by hadassah | Nov 26, 2025 | The Rabbis
Josephus, Life 191-8- Simeon ben Gamliel I In the course of relating his role in the Great Revolt against Rome (66–73 C.E.), Josephus refers to Simeon ben Gamliel (I) who was the son of the Gamliel mentioned in the New Testament. Simeon (Simon) was a leading...
by hadassah | Nov 26, 2025 | The Rabbis
Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 30b-31a- The Patience of Hillel The Babylonian Talmud preserves a group of stories that circulated in the amoraic period (after 200 C.E.) in Babylonia. These stories contrast Hillel with his colleague Shammai. The stories picture...
by hadassah | Nov 26, 2025 | The Rabbis
Sifre Deuteronomy 113- Hillel as Legislator Hillel, the first century B.C.E. sage, enacted the prozbul, a legislative decree, in order to encourage people to make loans to one another even though there was an upcoming sabbatical year. In the sabbatical year,...
by hadassah | Nov 26, 2025 | The Rabbis
Jerusalem Talmud Pesahim 6:1 (33a): Another Version of Hillel’s Rise to Power The Jerusalem Talmud presents an alternative version of this same story, the rise of Hillel to Pharisaic-Rabbinic leadership. Here also, no amount of logic was acceptable....
by hadassah | Nov 26, 2025 | The Rabbis
Tosefta Pesahim 4-13- Hillel’s Rise to Power Rabbinic literature preserves several versions of the narrative of Hillel’s rise to power as leader of the Pharisaic-Rabbinic sages ca. 30 B.C.E. According to this account, Hillel’s attempt to prove his views...
by hadassah | Nov 26, 2025 | The Rabbis
Josephus, XV, 2-3, 368-70- Sameas and Pollio Josephus provides a brief report about Sameas and Pollio, two Pharisaic leaders. Most scholars see them as identical to Shemaiah and Abtalion mentioned in the Mishnah as teachers of Hillel and Shammai. (2) …...
