Basser examines the fierce debates between Christians and Jews, which took place in the process and the aftermath of the Christian break from Judaism.
After the Christian-Jewish schism, church writers recast dialogues of law and lore into descriptions of bitter controversies between Jesus and Pharisees. These reflected the strife then current between Christians and Jews. Jews justified their ill-will towards Christians who undermined their doctrines. By closely examining the exegetical underpinnings of the controversies between Jews and Christians, Basser discovers the Jewish side to a debate which, until now, has not received adequate scholarly treatment.
He also speculates on the history of some late Jewish texts, never discussed in English before now, which are close to early Christian ones. Finally, the methods used in this book are examined for their cogency.

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