Greetings,

I apologize for the delay in getting back to you. We have had problems recently with messianic Christian missionaries asking us for information, and thus we have had to take various precautions.

If you do an Internet search for Sanhedrin 43a, you will find that it is one of the favorite sources of the Christians to use as proof of the Jewish murder and hatred of their god. For a scholarly treatment of the source from the Jewish perspective, I again refer you to Rabbi Tovia Singer at www.outreachjudaism.org, and to www.jewsforjudaism.org. You can also try www.messiahtruth.org.

Attached is the scanned version of the text, which is now included in most of the new printings of the Talmud.

Below is a translation of the relevant passage from Sanhedrin 43a, uncensored editions:

Y. Shaw

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Mishnah. If they find reason to acquit him, then they discharge him; but if not, he goes out to be stoned, and a herald goes out before him, saying, 'So and so, the son of so and so, is going forth to be stoned because he committed such and such a crime, and so and so are his witnesses. Whoever knows anything in his favor, let him come and state it.'

Gemara. Abaye said: It must also be announced, 'On such and such a day, at such and such and hour, and in such and such a place [the crime was committed],' for perhaps there are some who know [to the contrary], so that they can come forward and prove the witnesses Zomemim.

"And a herald goes out before him etc." This implies that only immediately before [the execution], but not originally (i.e. forty days before). However, a Beraisa teaches: On the eve of Pesach, they hanged Yeshu (some ed.s add: the Nazarene). For forty days before the execution took place, a herald was going out and pronouncing, "He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery, enticed and misled Israel to apostasy. Any one who can say anything in his favor, let him come forward and relate it." But they could find nothing in his favor, and they hanged him on the eve of the Passover.

Ula answered: Do you think that he was subject to finding merit for him? He was a Mesis (enticer), and the Torah says, "You shall not have mercy, nor shall you cover up, for him" (Devarim 13:9). Rather, [the reason they invited anyone with evidence to come and defend him was because] Yeshu was different, since he was close to the ruling powers.

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