The Rabbis Gamaliels, Descendants of Hillel, Presidents of the Sanhedrin and Judah Ha Nasi, All presidents f the Sanhedrin

 Nadene Goldfoot                                              

Hillel the Elder, or Hillel the Great;  of 1st Century BCE (70 BCE)  born in Babylonia. Talmudic authority; died in Jerusalem(10 CE) :   According to tradition,, he descended from King David through David's son, Shephatiah whose mother was Abital, David's 5th wife,(2 Samuel 3:4);  Debate partner with Shammai,, the last of the Zugot.  They lived during the times of King Herod's reign.  Shammai saw the dangers of Roman hegemony.  Shammai made rules to keep Jews from mixing with the heathen.  He was usually overruled by Hillel.  

First, one must know about the grandfather of the Gamaliel rabbis, Hillel the Elder of the 1st Century BCE.  He was a teacher, a rabbi who had his own school, The HOUSE of Hillel.  He was also the ancestor of a dynasty.   He was born in Babylonia but one who was able to go back and live in Palestine where he ultimately became the President of the Sanhedrin.  He was remembered for his humility and tendency toward leniency in his judgements.  Hillel laid down 7 rules for Biblical interpretation.  He was the author of the Golden Rule saying it in the negative:  "Do not do unto others that which you would not have them do unto you."  Today we have a Hillel House on many campuses for Jewish students. 

                                                                     

1. A grandson of Hillel was Gamaliel, the Elder.  of the early 1st century CE.  He was President of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem.  He corresponded with Jews from Judah and the Diaspora (outside of Eretz Yisrael).  He wrote up several regulations to improve the social conditions, including the betterment of the legal position of women.  Gamaliel the Elder, or Gamaliel I, was the leading Jewish teacher of his day in the first half of the first century C.E. He was the grandson of the great rabbi Hillel the Elder and a high authority in the Sanhedrin in the mid-first century.   His son, Shimon ben Gamaliel, was one of the leaders of the Jewish rebellion against Rome,   

Even though few of his actual teachings have been preserved, Gamaliel I held a reputation as one of the greatest teachers in the annals of Judaism. The Mishnah (Sotah 9:15) pays tribute to this quality, saying: "Since Rabban Gamaliel the Elder died, there has been no more reverence for the Torah, and purity and abstinence died out at the same time."  Gamaliel I died around 54 C.E. One of his most famous sayings is "Secure a teacher for thyself."

He is sympathetically mentioned in the New Testament as the teacher of Paul, who was born as Saul, who died bout 65 CE.  Saul was from Tarsus.  He was a Jews born in a Hellenistic city in Asia Minor, had some familiarity with Greek philosophy and had converted to Christianity.  His writings show little comprehension of Pharisaic Judaism of Gamaliel, the Elder.  His early zeal in persecuting early Christians  contrast with Gamaliel's tolerant attitude.  He was responsible for bringing in thousands of converts into Christianity who did not adopt Jewish loyalty or Jewish observance.  His thinking was dominated by the doctrine of ORIGINAL SIN. There is no clear reference to Paul in rabbinic literature, but many rabbinic utterances must be understood as answers to the Pauline doctrine.  

Gamaliel is known to the Christian world as the Pharisaic leader who saved the disciples from death in a story in the Book of Acts, in which he is quoted as saying, "If their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men." He is the only leader of the first century to be greatly honored in both the Jewish and the Christian traditions.

                                                                    

2. The 2nd Gamaliel was Rabban Gamaliel II,  a rabbi from the second generation of tannaim. He was the first person to lead the Sanhedrin as nasi after the fall of the Second Temple in 70 CE. He was the son of Shimon ben Gamaliel, one of Jerusalem's foremost men in the war against the Romans, and grandson of Gamaliel the 1st.  .Ben Simeon/Ben Shimon  or Javne of Gamaliel of Yavneh, born in late 1st or early 2nd century, and was the great grandfather of Johanan ha Sandalar of 2nd century Egypt who was, in turn, after 33 generations, the ancestor of RASHI (1040-1105 of France. Rashi is a famous biblical commentator, found in all our prayer books.  ( My genealogy also shows the connection to Rashi and then King David.)   Gamaliel II, was an even more famous Sanhedrin leader than Gamaliel I himself

Jabneh of Gamaliel was  President of Sanhedrin at Jabneh after the death of Jonathan ben Zakkai around 80 CE, grandson of Galaliel, the Elder.  He worked for the consolidation of the authority of Jabneh and endeavored to determine a uniform, clear halakhah,(law)  binding all sections of the Jewish people.  In matters in dispute  between the schools of Hillel and Shammai, he decided according to the former, Hillel.  His dictatorial attitude, that is, his harsh use of the ban against scholars who did not accept majority decisions, including his own brother-in-law, Eleazer ben Hyreanus of the year 100, (pupil of Johanan ben Zakkai and teacher of Rabbi Akiva, , reported to have had a phenomonal memory and to have followed his master's teachings,)  aroused the opposition of the older scholars, who deposed him, putting Eleazar ben Azariah (1st-2nd century) a descendant of Ezra, (a very modest man though very wealthy,   in his place. and was only 16 or 18 years old at the time of taking Galaliel's place.)  He went on a mission to Rome with Rabbi Gamaliel, Rabbi Joshua, and Rabbi Akiva.  He was an expert in the Scriptures, the Mishnah (legal codifiction containing the core of the Oral Law)which were compiled by Rabbi Judah Ha Nasi, halakah and especially of the aggadah/Haggadah, (that part of the Oral Law distinct from law incmbent on Jews in their everyday activities).   His halakhic teachings  were based on the principle, "The Torah is written in every day language."  Gamaliel was later reinstated."  He  was the head of many brilliant rabbis, quite a group of his peers.   

