This post includes key primary sources I use in “The Gay Jew Jesus Trial” theory. They are grouped together with headings.

You might want to copy and paste the following post to your device for further study, or repost somewhere for anyone you think might be interested.

EVIDENCE

A. ENTRAPMENT

◼️  Tosefta Sanhedrin 10:11

For all the capital crimes that are in the Torah, they do not entrap except for the enticer. How? They send to him two Sages in the inner room, and he sits in the outer room, and they light a candle so that they can see him and hear his voice.

◼️ Luke 12:1-3

“Be on your guard against the Pharisees.

“There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, 
or hidden that will not be made known.

“What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, And what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” 

◼️ Matthew 24:26

“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is out in the wilderness,” do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.” 

B. DEFENDANTS and ARREST CHARGES 

◼️ Josephus, Wars of the Jews, 3.57

The ethnic makeup of the territory of Philip the Tetrarch, was “a mixture of Jews and Syrians.” [Wars of the Jews 3.57]

◼️  Tractate Sotah, Folio 10a (Grind)

“R. Yohanan said: ‘Grind’ means nothing else than [sexual] transgression; and thus it is stated: “Then let my wife grind unto another”. [Job 31:9-10] It teaches [in Judges 16:20-21] that [Samson did grind in the prison house], everyone brought his wife to him to the prison that she might bear a child by him [who would be as strong as he was].”

◼️ Luke 17:34 -3,5

▶ The Judge’s Decision (in some form)

“[I tell you,] in that night, 
Two men will be in one bed, 
one will be seized, and the other released. 
Two women will be grinding together, 
one will be seized, and the other released.”

◼️ Horace (Philosopher &Moralist, 65-8 BCE) writing in Latin.

“Once, when a noble left a brothel, ‘Blessed be thou for virtue!” quoth the wisdom of Cato: for when their veins are swelling with gross lust, young men should drop in there, rather than grind some husband’s private mill.” (i.e., “screw some husband’s wife)

◼️ Tale of the Seven Wise Men, Plutarch (46 to 119 CE), written in Greek.

“This remark arrested the attention of the whole company, and Thales said jestingly…. “when I was at Lesbos, I heard my landlady, as she was very busy at her mill, singing as she used to go at her work:

“Grind, mill, grind;
For even Pittacus grinds,
King of great Mytilene.”

B. The Judge, Philip the Tetrarch

◼️ Antiquities of the Jews, 18.4.6

“Philip had been tetrarch of Trachonitis, and Gaulanitis, and the Bataneans thirty-seven years.

“He constantly lived in that country. He used to travel a circuit with a few choice friends. His tribunal also which sat in judgment, when any one met him who required his verdict, he had his tribunal sit down to hear his complaint.

“He then ordered the guilty  to be punished: and absolved those that had been accused unjustly.”

(Edited for clarity.)

◼️  Mishnah Sanhedrin 1:2; Tosefta Sanhedrin 3:2

Antigonus the Prince [Hegemon] asked Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai, “The ox will be stoned and the master also die (Ex. 21:29). Why?”

C.  GENERAL LEGAL GOSPEL MATERIAL, NOT TIED TO THE CANONICAL TRIAL STORY

◼️ Luke 12:6a

Don’t be afraid of those who can kill the body, but can’t kill the soul. 

◼️ Luke 12:11-12

“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.

◼️ LOCATION:  GALILEE

◼️  Shabbat 16:7 — ‘Arav

Rabbi Judah said: an incident came before Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai in ‘Arav…  [17 mi from Bethsaida]

“THE FOUNDING OF BETHSAIDA-JULIAS: EVIDENCE FROM THE COINS OF PHILIP.”

♦  Talmud (7 Texts)

◼️  Tosefta Sanhedrin 10:11 (entrapment)

◼️  Shabbat 16:7 — ‘Arav

One may [on the Sabbath] cover a lamp with a dish so that it shall not scorch a rafter, and [cover] animal droppings to protect a child, or a scorpion so that it not bite. Rabbi Judah said: an incident came before Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai in ‘Arav and he said, ‘I doubt whether one [who does so] is not liable to a Sin-offering.’

