Said Jacob in the Name of Jesus : Early Rabbinic Exclusion of Jewish-Christians from the Chain of Tradition

This article argues that the story of Ben Dama dying from a snakebite, as told in the Tose-fta, reflects an early rabbinic concern about the dangers posed by Jewish-Christian heal-ers. Using a popular Hellenistic rhetorical form, the storyteller demonstrates that these healers are an exception to the rabbinic idea that one should live rather than die performing of the commandments. Polemi-cizing about an intra-Jewish concern without regard for Gentile Christianity, the Tosefta brings Jewish-Christians into an existing rabbinic category, min, the rabbinic term for a Jewish heretic. The article con-trasts the story of Ben Dama with the story of Eliezer b. Hyrcanus’ arrest for suspicion of heresy, which immediately follows in the Tosefta. In juxta-posing these stories, one of an unknown disciple and one of a renowned rabbi, the Tosefta displays the breadth of danger posed by the min, demanding constant vigilance and exclusion.