Matthaeus Adversus Christianos

In this book Christoph Ochs presents for the first time an extensive study of the use of the Gospel of Matthew in Jewish polemics. These often overlooked texts advance numerous exegetical arguments against Jesus' divinity, the incarnation, and the Trinity. Seven Jewish polemical key texts comprise the main sources for this inquiry: Qissat Mujadalat al-Usquf (c. 8/9th century) and Sefer Nestor ha-Komer (before 1170), Sefer Milhamot ha-Shem (c. 1170), Sefer Yosef ha-Meqanne (c. 13th century), Nizzahon Vetus (13-14th century), Even Bohan (late 14th century), Kelimmat ha-Goyim (c. 1397), and Hizzuq Emunah (c. 1594) et al. Together with the relevant passages in the original Hebrew and in translation each text is presented with a historical and exegetical introduction. Contemporary parallels are also discussed, but in less detail. The result is a compendium of arguments against the divinity of Jesus based on the Jewish interpretation of Matthew. Jewish polemicists focused in particular on Jesus' portrayal as a human (e.g. as sleeping, hungry, and ignorant) and passages where he differentiates himself from God. Some of these arguments can be traced back to philosophical and heterodox dogmatic debates in antiquity, while others look surprisingly modern. The aim of the polemicists was to highlight what they saw as contradictions between Christian Scriptures and Christian beliefs.