Church Influence
in Dreyfus Affair:
When the French
Defied Powerful
Corporate Bodies
Read Commentator's
Column on Page 2
E JEWISH NEWS
A Weekly Review
'KOHELETH':
Dr. Robert Gordis'
Brilliant Commentary
of Jewish Events
on the Book of
Ecclesiastes
Review on Page 4
VOLUME 18--No. 17 708 David Stott Bldg.—Phone WO. 5-1155
Detroit, Michigan, January 5, 1951
7
$3.00 Per Year; Single Copy, 10c
Mizr chist to be Jerusalem
Mayor; Pla Inflation Fight
—Direct JTA Teletype Wires to The Jewish News
The Gospels as Sources
Prof. Zeitlin Corrects
Errors in Jesus Story
The four versions of Jesus' life, as depicted in the Four
Gospels of the New Testament, are analyzed by Prof. Solomon
Zeitlin in this section of his book Who Crucified Jesus?" He
points out the discrepancies in the different versions and sug-
gests reasons for such differences. This condensation, by Ruth
L, Cassel, is published through the courtesy of Prof. Zeldin
and Harper and Bros.
Third Installment from "Who Crucified Jesus?"
By PROF. SOLOMON ZEITLIN
The Gospels are not primarily historical books. Their
authors were not interested in the cold, historical facts. Not
only were they not trained historians in our sense of the
word, but the whole technique of writing history in the
Jewish tradition was that of tendenz, or interpretative
narration. Since the major concern of the Jewish mind was
with the meaning of events and personalities from the point
of view of divine intervention in human affairs, necessarily
human history became the stage on which God played his
role before the eyes of mankind.
Fortunately, there are four Gospels to aid the historian
to ascertain the historicity of certain events in the nar-
rative of the crucifixion. The first three (Matthew, Mark
and Luke) are known as "the Synoptic Gospels," as they
are in agreement generally each with the other. The fourth
Gospel (John), however, is known as the "non-Synoptic
Gospel" because it is, in many instances, in disagreement
with the first three.
• In so important a matter as the date of the crucifix-
ion of Jesus, there is a wide discrepancy between the
Gospels. Accordinc, to the first three, Jesus was crucified
on the first day of 6 Passover, but according to the non-
Synoptic Gospel he was crucified on the eve of Passover.
Undoubtedly, there is not real confusion of dates.
There is difference of theological accent on events. The
authors of the Gospels, in relating the historical events of
the crucifixion of Jesus, represented different theological
conceptions of Jesus as the Christ Messiah. The Synoptic
Gospels, on the one hand, conceived of Jesus as the Saviour,.
personifying the idea of salvation in the Passover festival.
They emphasized the fact that he suffered death for the
sins of the people, hence fulfilling, in his death and resur-
rection, the words of the prophets of Israel. On the other
hand, the fourth Gospel presented the theological view of
Jesus as the Redeemer, personifying the Paschal Lamb.
Just as the Paschal Lamb was sacrificed on the eve of
. Passover, so they conceived Jesus the Messiah to have been
crucified on the eve of Passover to redeem the world from
..Original Sin.
The authors of the Gospels wrote for Jewish Chris-
tians and Gentile Christians. The early followers of Jesus
were Jews who established a church in Jerusalem ; these ad-
herents of the new faith have come to be known as Jewish
Christians. Later, many Gentiles accepted, the teachings of
JeSus, and these are named Gentile Christians.
The consensus of opinion among the New Testament
scholars is that the Gospel according to Matthew was
written by a Jew for Jewish Christians. The Gospel accord-
ing to Luke was also written for Jewish Christians. Both
these Gospels insist on the observances of the Old Testa-
ment law. Both Luke and Matthew traced the geneology
of Jesus to King David, for they -were writing for Jews
who expected a Messiah descended from the family of
David,
In reference to the Gospel of Mark, there are various
opinions among New Testament scholars. Some maintain
" that this Gospel was written for Gentiles. They base their
contention on the fact that Mark uses explanatory remarks
to elucidate Hebrew terms, customs and geographical places
in - Judea. However, the Gospel may, indeed, have been com-
posed for Jews, and his remarks may receive another inter-
pretation altogether. The Jews of the Diaspora were not
well asquainted with the new laws and customs which had
been introduced in Jewish life in Judea. Since early Chris-
tian tradition placed the writing of this Gospel in Rome, it
is perfectly possible that the author sought to clarify these
laws and customs for the Jews outside Judea.