And thus they did to So-and-So—they appointed against him two Sages and they stoned him.

THE TRIAL DOCUMENTS

◼️  Mishnah Sanhedrin 1:2; Tosefta Sanhedrin 3:2

(note the Prince and the multi-part explanation)

Antigonus the Prince asked Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai, “The ox will be stoned and the master also die (Ex. 21:29). Why?”
He said to him, “The accomplice of a thief is like a thief.”

When he went out, the student asked, “Master, this one you pushed away with a reed, but to us, what will you reply?”
He said to them, “It is written, The ox will be stoned and also its master will die…

◼️THE CHARGE DOCUMENTS/SUMMARY OF
THE PROSECUTION CASE

◼️ Massekhet Semahot 8.7

The dorshe hamurot used to say, You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom thou shall dispossess served their gods, upon the high mountains and upon the hills, and under every green tree; you shall tear down their altars, and dash to pieces their pillars (Deut. 12:2-3).

How did the wood and stones sin? [They did not sin.] But on account of them there came upon man confusion, and therefore Scripture said, You shall destroy their altars.

And behold it is a deduction: If in the case of stone and wood, which have neither merit nor demerit, neither good nor evil, because on their account confusion comes upon man, Scripture said to destroy their altars, a man who causes others to sin, and turns them from the way of life to the way of death, how much more so will he suffer.

◼️ ySanhedrin 7.5

And so too, if a woman approaches ANY beast and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the beast, they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them (Lev. 20:16).

If the woman sinned, what sin did the beast commit? [It did not sin.] But because there came upon man confusion on its account,

Scripture said to kill the beast, that the cow should not go into the market place and people say, “See, there is the cow on whose account so-and-so was put to death.”

▶ Yoḥanan b. Zakkai’s commentary follows here. [Neusner’s comment.]

And behold, it is a matter of deduction: If in the case of the beast, who has neither merit nor demerit, because on its account man was brought into confusion, Scripture said to stone it, a man who causes his fellow to sin, and leads him from the way of life to the way of sin, how much the more (will he suffer).

(Neusner, Life, note 1, pp 93-94)

Cows and Dogs as Women

Amos 4:1

THE RESPONSA

◼️  Tractate Sotah, Folio 10a (Grind)

“R. Yohanan said: ‘Grind’ means nothing else than [sexual] transgression; and thus it is stated: “Then let my wife grind unto another”.  [Job 31:9-10] It teaches [in Judges 16:20-21] that [Samson did grind in the prison house], everyone brought his wife to him to the prison that she might bear a child by him [who would be as strong as he was].”

The preceding responsa is directly related to the trial decision (verdict) in Luke 17:34-35 above. I a
M repeating it here for your convenience.

“[I tell you,] in that night, 
Two men will be in one bed, 
one will be seized, and the other released. 
Two women will be grinding together, 
one will be seized, and the other released.”

Cows and Dogs as Women

Amos 4:1“Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria…” C. The Judge, Philip the Tetrarch

◼️ Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 18.4.6:

“Philip had been tetrarch of Trachonitis, and Gaulanitis, and the Bataneans thirty-seven years.

“He constantly lived in that country. He used to travel a circuit with a few choice friends. His tribunal also which sat in judgment, when any one met him who required his verdict, he had his tribunal sit down to hear his complaint.

“He then ordered the guilty  to be punished: and absolved those that had been accused unjustly.”

(Edited for clarity.)

◼️  Mishnah Sanhedrin 1:2; Tosefta Sanhedrin 3:2

Antigonus the Prince asked Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai, “The ox will be stoned and the master also die (Ex. 21:29). Why?”

◼️ Luke 12:11-12 (NKJV)

“Now they will bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities.

D.  GENERAL LEGAL GOSPEL MATERIAL, NOT TIED TO THE CANONICAL TRIAL STORY

◼️ Luke 12:6a

Don’t be afraid of those who can kill the body, but can’t kill the soul. 

◼️ Luke 12:11-12

“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.”

