To date, the debates have centred on the “proper” interpretation of the role of Jews in Jesus’ Crucifixion, as presented in the four New Testament Gospels. But this week, Gibson’s $25 million biblical epic, which the director insists is about love and forgiveness, has triggered a new squabble - among Jewish scholars.

The texts in question are not New Testament but rather passages long censored (by Christian authorities) about Jesus from the Talmud, the encyclopaedia of Jewish law and tradition considered sacred by traditional Jews.

Raising the issue is an article by Steven Bayme, the American Jewish Committee’s national director of Contemporary Jewish Life, which declares that Jews must face up to the fact that the Talmudic narrative “does clearly demonstrate ... fourth century rabbinic willingness to take responsibility for the execution of Jesus.”

“Jewish apologetics that ‘we could not have done it’ because of Roman sovereignty ring hollow when one examines the Talmudic account,” Bayme said.

He contends that Jewish interfaith representatives are not being honest in dialogue if they ignore the explicit Talmudic references to Jesus...