. 19:42-44, 21:5-6, 20-24; 23:28-31). (4) Bar Serapion doesn’t use Jesus’ name or title (Christ). Yet he places him in the category of Socrates and Pythagoras.

The Talmud (Jewish source)

The Misnah (the “Tannaitic” literature) dates from the first century to roughly AD 200. The Amoraic period wrote commentaries on the Misnah: one in Palestine and one (larger, more important) in Babylon. This excerpt comes from this later literature.

On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, “He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy. Anyone who can say anything in his favour, let him come forward and plead on his behalf.” But since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of the Passover!^[3]

How reliable are these rabbinic sources? Craig Evans writes, “[A] serious problem in making use of these traditions is that it is likely that none of it is independent of Christian sources.”[4] Generally scholars do not believe that these excerpts are very historically reliable for several reasons: (1) The rabbis weren’t focused on history—but torah (law). They knew very little about second Temple Judaism, and specifically little about pre-70 Palestine. We don’t have any of their writings from the first or second century.^[5] (2) The Misnah—the earlier writings—contain no explicit references to Jesus.^[6] (3) The basis for this excerpt in Sanhedrin 43a is most likely “a strong indication that we have here an apologetic response to Christian statements about an unjust trial.”^[7]

What can we learn from this excerpt? While this source is limited in its historical value, we can learn a number of details from it: (1) The religious leaders killed Jesus on the day before Passover. (2) The religious leaders were aware of Yeshua (“Jesus”). In another passage, we read, “Jesus the Nazarene practiced magic and led Israel astray.”^[8] Van Voorst writes, “That this is Jesus of Nazareth is almost universally agreed.”^[9] (3) The religious leaders believed that Jesus was empowered by Satan to perform his miracles (Mt. 12:24). (4) Jesus was “hanged” or crucified (Gal. 3:13; Lk. 23:39). (5) The religious leaders had intent to stone Jesus for blasphemy (Jn. 8:58; 10:31-33; 39). However, he was “hanged” or crucified instead.

[1] Evans, Craig. The Historical Jesus: Critical Concepts in Religious Studies. Volume 4. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. 2004. 382.

[2] Evans, Craig. The Historical Jesus: Critical Concepts in Religious Studies. Volume 4. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. 2004. 382-383.

[3] Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 43a.

[4] Evans, Craig. The Historical Jesus: Critical Concepts in Religious Studies. Volume 4. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. 2004. 376.

^[5] Van Voorst, Robert. Jesus outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 2000. 104-105.

^[6] Van Voorst, Robert. Jesus outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 2000. 107.

^[7] Van Voorst, Robert. Jesus outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 2000. 118.

[8] b. Sanhedrin 107b; cf. b. Sotah 47a. Cited in Wilkins, Michael J., and James Porter Moreland. Jesus under Fire. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995. 212.

^[9] Van Voorst, Robert. Jesus outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 2000. 118.