The Talmud, a gigantic library of ancient Rabbinic commentary, is composed of the Mishnah, a legal commentary on the Torah codified around 120 AD, and the Gemara, a commentary on the Mishnah, which was finalized around 400 - 500AD. A multitude, if not a majority, of the traditions recorded in these texts, however, existed in the time of Jesus and represent major influential currents in the theology of Judaism in the Second Temple period.
As a secondary source for historical data, the Talmud is helpful in many way to the study of the New Testament. I say this with the understanding of the Talmud holding no doctrinal authoritative. I am more interested in academic and apologetically use of such text. So put your knives and guns away I am not a new perspective person, just a psudo-academic and forgiven Phyllisten. One of my favorite gems that still makes me giggle, are the scarlet thread passages.
First let me give a little context. Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day in all of Judaism, and was central to the covering of the sins of Israel. The scarlet thread which was tied to temple door. If it became white God had accepted the sacrifice, thus indicating that He covered(passed over)the sins of the people. If the thread did not turn white their sins were not forgiven.
The scarlet thread figures prominently in the center of miraculous events that took place in the Second Temple. The Talmud records the Yom Kippur Temple ritual concerning the thread, and the miracles surrounding it:
"R. Nahman b. Isaac said it was the tongue of scarlet’, as it has been taught: ‘Originally they used to fasten the thread of scarlet on the door of the [Temple] court on the outside.28 If it turned white the people used to rejoice,29 and if it did not turn white they were sad. They therefore made a rule that it should be fastened to the door of the court on the inside. People, however, still peeped in and saw, and if it turned white they rejoiced and if it did not turn white they were sad. They therefore made a rule that half of it should be fastened to the rock and half between the horns of the goat that was sent [to the wilderness]’. . . . If you assume It was R. Johanan b. Zaccai [who made the rule], was there in the days of R. Johanan b. Zaccai a thread of scarlet [which turned white]? Has it not been taught: ‘R. Johanan b. Zaccai lived altogether a hundred and twenty years. For forty years he was in business, forty years he studied, and forty years he taught’, and it has further been taught: ‘For forty years before the destruction of the Temple the thread of scarlet never turned white but it remained red’. Further, the statement of the Mishnah is, ‘After the destruction of the Temple R. Johanan b. Zaccai made a rule’. [What says] the other [to this]? — During those forty years that he studied his status was that of a disciple sitting before his teacher, and he would offer a suggestion and make good his reasons."(1)
(1) Rosh HaShanah 31b, Babylonian Talmud, Soncino Press Edition
This section in the Talmud divides the time into three periods of 40 years, coinciding with the life of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai. A similar division of years is applied to Moshe, Rabbi (i know it can get confusing, it is like they took writing for rabbis from the author of leviticus) Leading up to the last set of forty years when the scarlet thread ceased altogether, the miracle sporadically occurred. What is extremely significant, or "coincidental", is that the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. Jesus was crucified around 30 AD. Let us do the math. 70 -40 = 30 A.D. Interesting! I may be dyslexic but I can do that math.
70 A.D. - 40 years = Jesus on the Cross. (ballpark figure)
The "coincidence" is now obvious, the scarlet thread finally ceased turning white around the time Jesus was crucified. Well ant that just something!
Further in another section of the Talmud the same "coincidence" is mentioned. I will quote the entire section relevant to the scarlet thread:
"Our Rabbis taught: Throughout the forty years that Simeon the Righteous ministered, the lot [‘For the Lord’] would always come up in the right hand; from that time on, it would come up now in the right hand, now in the left. And [during the same time] the crimson-coloured strap would become white. From that time on it would at times become white, at others not. Also: Throughout those forty years the westernmost light was shining, from that time on, it was now shining, now failing; also the fire of the pile of wood kept burning strong, so that the priests did not have to bring to the pile any other wood besides the two logs, in order to fulfill the command about providing the wood unintermittently; from that time on, it would occasionally keep burning strongly, at other times not, so that the priests could not do without bringing throughout the day wood for the pile [on the altar]. . . .
Our Rabbis taught: During the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple the lot [‘For the Lord’] did not come up in the right hand; nor did the crimson-coloured strap become white; nor did the westernmost light shine; and the doors of the Hekal would open by themselves, until R. Johanan b. Zakkai rebuked them, saying: Hekal, Hekal, why wilt thou be the alarmer thyself? I know about thee that thou wilt be destroyed, for Zechariah ben Ido has already prophesied concerning thee: Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. (2)
(2) Yoma 39b, Babylonian Talmud, Soncino Press Edition
If we take the talmud's witness to be historically reliable then it give us one more reason to Lay before the skeptics. It is important to note that the miracle of the thread turning white was a sporadic occurrence, yet something still happened to cause the miracle to cease completely 40 years before the destruction of the Temple. I believe that something was Jesus fulfilling the words of Isaiah " Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow (Isa. I: 18)."
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