With this publication, he reached the summit of his audacity, claiming to be of pure Sephardi descent (Sephardi tahor) from the well-known Algazi family and a native of Smyrna. He asserted that he was assisted in the acquisition of the manuscript by his brother, Elijah Algazi, and a business associate of the latter, both citizens of Smyrna. Some of the leading scholars of this period, such as Solomon Buber, Solomon Shechter, and R. Shalom Mordecai Schwadron of Brzezany accepted his story. However, the majority of scholars gave no credence to his tales, and R. B. Ritter of Rotterdam conclusively proved the fallaciousness of Friedlaender's claims. On the basis of internal evidence, R. Ritter showed that the text was an overt forgery. R. Ritter's conclusions were supported by many experts, including R. V. Aptowitzer, R. W. Bacher, R. D. B. Ratner and R. Meir Dan Plotzki. The controversy continued for the next few years, and as late as 1913, Friedlaender still published booklets on this issue.

Added title page: Der Jerusalemische Talmud... versehen von Rabbiner Dr. Salamon Friedlaender... Jevomath. השער בצבעים. עם שני פירושים: "פירוש" ו"תוספות". על הגהותיו כותב המחבר בהקדמה: "קבצתי... עשרים וששה ספרי ירושלמי... מעוטרים בהגהות גאונים מפורסמים רובם ספרדים עלי גליון, והגהתי על פיהם".