◼️ LOCATION:  GALILEE

▶  Shabbat 16:7 — Yoḥanan ben Zakkai in Arav [in Upper Galilee]Rabbi Judah said: an incident came before Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai in ‘Arav…  [17 mi from Bethsaida]

◼️ Strickert’s Article Precisely Dating Bethsaida’s Status Elevation to 30 CE

“THE FOUNDING OF BETHSAIDA-JULIAS: EVIDENCE FROM THE COINS OF PHILIP”, by Fred Strickert is available online at JSTOR and was published in the summer of 1995.

Strickert’s careful conclusion reads like this: “Thus coin evidence establishes the founding of Bethsaida-Julias to September 22, 30 CE.”

SEVEN ESSENTIAL TALMUD TEXTS

◼️  Tosefta Sanhedrin 10:11 (entrapment)

And thus they did to Ben Stada in Lod—they appointed against him two Sages and they stoned him.

◼️  Shabbat 16:7 — ‘Arav

One may [on the Sabbath] cover a lamp with a dish so that it shall not scorch a rafter, and [cover] animal droppings to protect a child, or a scorpion so that it not bite. Rabbi Judah said: an incident came before Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai in ‘Arav and he said, ‘I doubt whether one [who does so] is not liable to a Sin-offering.’

THE TRIAL DOCUMENTS

◼️  Mishnah Sanhedrin 1:2; Tosefta Sanhedrin 3:2

(note the Prince and the multi-part explanation)

Antigonus the Prince asked Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai, “The ox will be stoned and the master also die (Ex. 21:29). Why?”
He said to him, “The accomplice of a thief is like a thief.”

When he went out, the student asked, “Master, this one you pushed away with a reed, but to us, what will you reply?”
He said to them, “It is written, The ox will be stoned and also its master will die…

◼️THE CHARGE DOCUMENTS/SUMMARY OF
THE PROSECUTION ARGUMENT

◼️ Massekhet Semahot 8.7

The dorshe hamurot used to say, You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom thou shall dispossess served their gods, upon the high mountains and upon the hills, and under every green tree; you shall tear down their altars, and dash to pieces their pillars (Deut. 12:2-3).

How did the wood and stones sin? [They did not sin.] But on account of them there came upon man confusion, and therefore Scripture said, You shall destroy their altars.

And behold it is a deduction: If in the case of stone and wood, which have neither merit nor demerit, neither good nor evil, because on their account confusion comes upon man, Scripture said to destroy their altars, a man who causes others to sin, and turns them from the way of life to the way of death, how much more so will he suffer.

◼️ ySanhedrin 7.5

And so too, if a woman approaches any beast and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the beast, they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them (Lev. 20:16).

If the woman sinned, what sin did the beast commit? [It did not sin.] But because there came upon man confusion on its account,

Scripture said to kill the beast that the cow should not go into the market place and people say, “See, there is the cow on whose account so-and-so was put to death.”

▶ Yoḥanan b. Zakkai’s commentary follows here. [Neusner’s comment.]

And behold, it is a matter of deduction: If in the case of the beast, who has neither merit nor demerit, because on its account man was brought into confusion, Scripture said to stone it, a man who causes his fellow to sin, and leads him from the way of life to the way of sin, how much the more (will he suffer).

(Neusner, Life, note 1, pp 93-94)

THE “RESPONSA” DOCUMENT

◼️  Tractate Sotah, Folio 10a (Grind)

“R. Yohanan said: ‘Grind‘ means nothing else than [sexual] transgression; and thus it is stated: “Then let my wife grind unto another”. [Job 31:9-10] It teaches [in Judges 16:20-21] that [Samson did grind in the prison house], everyone brought his wife to him to the prison that she might bear a child by him [who would be as strong as he was].”

The preceding responsa is directly related to the trial decision (verdict) in Luke 17:34-35 above. I am repeating it here for your convenience.

“[I tell you,] in that night, 
Two men will be in one bed, 
one will be seized, and the other released. 
Two women will be grinding together, 
one will be seized, and the other released.”

THE SUPPLEMENTARY TALMUD DOCUMENT (not necessarily used in the actual trial in its present form, but generated, I think, for tandem legal use.

