Benjamin Franklin the Talmudist

Some googleing has revealed that several Jews have commented on the similarity
between phrases Benjamin Franklin used, and phrases which appear in the Talmud:

http://positiveanymore.blogspot.com/2006/02/benjamin-franklin-talmudist.html

http://www.shtetlfiles.org/book/chapter12

On April 8, 1788, Franklin wrote a letter to the editor of The Federal 
Gazette in which he reveals a knowledge of contents of the Talmud:

"In Josephus, and the Talmud we learn some particulars, not so fully narrated in the scripture."

Franklin was referring to the story of Moses, from the Book of Exodus. He gives

many details, which in honesty, I do not know whether they come from the

Talmud, or from the Jewish-turned-Roman-pagan historian Josephus (37 - 100).

Antifederalists = Ancient Jews

Just three years after Franklin's death, in 1793 this letter was re-published in

a collection of Franklin's writings, and the editors gave this letter the title:

A Comparison of the Conduct of the Ancient Jews, and of the Antifederalists in the United States of America.

Franklin was attempting to show that the Antifederalist movement was
similar to how the Jews had rebelled against first Moses, and then
later dismissed and called for the execution of Jesus. Franklin wrote:

On the whole it appears, that the Israelites were a people jealous of their newly acquired liberty, which jealousy was in itself no fault; but, that when they suffered it to be worked upon by artful men, pretending public good, with nothing really in view but private interest, they were led to oppose the establishment of the new constitution, whereby they brought upon themselves much inconvenience and misfortune. It farther appears from the same inestimable history, that when, after many ages, that constitution was become old and much abused, and an amendment of it was proposed, the populace as they had accused Moses of the ambition of making himself a prince, and cryed out stone him, stone him; so excited by their high priests and SCRIBES, they exclaimed against the Messiah, that he aimed at becoming king of the Jews, and cryed out crucify him, crucify him. From all which we may gather, that popular opposition to a public measure is no proof of its impropriety, even though the opposition be excited and headed by men of distinction. 

Sources:
Franklin's letter to the editor of The Federal Gazette, dated April 8, 1788
http://www.consource.org/document/k/

Works of the Late Doctor Benjamin Franklin: Consisting of his Life Written by

Himself : Together with Essays, Humorous, Moral & Literary, Chiefly in the

Manner of the Spectator. Vol. 1. G.G.J. and J. Robinson, London. 1793. p.201.