Edman, L. : Sefer toledot Yeshu: sive Liber de ortu et origine Jesu ex editione wagenseiliana transcriptus (Google)
Language: latin / hebraic - Printer: Leffler, C.A. - 1857; auch als PDF

HEBREW STUDIES: A SYMPATHY FOR JUDAISM

WAGENSEIL, Johann Christoph.Tela Ignea Satanae. Hoc est: arcani, et horribiles Judaeorum adversus Christum Deum, et Christianam religionem libri 'anekdotoi'.Altdorf, Joh. Henricus Schönnerstaedt, 1681. 6 parts in 2 vols., 4to., first title printed in red and black, text in Latin and Hebrew with occasional Greek, Syriac and Arabic, frontispiece-portrait of the author; a little browning here and there, but a fine copy in French 18th century red morocco, sides with three-line gilt border, gilt panelled spine with fleurons and foliate decoration in compartments, gilt edges. £5000 First edition: a magnificent copy, in a most uncharacteristic binding. The Fiery Darts of Satan, or the Secret and Terrible Books of the Jews against Christ our Lord and the Christian Religion is a more polemical title than the contents of Wagenseil's book warrant. To redress the balance we may note a comment of H.J. Schoeps in Philosemitismus im Barock (Mohr, Tübingen, 1952), "the Altdorf Professor J. C. Wagenseil who did a lot for the Jews by his courageous opposition to allegations of blood guilt and/or ritual murder ..." Perhaps the warlike title was chosen to suggest counter-armaments to the Dagger of Faith (Pugio Fidei) of Raymond Martin, which gives the Christian side of a religious disputation (see below). Wagenseil (1633-1705) was a late Renaissance polymath (the Encyclopaedia Judaica calls him "a Christian Hebraist"). He occupied various academic posts, served as tutor to the children of various princelings and travelled widely. He reports that one of the contents of this book, the Munimen Fidei, is taken from a manuscript made available to him in a trip in North Africa, and that he acquired much favour ('magnam incredibilemque statim inibam gratiam') in the town of Nundina where there was a meeting of Jews from remoter parts of the African continent, by recounting to them what was going on among the Jewish populations of Europe. Wagenseil was a formidable linguist. Page 99 of his (separately paginated, in vol. 2) reprinting and refutation of Sir John Marsham's chronological disquisition on the prophecies of Daniel (excerpted from Marsham's book Chronicus Canon printed first in London, 1672 and then in Leipzig, 1676) illustrates use of the Greek, Syriac, Arabic and Hebrew alphabets. The Fiery Darts prints for the first time the Jewish component in a number of medieval religious disputations. Thus it includes Moses Ben Nachman's side of a debate in front of King James of Aragon in Girona in 1263 A.D. with Raymond Martin and Paulus, as also Jechiel's side (he was a 13th century Parisian rabbi) of a debate held on 25/26 June 1240 in front of St. Louis, King of France, with a rabbi who had converted to Christianity. The Libellus Toldos Jeschu is a version of the Toledot Yeshu which the Encyclopaedia Judaica calls a "medieval pseudo-history of the life of Jesus. The inherent nature of birth, death and life of Jesus called forth a 'Jewish' view ... Throughout the Middle Ages many versions of the life of Jesus were written and compiled by Jews. The different writings merged into a single narrative of which nearly a dozen versions are extant ... The narrative in all its versions treats Jesus as an exceptional person who from his youth demonstrated unusual wit and wisdom, but disrespect towards his elders ... The narrative does not deny that Jesus had supernatural powers ..." Wagenseil was at the very centre of Hebrew studies in late 17th century Europe. He was in correspondence with other leading orientalists and is considered, inter alia, the father of Scandinavian Hebrew studies - he taught Gustav Peringer. Wagenseil's book includes his translations of, and in many cases commentaries on the various texts he collected. He had sympathy for Judaism and thought the conversion of Jews to Christianity, an important missionary task, could not take place unless Jews were properly treated by Christians. In a book published in 1705, Hoffnung der Erlösung Israels (A Hope for the Redemption of Israel) he wrote as follows: "therefore where the Jews are tormented and harassed one can do nothing fruitful towards their conversion". Wagenseil's name is better known for an account published in 1697 of the city of Nuremberg and the Meistersinger, which influenced Wagner, but The Fiery Darts merits serious consideration for its underlying humanity and its preservation of valuable texts. It is also, at times, written with beguiling force. Thus he reports that on reading Marsham's account of Daniel, "starting to read it, just as I'd got settled down, I fell right onto the floor, for my whole body was dumb-struck and aghast (... "totus enim obstupui exhorruique" ...) when I saw that Marsham was telling us that the end of the Seventy Hebdomades was not about Christ but about Antiochus Epiphanes ..." From the Huth library, with booklabel.

