Blog Subject: Response to Conflict
First and last name:Tom Bledsoe, Jr.
City, State and Country: Calhoun, GA USA

Inquiry: B"HParkes’ work is a compelling academic effort to trace the origins of anti-Semitism in the Church. Portions of each of the five chapters read, however betray the author’s own Christian biases and acceptance of presumed historicity. Examples include reference to Palestine, the name given to Eretz Yisrael after the Bar Kochba Revolt; he believes the “Jewish presence in the Mediterranean” comes relatively late, defying the Torah’s description of expansive trade during Shlomo haMelekh’s reign; mistakes the Talmudic reference to the heretic Yeshu for a reference to Yehoshua shel Netzeret haMoshiach of the early 1st century; misunderstands the transference of the Temple Tax from Jerusalem to Rome as a minor inconvenience, when the taxes instituted after the raising of the Beit HaMikdash and especially after the Revolt in 135 were tremendously onerous and instituted on those who practiced halakha (which may have been one of the causes for separation it and of itself); and generally underestimates / dismisses the level of Roman oppression of the Jews. It is my understanding that this was the great emphasis for the Sages to write the Mishna and Gemorrah, and to codify Jewish practices for Jews in the Diaspora. I believe their main focus was preservation of Torah, not conflict. A simple understanding of LaShon HaRa would help the author understand the paucity of critical writings from the Sages in response to the patristic authors cited.

Indeed, as you observed, Parkes, being a Christian cleric, saw only part of the picture. I doubt he even knew what לשון הרע is. Still, he serves as the primary classic (Oxford) historian who recognized the complete opposite natures of the 1^st century historical Jew contrasted against the 4^th century Christian Church make-over. And, as a Christian cleric, his documentation of that is a powerful testimony to Christians of the deception and contradiction between the two opposites. From the recognition of the intractably opposite natures of these two figures, logic can then take its course.

The city is נָצְרַת (Nâtz•ratꞋ ), not Netzeret. You should learn and adopt the S^әphârâd•iꞋ  and Tei•mân•iꞋ  xlit spellings as used in our website.