Guide
Christians
Although both Jews and Romans in the Second Temple period likely regarded the followers of Jesus as Jewish sectarians (see EARLY CHRISTIANS), by the rabbinic period the rabbis viewed Christians very clearly as Others. The rabbis identify Christians as Others through a variety of distinctive characteristics and behaviors. Christians are particularly associated with the perversion and misappropriation of scripture, as well as blasphemy, apostasy, magic, and sexual immorality. They are referred to in these rabbinic sources as notsrim [Christian; sing. notser] and sometimes as minim [heretic; sing. min], though not every min is a Christian.
Related Primary Sources
Primary Source
Min under the Law
22. Once R. Eleazar b. Damma was bitten by a snake. Jacob of Kefar Samma came to heal him in the name of Yeshua b. Pantera [i.e., Jesus], but R. Ishmael would not let him.
He [R…
Primary Source
R. Safra and the Minim
R. Abbahu would praise R. Safra to the heretics [by saying] that he is a great man. [Therefore,] they remitted [R. Safra’s obligation to pay] taxes for thirteen years. One day they found [R. Safra and…
Primary Source
Saving Christian Books from Fire
[With regard to] the blank folios and the [Torah] scrolls of [the] heretics, one does not rescue them from the fire. R. Yosi says: During the week, one cuts the names [of God contained] therein and…