Alfred Edersheim: The life and times of Jesus the Messiah, APPENDIX XVIII. HAGGADAH ABOUT SIMEON KEPHA (LEGEND OF SIMON PETER.):

"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 thrid 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. "

Vgl. The Temple - Its Ministry and Services as they were at the time of Christ, Vorwort:
"Perhaps I ought not here to omit such names as Relandus, Buxtorf, Otho, Schottgen, Meuschen, Goodwin, Hottinger, Wagenseil, and Lundius; and, among modern writers, Bahr, Keil, Kurtz, de Wette, Saalschutz, Zunz, Jost, Geiger, Herzfeld, and Fratz, of whose works I have, I may say, constantly availed myself. Many others have been consulted, some of which are quoted in the foot-notes, while others are not expressly referred to, as not adding anything material to our knowledge."

Blavatsky, H.P. : Isis unveiled - A Master-Key to the Mysteries of Ancient and Modern Science and Theology; Vol. II: Theology, Chapter 3: DIVISIONS AMONGST THE EARLY CHRISTIANS. 127 WHO AND WHAT WAS PETER?:

"In the Sepher Toldos Jeshu,( * ) a Hebrew manuscript of great antiquity, the version about Peter is different. Simon Peter, it says, was one of their own brethren, though he had somewhat departed from the laws, and the Jewish hatred and persecution of the apostle seems to have existed but in the fecund imagination of the fathers. The author speaks of him with great respect and fairness, calling him "a faithful servant of the living God," who passed his life in austerity and meditation, "living in Babylon at the summit of a tower," composing hymns, and preaching charity. He adds that Peter always recommended to the Christians not to molest the Jews, but as soon as he was dead, behold another preacher went to Rome and pretended that Simon Peter had altered the teachings of his master. He invented a burning hell and threatened every one with it; promised miracles, but worked none.

( * ): It appears that the Jews attribute a very high antiquity to "Sepher Toldos Jeshu." It was mentioned for the first time by Martin, about the beginning of the thirteenth century, for the Talmudists took great care to conceal it from the Christians. Levi says that Porchetus Salvaticus published some portions of it, which were used by Luther (see vol. viii., Jena Ed.). The Hebrew text, which was missing, was at last found by Munster and Buxtorf, and published in 1681, by Christopher Wagenseilius, in Nuremberg, and in Frankfort, in a collection entitled "Tela Ignea Satanae," or The Burning Darts of Satan (See Levi's "Science des Esprits")."

Word Wisdom in the Esoteric Tradition - 1980 by G. de Purucker, Theosophy glossar article "Christianity":

