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  "description": "\n\n\n\nAccording to Talmudic scholars, certain references to Balaam in the Talmud are actually about Jesus. Case in point:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAnd 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 ",
  "path": "/jesus-the-balaam-of-the-talmud/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-01T16:09:06.000Z",
  "site": "https://answeringislam.blog",
  "tags": [
    "_10_",
    "_11_",
    "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_",
    "did the children of Israel slay with the sword].[_40_",
    "_40_ A soothsayer? But he was a prophet! — R. Johanan said: At first he was a prophet, but subsequently a soothsayer.[_41_",
    "_41_ R. Papa observed: This is what men say, **_'She who was the descendant of princes and governors, played the harlot with carpenters_**.'[_42_",
    "_3 _",
    "_4_",
    "it follows that] he was thirty-three or thirty-four years old**.[_5_",
    "_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_",
    "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_",
    "** _Sanh. 106b_**",
    "** _Giṭ. 57a_**",
    "_BALAAM -_",
    "_JewishEncyclopedia.com_",
    "**_The Talmud: Jesus is Burning in Dung!_**",
    "**_Mary in the Talmud_**"
  ],
  "textContent": "According to Talmudic scholars, certain references to Balaam in the Talmud are actually about Jesus. Case in point:\n\n> 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_…\n>\n> 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_\n\n11. [H] is read [H] [Herford, _op_. _cit_. 74ff. sees in this a covert allusion to Jesus.]\n\n42. '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.)\n\n> 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_\n\n4. _Ps_. LV, 24 …\n\n6. 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)\n\nAnd here’s what the Jewish Encyclopedia says in respect to the name Balaam being used as a name for Jesus:\n\n> 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. 106b_****and**** _Giṭ. 57a_**. See Geiger, \"Bileam and Jesus,\" in \"Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift für Jüdische Theologie,\" vi. 31-37). (_BALAAM -__JewishEncyclopedia.com_; emphasis mine)\n\n## Further Reading\n\n**_The Talmud: Jesus is Burning in Dung!_**\n\n**_Mary in the Talmud_**",
  "title": "Jesus: The Balaam of the Talmud",
  "updatedAt": "2026-03-01T16:28:07.623Z"
}