The Gospel according to John was written for • Gentile
(Continued on Page 16)
JERUSALEM—A call for a national wage freeze to "halt the spiral of inflation"
was voiced here Tuesday, during a Knesset debate by Yaacov Geri, non-party minister
for trade and industry. Mr. Geri immediately made it clear that he was speaking for
himself alone, not for the cabinet.
The statement is viewed here as especially significant because the Histadrut
will begin within a few days an internal discussion of its future wage policy and its
wage and social welfare demands in new contracts. The discussion has been forced
by the fact that union after union has demanded substantial wage increases in the
face of the Labor Federation's announced policy of "holding the line."
It is reported that Golda Myerson, Labor Minister, and Pinhas Lubianiker, Agri-
culture Minister, both of whom are top leaders of the Histadrut, are seeking a formula
which would preserve the present wage scale but offer bonus payments for increased
production. The formula is not expected to be acceptable particularly to the metal trades
unions which is led by leftwing Socialist Mapam.
The right-wing councillors in the Jerusalem Municipal Council Tuesday night
concluded an agreement whereby S. Z. Shragai, Poale Mizrachi leader, will be elected
Mayor of the city and Eliahu Eliashar, General Zionist leader, will become Deputy
Mayor. The agreement, unlike an earlier one, does not depend upon the outcome of
coalition agreements in any other city or /town.
At a meeting of The Municipal council last night, called by Daniel Auster, the out-
going mayor, only the 12 rightwing councillors attended. Mr. Auster, who had publicly
expressed his indignation last week over the extended negotiations among the rightwing
parties, opened and adjourned the meeting in the same sentence. He explained that the
adjournment was necessitated by the "need for further consultations," the reason
given by the rightwingers for requesting adjournments last week.
After Mr. Auster walked out of the Council room, the councillors remained seated
for some time waiting for a further explanation. They only received it when one of their
number telephoned Mr. Auster, who informed him that the time and place of the next
meeting would be announced "in due course."
In Ramat Gan, another satellite city of Tel Aviv, the former Mayor, Abraham
Krinitzi, was re-elected. He was the candidate of the General Zionist Party. A Gen-
eral Zionist mayor, I. M. Grushkevich, was elected in Kfar Motzkin. In the following
town Mapai candidates were elected to head the municipal administrations : Holon, Dr.
H. Kugel; Lydia, Pesach Lev; Hedera, David Berman; Kfar Saba, A. Keren. Hista-
drut candidates—Mapai and Mapam in coalition—were elected in Tiberias and Na-
hariya. They were M. Weill and Gershon Tatz, respectively.
A review of the year published here establishes that the population of Jerusa-
lem has increased by 2'7 percent during 1950. There are now 127,000 residents in the
Jewish section of the city.
The population increase is due chiefly to the arrival of new immigrants. The re-
turn of government employees from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem—since the proclamation of
the city as Israel's capital—has also contributed to this increase.
The hardships which the city faced as a result of the water shortage have been
removed during the year by the completion of an additional water pipeline. The restric-
tions on the use of water have now been lifted. The city is enjoying an unprecedented
building boom with 3,000 dwelling units being built in various sections of the Jewish
part of Jerusalem.
Riot Started
By Nazi. Film
A film popular in the
days of the Nazi reign of
terror, -the infamous "Jew
Seuss," was met by protests
and rioting in Berlin as
angry Jews clash with po-
lice. The film was adapted
from a play which enjoyed
considerable popularity dur-
ing the violent anti-Semitic
waves in pre-war Germany.'
—Sabra Photo
Bimehe Gift
To Israel Girl
Pen pals with the famed
American statesman Ralph
Bunche, who played a lead-
ing role in arranging the
Palestine armistice, nine-
year-old T z e f i r a Zarhi,
daughter of a Haifa news-
paperman, displays the let-
ter she received from Dr.
Bunche in which he en-
closed some stamps the lit-
tle Israeli girl requested.
Dr. Bunche, in his letter to
Tzefira, admitted that he,
too, was a stamp collector.
He explained the trouble he
experienced in hiding his
collection from his over-
anxious children.
................