Jewish Author Examines Jews' Role in Jesus' Death
"Jews have long acknowledged the role played by a few prominent ancestors in the events leading to the Crucifixion''
Jewish writer David Klinghoffer examines the role Jews played in Jesus'death in his new book, "Why the Jews Rejected Jesus: The Turning Point in Western History."
"Jews have long acknowledged the role played by a few prominent ancestors in the events leading to the Crucifixion," he writes early in the book.
Quoting from the Talmud and writings by 12th-century philosopher Maimonides, he says the references of such Jewish sages who opposed Jesus were later censored by Jews in fear of Christian persecution, but the history on this is clear and should be discussed honestly, according to the Seattle Times.
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Klinghoffer quotes the Talmud, which says that "on the eve of Passover they hung Yeshu (Jesus)" on charges that he "performed magic, enticed and led astray Israel."
Since that is the Jewish tradition, "to say that Jewish leaders were instrumental in getting Jesus killed is not anti-Semitic," he says.
Klinghoffer claims it wrong, even hypocritical, for Jewish groups and others to call Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of the Christ" anti-Semitic because it shows Jews participation in events that led to the execution of Jesus.
Klinghoffer, a defender of Christian History, argues that, if the Jews had not rejected Jesus, Christianity would have remained a sect of Judaism and would not have become the world changing force that it is.
The greater portion of the book, however, is dedicated to exploring the questions of Jesus as Messiah, and as divine figure and his relationship to the Jews throughout history.
"What Jews have in fact disputed with Jesus' followers from the very beginning is not the circumstances of his death, but the question of his messiahship."