Wagenseil's edition commences as follows: "In the year of the world 4761 [that is, according to Jewish reckoning, 910 B.C.!!] under King Jannaeus, a misfortune befell Israel. A profligate named Joseph Pandirah then arose. He was handsome, strong, well-made, but spent his time in robbery and hurt to others. He lived in Bethlehem, in Judaea. A widow lived near him who had a daughter, named Miriam [or Mary]. This Miriam dressed women's hair, and is spoken of in the Talmud." It then goes on to say that she became the mother of Yeshu [of Jesus] by Pandirah. Yeshu after a number of years goes into the temple, in search of the Incommunicable Name, cuts open his flesh and places therein the Unutterable Name which he has written on a piece of parchment. He works miracles through his possession of knowledge of the Incommunicable Name. Throughout the Toledoth he is called "The Fatherless", doubtless an allusion to his birth. Now there was one Judas, an Elder of Israel; he goes also into the Temple, in search of the Wonderful Name, so that he may overthrow the Fatherless, and he gets it and he works counter miracles against Yeshua or Jesus, to overthrow him. He does overthrow Yeshua or Jesus, who is finally seized and incarcerated. He escapes through the connivance of his disciples, of whom he had gained a following, washes himself in the Jordan, upon which his magic power returns to him. He then works more miracles; he causes milestones to float on the water, upon one of which he places himself and teaches; he feeds multitudes with fishes, and works many other wonderful miracles. Judas again lays a trap for him and catches him in sleep, and cuts out of his flesh the parchment upon which the Wonderful Name had been written. This of course deprives the Fatherless of his magical power, and he finally comes to so bad a pass that he has to wear a crown of thorns. He thirsts and is given vinegar to drink, and utters the exclamation "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" He is sentenced finally to be stoned and hanged on a tree. It was the eve of the Passover. He is taken out of the city and stoned until dead. Judas hides his body under a running stream by first diverting the waters and then allowing them to return into their channel. But his disciples take immediate advantage of this move of Judah, the Jewish Elder, by saying exactly as Yeshu had said, "He is now risen to Heaven, because his body cannot be found." Great excitement prevails, and to still it Judas draws the body from the bed of the brook, attached to a horse's tail, through the streets. Finally Simon Peter, one of Jesus' disciples in his turn gets into the Temple and gets the Wonderful Name, and gives himself out as speaking for Yeshu; he gets a following and finally dies highly respected in a tower built for him in the city, six years later. The Toledoth Yeshu ends here.

ANTISEMITISM: ITS HISTORY AND CAUSES, 1894 By Bernard Lazare. Chapter Seven: ANTI-JUDAIC LITERATURE AND THE PREJUDICES

"This Toldot Jesho was published by Raymund Martin, Luther translated it into German; Wagenseil and the Dutchman Huldrich also published it. It contained the story of Pantherus the soldier and the legends representing Jesus as a magician. [...] These men studied Jewish literature and manners in a more serious way. Thus Wagenseil denied ritual murder;..."

Anonyme Inhaltsangabe des Sepher Toldos Jeshu:

The Toledoth has been called theclassic example of Jewish defamation and parody of the New Testament. The most widely known version (printed by Wagenseil in 1681) can be summarized as follows: In the year 3651 [about 90 B.C.E. ] 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 virginal daughter named Miriam. Miriam was betroth 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 foreigh to his character. It was thus that they both came to know of 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 after Yehoshua, after her brother. This name later deteriorated to Yeshu. In the Toledoth the names of the husband and the villian vary in the different versions. If the husband is Joseph, the villian is Yohanan, and in those which name Yohanan as the husband, Joseph is the villian

Nesta Webster: Secret Societies and Subversive Movements, Boswell Publishing Co., Ltd., London, 1924
P A R T I: T H E P A S T, CHAPTER I THE ANCIENT SECRET TRADITION:

Thus the Jewish Encyclop dia admits that Jewish legends concerning Jesus are found in the Talmud and Midrash and " the life of Jesus (Toledot Yeshu) that originated in the Middle Ages. It is the tendency of all these sources to belittle the person of Jesus by ascribing to Him illegitimate birth, magic, and a shameful death."(72)

The last work mentioned, the Toledot Yeshu, or the Sepher Toldos Jeschu, described here as originating in the Middle Ages, probably belongs in reality to a much earlier period. Eliphas Lévi asserts that " the Sepher Toldos, to which the Jews attribute a great antiquity and which they hid from the Christians with such precautions that this book was for a long while unfindable, is quoted for the first time by Raymond Martin of the Order of the Preaching Brothers towards the end of the thirteenth century. . . . This book was evidently written by a Rabbi initiated into the mysteries of the Cabala."(73) Whether then the Toledot Yeshu had existed for many centuries before it was first brought to light or whether it was a collection of Jewish traditions woven into a coherent narrative by a thirteenth-century Rabbi, the ideas it contains can be traced back at least as far as the second century of the Christian era. Origen, who in the middle of the third century wrote his reply to the attack of Celsus on Christianity, refers to a scandalous story closely resembling the Toledot Yeshu, which Celsus, who lived towards the end of the second century, had quoted on the authority of a Jew.(74) It is evident, therefore, that the legend it contains had long been current in Jewish circles, but the book itself did not come into the hands of Christians until it was translated into Latin by Raymond Martin. Later on Luther summarized it in German under the name of Schem Hamphorasch ; Wagenseil in 1681 and Huldrich in 1705 published Latin translations.(75) It is also to, be found in French in Gustave Brunet's Evangiles Apocryphes.

