Appendix 17 | Table
of Contents | Appendix 19
The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah
Alfred Edersheim
1883
Appendix 18
HAGGADAH ABOUT SIMEON KEPHA (LEGEND OF SIMON
PETER.)
()pyk Nw(m#d )tdg) -- Book III. ch.
37.)
THIS Haggadah exists in four different Recensions (comp. Jellinek,
Beth ha-Midrash, Pt. V. and Pt. VI., pp. ix. x). The first of these, reproduce
by Jellinek (u. s. Pt. V. p. xxvi. &c., and pp. 60-62) was first published
by Wagenseil in his collection of Antichristian writings, the Tela
Ignea Satanæ, at the close that blasphemous production, the Sepher
Toledoth Jeshu (pp. 19-24). The second Recension is that by Huldrich
(Leyden 1705); the third has been printed, as is inferred, at Breslau in 1824;
while the fourth exists only in MS. Dr. Jellinek has substantially reproduced
(without the closing sentences) the text of Wagenseil's (u. s. Pt. V.), and
also Recensions III. and IV. (u. s. Pt. VI.). He regards Recension IV. as the
oldest; but we infer from its plea against the abduction of Jewish children by
Christians and against forced baptisms, as well as from the use of certain
expressions, that Recension IV. is younger than the text of Waggenseil, which
seems to present the legend in its most primitive form. Even this, however, appears
a mixture of several legends; or perhaps the original may afterwards have been
interpolated. It were impossible to fix even approximately the age of this
Christianity in Rome, and that of the Papacy, though it seems to contain older
elements. It may be regarded as embodying certain ancient legends among the
Jews about St. Peter, but adapted to later times, and cast in an apologetic
form. A brief criticism of the document will best follow an abstract of the
text, according to the first or earlier Recension.
The text begins by a notice that the strife between the
Nazarenes and the Jews had grown to such proportions that they separated, since
any Nazarene who saw a Jew would kill him. Such became the misery for thirty
years, that the Nazarenes increased to thousands and myriads, and prevented the
Jew from going up to the feast of Jerusalem. And distress was as great as at
the time of the Golden Calf. And still the opposing faith increased, and twelve
wicked men went out, who traversed the twelve kingdoms. And they prophesied
false prophecies in the camp, and they misled Israel, and they were men of
reputation, and strengthened the faith of Jesus, for they said that they were
the Apostles of the Crucified. And they drew to themselves a large number from
among the children of Israel. On this the text describes, how the sages in
Israel were afflicted and humbled themselves, each confessing to his neighbour
the sins which had brought this evil, and earnestly asking of God to give them
direction how to arrest the advance of Nazarene doctrine and persecution. As
they finished their prayer, up rose an elder from their midst, whose name was
Simeon Kepha, who had formerly put into requisition the Bath Kol and
said: 'Hearken to me, my brethren and my people! If my words are good in your
sight, I will separate those sinners from the congregation of the children of
Israel, and they shall have neither part nor inheritance in the midst of
Israel, if only you take upon you the sin. And they all answered and said: We
will take upon us the sin, if only thou wilt do what thou hast said.' Upon this, the
narrative proceeds, Peter went into the Sanctuary, wrote the Ineffable
Name, and inserted it in his flesh. Having learnt the Ineffable Name, he went
to the metropolis ('metroplin') of the Nazarenes, and proclaimed that
every believer in Christ should come to him, since he was an Apostle. The
multitudes required that he should prove his claim by a sign ('oth') such
as Jesus had done while He was alive, when Peter, through the power of the
Ineffable Name, restored a leper, by laying on of hands, and raised the dead.
When the Nazarenes saw this, they fell on their faces, and acknowledged his
Apostolate. Then Peter delivered this as his message, first bidding them swear
to do as he would command: 'know (said he) that the Crucified hated Israel and
their law, as Isaiah prophesied: "Your new moons and your feasts my soul
hateth;" know also, that he delighteth not in Israel, as Hosea prophesied, "You
are not my people." And although it is in His power to extirpate them from the
world in a moment, from out of every place, yet He does not purpose to destroy
them, but intends to leave them, in order that they be in memory of His
Crucifixion and lapidation to all generations. Besides, know that He bore all
those great sufferings and afflictions to redeem you from Gehenna. And now He
admonishes and commands you, that you should do no evil to the Jews: and if a
Jews says to a Nazarene, "Go with me one parasang" (Persian mile about
three English miles), let him go with him two parasangs. And if a Jew
smites him on the left check, let him present to him also the right cheek, in
order that they may have their reward in this world, while in the next they
will be punished in Gehenna. And if you do thus, you will deserve to sit with
Him in Feast of the Passover, but observe the day of His death. And instead of
the Feast of Pentecost observe the forty days from the time that He was slain
to when He went up into heaven. And instead of the Feast of Tabernacles observe
the day of His birth, and on the eighth day after His birth observe that on
which He was circumcised.'