Gamaliel was one of the most important scholars of his generation, being responsible for the final version of the 18 Benedictions, the obligation of praying 3 times daily, etc.  He also represented  the Jews before the Emperor of Rome and succeeded in securing the abolition of several hostile decrees.  He conducted ideological  debates with Roman philosophers and early Christians.                                          

3. Gamaliel the 3rd was  of the 3rd century, also the President of the Sanhedrin.  Gamaliel III, (flourished 3rd century AD), eldest son of Judah ha-Nasi, and the renowned editor of the Mishna (the basic compilation of Jewish oral law). A direct descendant of the sage Hillel, Gamaliel became patriarch of the Jewish community in Palestine in approximately 220 CE and, consequently, head of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish legislative body of that time. Beyond the fact that Gamaliel helped complete the Mishna, almost nothing else is known about him. Three of his sayings were incorporated in Avot (“Fathers”), a treatise of the Mishna, and there are a few scattered references to him in other postbiblical literature.   Gamaliel the 3rd,   was a key leader of the Jewish community during the Roman occupation of Judea.                                                                        

He was the eldest son of Judah Ha Nasi or Judah, the head of the Sanhedrin.  The compilation of the Mishnah was finally conducted during his period of office.  Judah ha-Nasi or Judah I, was a second-century rabbi and chief redactor and editor of the Mishnah. He lived from approximately 135 to 217 CE. The title nasi was used for presidents of the Sanhedrin He was the first nasi to have this title added permanently to his name; in traditional literature he is usually called "Rabbi Yehuda ha-Nasi." Often though (and always in the Mishnah), he is simply called "Rabbi" (רבי‎), the master par excellence. He is occasionally called "Rabbenu" (= "our master"). He is also called "Rabbenu HaQadosh" (רבנו הקדוש‎, "our holy Master") due to his deep piety.

Judah the Prince was born in 135 CE to Simeon ben Gamliel II. According to the Talmud he was of the Davidic line. He is said to have been born on the same day that Rabbi Akiva (50-135 CE) died as a martyr. The Romans had prohibited the study of the Law, and so he ignored the Roman decree publicly. For that he was arrested as a rebel and put in prison, then executed at Caesarea.     Rabbi Akiva was considered  to be the greatest scholar of his time.   The Talmud suggests that this was a result of Divine Providence: God had granted the Jewish people another leader of great stature to succeed Rabbi Akiva. His place of birth is unknown.

Judah spent his youth in the city of Usha. His father presumably gave him the same education that he himself had received, including the Greek language. This knowledge of Greek enabled him to become the Jews' intermediary with the Roman authorities. He favored Greek as the language of the country over Jewish Palestinian Aramaic. In Judah's house, only the Hebrew language was spoken, and the maids of the house became known for their use of obscure Hebrew terminology.

Judah devoted himself to the study of the oral and the written law. He studied under some of Rabbi ' Akiva's most eminent students. As their student and through converse with other prominent men who gathered about his father, he laid a strong foundation of scholarship for his life's work: the editing of the Mishnah.

                                                                         

                                                  Cave of Judah ha Nasi

Various stories are told about Judah ha Nasi, the father of Gameliel, illustrating different aspects of his character.

It is said that once he saw a calf being led to the slaughtering-block, which looked at him with tearful eyes, as if seeking protection. He said to it: "Go; for you were created for this purpose!" Due to this unkind attitude toward the suffering animal, he was punished with years of illness. Later, when his daughter was about to kill a small animal which was in her way, he said to her: "Let it live, for it is written: '[God's] tender mercies are over all his works'." After this demonstration of compassion, his illness ceased. Judah also once said, "One who is ignorant of the Torah should not eat meat." The prayer he prescribed upon eating meat or eggs also indicates an appreciation of animal life: "Blessed be the Lord who has created many souls, in order to support by them the soul of every living being."

Judah was easily moved to tears. He exclaimed, sobbing, in reference to three different stories of martyrs whose deaths made them worthy of future life: "One man earns his world in an hour, while another requires many years". He began to weep when Elisha ben Abuyah's daughters, who were soliciting alms, reminded him of their father's learning. In a legend relating to his meeting with Pinchas ben Yair, he is described as tearfully admiring the pious Pinchas' unswerving steadfastness, protected by a higher power. He was frequently interrupted by tears when explaining Lamentations 2:2 and illustrating the passage by stories of the destruction of Jerusalem and of the Temple. While explaining certain passages of Scripture, he was reminded of divine judgment and of the uncertainty of acquittal, and began to cry. Hiyya found him weeping during his last illness because death was about to deprive him of the opportunity of studying the Torah and of fulfilling the commandments.

Once, when at a meal his students expressed their preference for soft tongue, he made this an opportunity to say, "May your tongues be soft in your mutual intercourse" (i.e., "Speak gently without disputing").

Before he died, Judah said: "I need my sons! ... Let the lamp continue to burn in its usual place; let the table be set in its usual place; let the bed be made in its usual place."

"The first intervention of Rome in the region dates from 63 BCE, following the end of the Third Mithridatic War, when Rome established the province of Syria. After the defeat of Mithridates VI of Pontus, Pompey sacked Jerusalem and installed Hasmonean prince Hyrcanus II as Ethnarch and High Priest but not as king. That must have been the start of Roman Occupation.   "Some years later Julius Caesar appointed Antipater the Idumaean, also known as Antipas, as the first Roman Procurator. