That charge is worse than it might sound. As far back as Deuteronomy 13 there were biblical warnings that false prophets and teachers would arise within Israel, performing signs and wonders in order to lead Israel astray to worship foreign gods, to turn aside from the path marked out by YHWH. The penalty for such behaviour was clear: someone deceiving the people in this way was to be put to death. And several of the Judaeans thought that when Jesus told
