Toledoth Yeshu
Sepher Toledoth Jeshu
YEHOSHUA BEN PANDIRA
BIRTH AND PARENTAGE OF JESUS
In the year 3671 in the days of King Jannaeus, a great misfortune befell Israel, when
there arose a certain disreputable man of the tribe of Judah, whose name was Joseph
Pandera. He lived at Bethlehem, in Judah.
Near his house dwelt a widow and her lovely and chaste daughter named Miriam.
Miriam was betrothed to Yohanan, of the royal house of David, a man learned in the
Torah and God-fearing.
At the close of a certain Sabbath, Joseph Pandera, attractive and like a warrior in
appearance, having gazed lustfully upon Miriam, knocked upon the door of her room
and betrayed her by pretending that he was her betrothed husband, Yohanan. Even so,
she was amazed at this improper conduct and submitted only against her will.
Thereafter, when Yohanan came to her, Miriam expressed astonishment at behavior so
foreign to his character. It was thus that they both came to know the crime of Joseph
Pandera and the terrible mistake on the part of Miriam. Whereupon Yohanan went to
Rabban Shimeon ben Shetah and related to him the tragic seduction. Lacking witnesses
required for the punishment of Joseph Pandera, and Miriam being with child, Yohanan
left for Babylonia.[
Miriam gave birth to a son and named him Yehshuas, after her brother. This name later
deteriorated to Yeshus. On the eighth day he was circumcised. When he was old enough
the lad was taken by Miriam to the house of study to be instructed in the Jewish
tradition.
One day Yeshu walked in front of the Sages with his head uncovered, showing
shameful disrespect. At this, the discussion arose as to whether this behavior did not
truly indicate that Yeshu was an illegitimate child and the son of a niddah. Moreover,
the story tells that while the rabbis were discussing the Tractate Nezikin, he gave his
own impudent interpretation of the law and in an ensuing debate he held that Moses
could not be the greatest of the prophets if he had to receive counsel from Jethro. This
led to further inquiry as to the antecedents of Yeshu, and it was discovered through
Rabban Shimeon ben Shetah that he was the illegitimate son of Joseph Pandera. Miriam
admitted it. After this became known, it was necessary for Yeshu to flee to Upper
Galilee.
After King Jannaeus, his wife Helene ruled over all Israel. In the Temple was to be
found the Foundation Stone on which were engraven the letters of God's Ineffable
Name. Whoever learned the secret of the Name and its use would be able to do
2
whatever he wished. Therefore, the Sages took measures so that no one should gain this
knowledge. Lions of brass were bound to two iron pillars at the gate of the place of
burnt offerings. Should anyone enter and learn the Name, when he left the lions would
roar at him and immediately the valuable secret would be forgotten.
Yeshu came and learned the letters of the Name; he wrote them upon the parchment
which he placed in an open cut on his thigh and then drew the flesh over the parchment.
As he left, the lions roared and he forgot the secret. But when he came to his house he
reopened the cut in his flesh with a knife and lifted out the writing. Then he
remembered and obtained the use of the letters.[6]
He gathered about himself three hundred and ten young men of Israel and accused those
who spoke ill of his birth of being people who desired greatness and power for
themselves. Yeshu proclaimed, "I am the Messiah; and concerning me Isaiah prophesied
and said, 'Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name
Immanuel.'" He quoted other messianic texts, insisting, "David my ancestor prophesied
concerning me: 'The Lord said to me, thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.'"
The insurgents with him replied that if Yeshu was the Messiah he should give them a
convincing sign. They therefore, brought to him a lame man, who had never walked.
Yeshu spoke over the man the letters of the Ineffable Name, and the leper was healed.
Thereupon, they worshipped him as the Messiah, Son of the Highest.
When word of these happenings came to Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin decided to bring
about the capture of Yeshu. They sent messengers, Annanui and Ahaziah, who,
pretending to be his disciples, said that they brought him an invitation from the leaders
of Jerusalem to visit them. Yeshu consented on condition the members of the Sanhedrin
receive him as a lord. He started out toward Jerusalem and, arriving at Knob, acquired
an ass on which he rode into Jerusalem, as a fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah.
