Time for another round-up of things related to the Bible and music that I\u2019ve come across, always having my eyes and ears peeled for points of intersection as I work on an open textbook on the topic.<\/p>\n
Let me start with Jonathan Tweet\u2019s helpful survey of antisemitic aspects of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar<\/a>. The main disagreement I have is with the idea that \u201cJudas\u201d denoted or signified \u201cJew.\u201d The name in question is Judah, the Jewish name that was that of the ancestor and tribe that gave its name to what English renders as \u201cthe Jewish people.\u201d It was a common and popular name among Jews, and despite what some commentators have said at times, there was nothing antisemitic when ancient Jewish authors depicted the betrayal of the Jewish man Jesus as having been carried out by someone with a common Jewish name who was no more and no less Jewish than any other apostle or disciple. The musical is only as antisemitic as its source material, I think. What do others think? Take a look at Jonathan\u2019s treatment of the subject<\/a> and let me (and him) know what your thoughts on this are.<\/p>\n