"שוטה שבעולם שפיל לסיפיה דקרא": הרקע הנוצרי לסיפור המין בבבלי חולין פז ע"א

This paper examines one example of the literary genre of talmudic minim stories (b. Ḥul. 87a), to demonstrate the importance of drawing on external knowledge in order to better understand the narrative’s content and context. In this case, an acquaintance with the major Christian polemical debates surrounding Amos 4:13, central to contemporaneous, late-antique Christian writings, is crucial to understanding the debate between Rabbi and the first min in the story. The Christian debates illuminate the short interaction between the two over the biblical verse and explain the apparent urgency of both their reactions to this encounter as well as the dire consequences that result from it. This reading sheds light on the possible Christian references in this passage and highlights elements of irony and satire that would otherwise go unnoticed.