To these commands all agreed, on condition that Peter should
remain with them. This he consented to do, on the understanding that he would
not eat anything except bread of misery and water of affliction - presumably
not only to avoid forbidden food, but in expiatory suffering for his sin - and
that they should build him a tower in the midst of the city, in which he would
remain unto the day of his death, all which provisions were duly carried out.
It is added, that in this tower he served the God of his fathers, Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob. What is still stranger, it is added, that he wrote many Piutim,
a certain class of liturgical poems which form apart of the Synagogue service -
and that he sent these throughout all Israel to be in perpetual memory of him,
and especially that he despatched them to the Rabbis. The remark is the more
noteworthy, as other Jewish writers also describe the Apostle Peter as the
author of several liturgical poems, of which one is still repeated in the
Synagogue on Sabbaths and Feast-days (comp. Jellinek, Beth ha-Midr.,
part v., p. 61, note). But to return. Peter is said to have remained in that
tower for six years, when he died, and by his direction was buried within the
tower. But the Nazarenes raised there a great fabric, 'and this tower may be
seen in Rome, and they call it Peter, which is the word for a stone, because he
sat on a stone till the day of his death. But after his death another person
named Elijah came, in the wickedness and cunning of his heart to mislead them.
And he said to them Simon had deceived them, for that Jesus had commanded him
to tell them: it had not come into His heart to despise the Law of Moses; that
if any one wished to circumcise, he should circumcise; but if any one did not
wish to be circumcised, let him be immersed in foul waters. And even if he were
not immersed, he would not thereby be in danger in the world. And he commanded
that they should not observe the seventh day, but only the first day, because
on it were created the heavens and the earth. And he made to them many statutes
which were not good. But the people asked him: Give us a true sign that Jesus
hath sent thee. And he said to them: What is the sign that you seek? And the
word had not been out of his own mouth when a great stone of immense weight
fell and crushed his head. So perish all Thine enemies, O God, but let them
that love Thee be as the sun when he goeth forth in his strength!'
Thus far what we regard as the oldest Recension. The chief
variations between this and the others are, that in the third Recension the
opponent of Peter is called Abba Shaul (St. John also is mentioned; Jellinek,
u. s. part vi., p. 156), while in the fourth Recension (in MS.), which consists
of nineteen chapters, this opponent is called Elijah. In the latter Recension
there is mention of Antioch and Tiberias, and other places connected with the
lives of St. Peter and St. Paul, and the early history of the Church. But the
occurrence of certain Romanic words, such as Papa, Vescova, &c., shows its
later date. Again, we mark that, according to Recensions III. and IV., Peter
sent his liturgical pieces to Babylon, which may either indicate that at
the time of the document 'Babylon' was the centre of the Jewish population, or
else be a legendary reminiscence of St. Peter's labours in 'the Church that is
in Babylon' (1 Pet. v. 13). In view of modern controversies it is of special
interest that, according to the Jewish legend, Peter, secretly a Jew, advised
the Christians to throw off completely the law of Moses, while Paul, in
opposition to him, stands up for Israel and the Law, and insists that either
circumcision or baptism may be practised. It will be further noted, that the
object of the document seems to be: 1st, to serve as an 'apology' for Judaism,
by explaining how it came that so many Jews, under the leadership of Apostles,
embraced the new faith. This seems to be traced to the continued observance of
Jewish legal practices by the Christians. Simon Peter is supposed to have
arrested the progress of Christianity by separating the Church from the
Synagogue, which he did by proclaiming that Israel were rejected, and the Law
of Moses abolished. On the other hand, St. Paul is represented as the friend of
the Jews, and as proclaiming that the question of circumcision or baptism, of
legal observances or Christian practices, was a matter of influences. This
attempt to heal the breach between the Church and the Synagogue had been the
cause of Divine judgment on him. 2ndly, The legend is intended as an apology
for the Jews, with a view to ward off persecution. 3rdly, It is intended to
show that the leaders of the Christians remained in heart Jews. It will perhaps
not be difficult - at least, hypothetically - to separate the various legends
mixed up, or perhaps interpolated in the tractate. From the mention of the Piutim
and the ignorance as to their origin, we might be disposed to assign the
composition of the legend in its present form to about the eighth century of
our era.
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