Jesus: The Balaam of the Talmud

According to Talmudic scholars, certain references to Balaam in the Talmud are actually about Jesus. Case in point:

And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!10 R. Simeon b. Lakish said: Woe unto him who maketh himself alive by the name of God,11 R. Johanan said: Woe to the nation that may be found attempting to hinder], when the Holy One, blessed be He, accomplishes the redemption of his children: who would throw his garment between a lion and a lioness when these are copulating![12…

Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword].40 A soothsayer? But he was a prophet! — R. Johanan said: At first he was a prophet, but subsequently a soothsayer.41 R. Papa observed: This is what men say, 'She who was the descendant of princes and governors, played the harlot with carpenters.'[42

1. [H] is read [H] [Herford, op. cit. 74ff. sees in this a covert allusion to Jesus.]

2. 'Shipdraggers,' (v. Rashi). Herford, Christianity in the Talmud , p. 48, suggests that Balaam is frequently used in the Talmud as a type for Jesus (v. also pp. 64-70). Though no name is mentioned to shew which woman is meant, the mother of Jesus may be alluded to, which theory is strengthened by the statement that she mated with a carpenter. (The Munich MS. has [H] in the margin instead of [H], i.e., singular instead of plural.)

A certain min _3 _said to R. Hanina: Hast thou heard how old Balaam was? — He replied: It is not actually stated, but since it is written, Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days,4 it follows that] he was thirty-three or thirty-four years old.5 He rejoined: Thou hast said correctly; I personally have seen Balaam's Chronicle, in which it is stated, 'Balaam the lame was thirty years old when Phinehas the Robber killed him.'[6

1. Ps. LV, 24 …

2. According to the view that all the Balaam passages are anti-Christian in tendency, Balaam being used as an alias for Jesus , Phinehas the Robber is thus taken to represent Pontius Pilatus, and the Chronicle of Balaam probably to denote a Gospel (v. Herford op. cit. 72ff.). This view is however disputed by Bacher and others: cf. Ginzberg, Journal of Biblical Literature , XLI, 121.] [(Babylonian Talmud: Sanhedrin 106; emphasis mine)

And here’s what the Jewish Encyclopedia says in respect to the name Balaam being used as a name for Jesus:

Henceforth he became the type of false prophets seducing men to lewdness and obscene idolatrous practises (Rev. ii. 14; II Peter ii. 15; Jude 11; Abot v.19). The name "Nicolaitanes," given to the Christian heretics "holding the doctrine of Balaam" (Rev. ii. 6, 15), is probably derived from the Grecized form of Balaam, = Nικο-γάος, and hence also the pseudonym "Balaam," given to Jesus in** Sanh. 106band Giṭ. 57a**. See Geiger, "Bileam and Jesus," in "Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift für Jüdische Theologie," vi. 31-37). (_BALAAM -_JewishEncyclopedia.com; emphasis mine)

Further Reading

The Talmud: Jesus is Burning in Dung!

Mary in the Talmud