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) … Since Herod now had the government of all Judea in his hands, he promoted those men of the city as had been on his side when he was a commoner, but never stopped avenging and punishing every day those who had chosen to be on the side of his enemies. (3) But Pollio the Pharisee and Sameas, a disciple of his, were honored by him above all the rest, for when Jerusalem was besieged, they advised the citizens to receive Herod, for which advice they were well rewarded. (368) As for those who obstinately refused to acquiesce to his scheme of government, he persecuted them in every way. But for the rest of the population, he required that they take an oath of fidelity to him, and at the same time compelled them to swear that they would bear him good will in his management of the government. (369) Indeed, most of them, either out of fear of him, yielded to what he required of them, while some, according to their more open and generous disposition, and indignant at the force he used against them, he by one means or another got rid of them. (370) He endeavored also to persuade Pollio the Pharisee, Sameas, and most of their disciples to take the oath, but these would neither submit to do so nor were they punished together with the rest, out of the reverence he bore to Pollio.