The Toledot Yeshu (History of Jesus) is a collection of Jewish anti-Christian Gospel parodies about the life of Jesus, called Yeshu in the text. There is no definitive version of the Toledot Yeshu. Instead, many versions exist scattered across its numerous manuscripts throughout medieval Europe and the Middle East. Historians did not seriously study the Toledot Yeshu until the early 21st century, when its value in understanding Late Antique and medieval Jewish perspectives about Jesus and Christianity was realized. The Toledot both reflects the polemical and defensive context of many historical Jewish communities under Christian rule, as well as a source that fuelled Christian hostility towards Judaism. The story likely originated in Mesopotamian Babylonia, in the same milieu as the Babylonian Talmud, with which it shares several of its polemics against Jesus.

In the Toledot Yeshu, Jesus is portrayed as an illegitimate child conceived from an adulterous rape. As a child, he is a troublemaker who stirs tension in the rabbinic study house. In his adulthood, he is depicted as a sorcerer who taught a heretical Judaism, seduced women, was defeated by Judas, and died a shameful death . His tomb was robbed by a gardener, who hid the corpse in a drainage ditch, leading his followers to mistakenly believe that he has risen from the dead. The Toledot accepts many miracles of Jesus (such as creating birds from clay, resurrecting the dead, and healing the blind), but attributes the ability of Jesus to do this as being because of his magical prowess and sorcery instead of his divinity. According to Encyclopaedia Judaica, "The narrative in all versions [of the Toledot] treats Jesus as an exceptional person who, from his youth, demonstrated unusual wit and wisdom, but disrespect toward his elders and the sages of his age."

Many different titles/names appear in manuscripts of the Toledot Yeshu. Only Group I manuscripts consistently preserve the beginning of the text, and in these, a different name appears in every manuscript. These names include:

Group II manuscripts have more consistent names. They all have a common core: Maʿaseh-Yeshu (ben Pandera ha-Notsri). Different parts of the Group II manuscript tradition add different curses to the core name. In Late Yemenite manuscripts, the curse "may the name of the wicked rot" (from Proverbs 10:7) is added. In Late Oriental manuscripts from Bukhara, the curse "Story of Yeshu the Cursed (Maʿaseh Yeshu ha-ʾArur), may his name and his memory be erased" is added. Italian manuscripts possess a few variations, such as "Story of That One and his Son (Maʿaseh de-ʾoto we-ʾet beno)". With a few exceptions, Group III manuscripts consistently use the title Toledot Yeshu (ha-Notsri).

The Toledot Yeshu offers a satirical and critical narrative of the life of Jesus, portraying him as an illegitimate child and false messiah who uses magic to deceive people in a manner that discredits Christian claims about the divinity of Christ. The Toledot narrates Jesus' rise and fall, the refutation of his divinity, and a strategic schism that takes place between Judaism and Christianity after his death. While several versions of the story exist, the following summary is based on the Strasbourg manuscript, which possesses a comprehensive account from Jesus' birth until his death as well as what happened to his movement after his death. It is also one of the best known versions of the story.

The story begins with the birth of Jesus. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a pious Jewish women who is engaged to a man named John from the house of David. However, she is raped by her neighbor Joseph ben Pantera on a Sabbath eve while menstruating, a period of time where physical contact is prohibited by Jewish law. This incident results in Mary's conception of Jesus. When the truth emerges from Mary's pregnancy, John denounces Mary and flees to Babylonia to preserve his reputation. When Jesus is born, he is called a "bastard" (mamzer) and the "son of a menstruating woman" (ben niddah), titles that reflect the Jewish community's exclusion of him. As he grows up, Jesus excels in his studies. At the same time, he is portrayed as disrespecting his teachers, passing by them with his head uncovered, and he defies the customs of the rabbis. This results in a formal inquiry about him where Mary ends up confessing that the true father of Jesus is Joseph. For this, Jesus is sentenced to death. To escape execution, he flees to Jerusalem.

It is there that an episode takes place that results in him learning the ineffable name of God from the foundation stone of the Great Temple. Upon learning this name, he gains the magical ability to perform miracles, including raising the dead, healing lepers, and turning clay into living birds. He claims to be the Messiah and gains followers. Soon enough, he is arrested by the Jews and brought before Queen Helena (possibly Queen Helena of Adiabene or a conflated figure) on the accusation of sorcery. Jesus defends himself by performing miracles that impress Helena, but his accusers persist. Judas Iscariot, having also learned the ineffable name, challenges Jesus to a flying contest. Judas realizes, during the contest, that neither one of them will win unless one loses access to the powers granted by the use of the divine name. Judas reasons that if he can defile Jesus, then the divine name's powers will no longer work for him. His reasoning proves correct: after he urinates on Jesus, Jesus loses his powers and falls to the ground. According to the narrative, this event demonstrates to the audience that he is a charlatan, which results in him being arrested. The authorities call for his death, and Helena places his fate in the hands of the Jewish sages. They send him to the city of Tiberias and tie him to an ark. However, in one episode, his followers intervene and begin throwing stones at the sages. This creates a diversion that allows them to take Jesus and escape.

Later, on Passover Eve, Jesus returns to Jerusalem with his followers, riding on a donkey. They enter into a study house, but here Jesus is betrayed by someone named Geisa. This time, he is arrested and promptly killed. The authorities try to hang his corpse on a tree, but the tree refuses, because of his previous use of the divine name. Eventually, he is hung on a cabbage stalk, and finally buried. Later, the followers of Jesus visit his burial site but discover an empty tomb: this brings them to the belief that Jesus has risen from the dead, which they proclaim all over the streets, including to Queen Helena. Helena demands an explanation from the sages, who begin to panic. However, a certain rabbi bumps into a gardener who had stolen the body of Jesus. The rabbi shares the news, and the body of Jesus is dragged through the streets of Jerusalem all the way to Queen Helena, a defiling act that definitively disproves the claim that he was the Messiah or resurrected.