The Sages bound him and led him before Queen Helene, with the accusation: "This man
is a sorcerer and entices everyone." Yeshu replied, "The prophets long ago prophesied
my coming: 'And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse,' and I am he; but
as for them, Scripture says 'Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the
ungodly.'"
Queen Helene asked the Sages: "What he says, is it in your Torah?" They replied: "It is
in our Torah, but it is not applicable to him, for it is in Scripture: 'And that prophet
which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to
speak or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.' He has
not fulfilled the signs and conditions of the Messiah."
Yeshu spoke up: "Madam, I am the Messiah and I revive the dead." A dead body was
brought in; he pronounced the letters of the Ineffable Name and the corpse came to life.
The Queen was greatly moved and said: "This is a true sign." She reprimanded the
Sages and sent them humiliated from her presence. Yeshu's dissident followers
increased and there was controversy in Israel.
3
Yeshu went to Upper Galilee. the Sages came before the Queen, complaining that
Yeshu practiced sorcery and was leading everyone astray. Therefore she sent Annanui
and Ahaziah to fetch him.
The found him in Upper Galilee, proclaiming himself the Son of God. When they tried
to take him there was a struggle, but Yeshu said to the men of Upper Galilee: "Wage no
battle." He would prove himself by the power which came to him from his Father in
heaven. He spoke the Ineffable Name over the birds of clay and they flew into the air.
He spoke the same letters over a millstone that had been placed upon the waters. He sat
in it and it floated like a boat. When they saw this the people marveled. At the behest of
Yeshu, the emissaries departed and reported these wonders to the Queen. She trembled
with astonishment.
Then the Sages selected a man named Judas who was a new member of the secret band
of Iscarri and brought him to the Sanctuary where he learned the letters of the lost name
as Yeshu had done.
When Yeshu was summoned before the queen, this time there were present also the
Sages and Judas the Iscarri. Yeshu said: "It is spoken of me, 'I will ascend into heaven.'"
He lifted his arms like the wings of an eagle and he flew between heaven and earth, to
the amazement of everyone.
The elders asked Judas Iscarri to do likewise. He did, and flew toward heaven. Iscarri
then attempted to defeat the power of Yeshu adn thrown him down to earth. They
struggled together but neither one of the two could prevail against the other for both
kept pronouncing the secret name of God. However, to win the struggle, Judas Iscarri
pissed upon Yeshu and defiled him, so that they both lost their power and fell down to
the earth. And in their condition of defilement the letters of the Ineffable Name escaped
from their minds. Because of this deed of Judah Iscarri his followers weep on the eve of
the birth of Yeshu.
Yeshu was seized by the scribes and elders. They covered his eyes with a garment so
that he could not see placing a cable tow about his neck. He was smitten upon his head
and face with pomegranate staves; but he could do nothing, for he no longer had the
secret Name.
Yeshu was taken prisoner to the synagogue of Tiberias, and they bound him to a pillar.
To allay his thirst they gave him vinegar to drink. On his head they set a crown of
thorns. There was strife and wrangling between the elders and the unrestrained
followers of Yeshu, as a result of which the followers escaped with Yeshu to the region
of Antioch[; there Yeshu remained until the eve of the Passover.
Yeshu then resolved to go the Temple in Jerusalem to acquire again the pronounciation
of the Name. That year the Passover came on a Sabbath day. On the eve of the Passover,
Yeshu, accompanied by his disciples, came to Jerusalem riding upon an ass. Many
bowed down before him. He entered the Temple with his three hundred and ten
followers. One of them, Judas the new Iscarri informed the Pharisees that Yeshu was to
be found in the Temple, that the disciples had taken a vow by the Ten Commandments
not to reveal his identity but that he would point him out by giving him a kiss. So it was
done and Yeshu was seized. Asked his name, he replied to the question by several times