However repugnant it is to transcribe any portion of this blasphemous work, its main outline must be given here in order to trace the subsequent course of the anti-Christian secret tradition in which, as we shall see, it has been perpetuated up to our own day. Briefly, then, the Toledot Yeshu relates with the most indecent details that Miriam, a hairdresser of Bethlehem,(76) affianced to a young man named Jochanan, was seduced by a libertine, Joseph Panther or Pandira, and gave birth to a son whom she named Jehosuah or Jeschu. According to the Talmudic authors of the Sota and the Sanhedrim, Jeschu was taken during his boyhood to Egypt, where he was initiated into the secret doctrines of the priests, and on his return to Palestine gave himself up to the practice of magic.(77) The Toledot Yeshu, however, goes on to say that on reaching manhood Jeschu learnt the secret of illegitimacy, on account of which he was driven out of the Synagogue and took refuge for a time in Galilee. Now, there vas in the Temple a stone on which was engraved the Tetragrammaton or Schem Hamphorasch, that is to say, the Ineffable Name of God ; this stone had been found by King David when the foundations of the Temple were being prepared and was deposited by him in the Holy of Holies. Jeschu, knowing this, came from Galilee and, penetrating into the Holy of Holies, read the Ineffable Name, which he transcribed on to a piece of parchment and concealed in an incision under his skin. By this means he was able to work miracles and to persuade the people that he was the son of God foretold by Isaiah. With the aid of Judas, the Sages of the Synagogue succeeded in capturing Jeschu, who was then led before the Great and Little Sanhedrim, by which he was condemned to be stoned to death and finally hanged.

Such is the story of Christ according to the Jewish Cabalists, which should be compared not only with the Christian tradition but with that of the Moslems. It is perhaps not sufficiently known that the Koran, whilst denying the divinity of Christ and also the fact of His crucifixion,(78) nevertheless indignantly denounces the infamous legends concerning Him perpetuated by the Jews, and confirms in beautiful language the story of the Annunciation and the doctrine of the Miraculous Conception.(79) " Remember when the angels said, ' O Mary ! verily hath God chosen thee and purified thee, and chosen thee above the women of the worlds.'. . . Remember when the angels said : ' O Mary ! verily God announceth to thee the Word from Him : His name shall be Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, illustrious in this world, and in the next, and one of those who have near access to God.' "

72. Jewish Encyclopædia, article on " Jesus."
73. Eliphas Lévi, La Science des Esprits, p. 40.
74. Origen, Contra Celsum.
75. S. Baring-Gould, The Counter-Gospels, p. 69 (1874).
76. Cf. Baring-Gould, op. cit., quoting Talmud, treatise Sabbath, folio 104.
77. Ibid., p. 55, quoting Talmud, treatise Sanhedrim, folio 107, and Sota, folio 47 ; Eliphas Lévi, La Science des Esprits, pp. 32, 33.
78. According to the Koran, it was the Jews who said, " ' Verily we have slain the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, an apostle of God.' Yet they slew him not, and they crucified him not, but they had only his likeness. . . . No sure knowledge had they about him, but followed an opinion, and they did not really slay him, but God took him up to Himself."—Sura iv. 150. See also Sura iii. 40. The Rev. J. M. Rodwell, in his translation of the Koran observes in a footnote to the latter passage : " Muhammad probably believed that God took the dead body of Jesus to Heaven—for three hours, according to some,—while the Jews crucified a man who resembled him."
79. Sura iii. 30, 40.

Hinweis: Es handelt sich bei Nesta Websters "Secret Societies" (1924) um ein Buch in Nachfolge der antisemitischen Hetzschrift "Protokolle der Weisen von Zion".