◼️  Mishnah Sanhedrin 1:2 and Tosefta Sanhedrin 3:2, substantially the same.

(note the Prince and the two-part explanation)

The story, in Sanhedrin 1:6 (19d),

Antigonus the Prince asked Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai, “The ox will be stoned and the master also die (Ex. 21:29). Why?”

He said to him, “The accomplice of a thief is like a thief.”

When he went out, the student asked, “Master, this one you pushed away with a reed, but to us, what will you reply?”

He said to them, “It is written, The ox will be stoned and also its master will die—the death of the ox is to be like the death of the master, for the death of the one is juxtaposed to the death of the other; just as the master dies after a fair trial with careful examination of the witnesses and twenty-three judges, so the ox dies with careful examination of the witnesses and twenty-three judges.”

RESPONSA in ROMAN AND JEWISH LAW

“Roman law recognised responsa prudentium, i.e. the responses and thoughts of jurists, as one of the sources of ius scriptum (written law), along with laws originating from magistrates, from the Senate, or from the emperor.”

(Wikipedia article, “Responsa”)

Responsa: Rabbinic responses to questions of Jewish law are called She’elot u-Teshuvot (Hebrew: שאלות ותשובות‎ “questions and answers”).

The gospel of Luke and the Tosefta Sanhedrin (inner room), Tractate Sotah (grind) intersect verbally regarding the legal activities taking place. Re-read and compare Luke 17:34-34, Luke 10:12-13 and Tosefta Sanhedrin 10:11. Both the Talmud and the so-called Q Source use the words inner room(s) in the context of eavesdropping, and the word of grind(ing) as sexual idioms.

◼️ Matthew 24:26
◼️ Luke 10:12-13
◼️ Matthew 24:26
◼️ Luke 12:1-3
◼️ Luke 12:6a
◼️ Luke 12:11-12
◼️ Luke 17:34-35

◼️  Tosefta Sanhedrin 10:11
re: Entrapment
◼️  Shabbat 16:7b
re: Zakkai in ‘Arav
◼️  Mishnah Sanhedrin 1:2 and Tosefta Sanhedrin 3:2
Antigone and Capital Crime
◼️ Massekhet Semahot 8.7
Execute Gay Gentiles
◼️ ySanhedrin 7.5
Execute Lesbian Gentiles
◼️ Tractate Sotah, Folio 10a
Yohanan’s definition of Grind

Talmud Trial Documents

◼️Massekhet Semahot 8.7
Execute Gay Gentiles
◼️ ySanhedrin 7.5
Execute Lesbian Gentiles
◼️ Tractate Sotah, Folio 10a
Yohanan’s definition of Grind

MEANS OF EXECUTION

◼️  Tosefta Sanhedrin 10:11 (

“And thus they did to Ben Stada in Lod—they appointed against him two Sages and they stoned him.”

The following is excerpted from sefaria.org. It gives some background for the policies surrounding capital trials.

“Cases of capital law are judged by twenty-three judges. An animal that copulated with a person and an animal that was the object of bestiality are judged by twenty-three judges, as it is stated: “And if a woman approaches any animal to lie with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal” (Leviticus 20:16), and it states: “And if a man lies with an animal, he shall be put to death and you shall kill the animal” (Leviticus 20:15). In cases of bestiality, the verse juxtaposes the execution of the animal to the execution of the person, and therefore the case of the animal is adjudicated in the same way as cases of capital law. Similarly, an ox that is to be stoned because it killed a person is judged by twenty-three judges, as it is stated: “But if the ox was wont to gore in time past, and warning has been given to its owner, but he did not guard it and it kills a man or a woman the ox shall be stoned and also its owner shall be put to death” (Exodus 21:29). From this verse it is derived that just as the manner of the death of the owner, so is the manner of the death of the ox. The same halakha applies in the case of a wolf or a lion, a bear or a leopard, or a cheetah, or a snake that killed a person: Their death is decreed by twenty-three judges. Rabbi Eliezer says these dangerous animals do not need to be brought to court; rather, anyone who kills them first merits the performance of a mitzva. Rabbi Akiva says: Their death is decreed by twenty-three judges.”