Yeshu

Yeshu (Esau), or Yeishu (sometimes called Yeshu Ha-Notzri) was the name of a prominent Jewish sectarian of the first century BCE (approximately 120-80 BCE) mentioned in the Mishna. He was originally the student of Yehoshua Ben Perachiah but was sent away for judging a woman by her physical appearance. After several returns for forgiveness he mistook Perachiah's signal to wait a moment as a signal of final rejection, and so he started his own schoool of thought. He gathered five disciples Matai, Nekai, Netzer, Buni, and Todah. Because of his connections with royalty a town crier was sent to call for witensses in his favour for fourty days before his execution. No one came fourth and in the end he was stoned and Hung on the Eve of Passover and ended up in Hell. Scholars have speculated that this Yeshu may have been the "Teacher of Righteousness" who founded the Essene sect of Judaism.

He is criticised in the Talmud for "burning his food publically". In the uncensored Rosh Hashanah 17a text of Rashi certain apostate minim (literally "gnostics") heretics are described as "the students of Yeshu HaNotzri who have twisted the words of the Torah". In some versions of Gittin 57a and Sanhedrin 43a as well as one version of Sanhedrin 107b (Sotah 47a?) the Yeshu mentined is further identified witrh the title Ha-Notzri.

Sanhedrin 103a Berakoth 17b

Mentioned in

Talmud Sanhedrin 107b & Sotah 47a (Ben Perachiah sends Yeshu away)

Talmud Sanhedrin 43a (his disciles and exectution)

Talmud Gittin 57a (summoned from Hell)

He is not the same person as the second century CE Ben Stada neither is it certain that he may have also been called Ben Pandera. Many amateur or overenthusiastic historians in an attempt to find historical evidence besides the christian bible concerning the existence of Jesus have sought to merge all these characters into one person. Such historians do not hold all responsibility for this confusion since many elements from their individual stories were already merged together (for the first time perhaps in the sixth century) in the Sepher Toledoth Yeshu (Yeshu's Lineage Book). Contrart to popular belief, this book is considered as folkloric and is not part of the talmud or mishnah never having been awarded official status due to its suspect nature.