Presence

Nuesner on the Passion

[via PaleoJudaica]

Jacob Nuesner, a man who must spend 12 hours a day just writing, has a new article entitled "A Judaic Reading of the Passion Narratives for Mel Gibson to Consider." I read through it once, but I'm printing it out to read again over the weekend.

Nuesner's article elucidates the Passion narrative in the context of Tractates Sanhedrin and Makkos, the sections of the Talmud dealing with the penalties for various crimes, including the death penalty. Neusner draws a compelling picture of the unifying theme behind the Jewish concept of capital punishment, as well as providing a legal/Halachik context for understanding the tenet of Techiyas HaMeisim (Resurrection of the Dead). The resulting conclusion favors a view of the Passion where the resurrection, rather than the death of Jesus, is the focal point of the story. Putting aside the connection to the Passion, this article is interesting for it's exposition of the thematic underpinnings of the Jewish legal system's theory of punishment, and how it relates to the eschatological vision of Judaism. Much different from the eschatalogical views of Maimonides that have been discussed of late.

Also, it kind of reminds me of an idea I had to rewite Camus' The Stranger, only this time, from the perspective of a Talmud-era convicted murderer. So much to do, so little time...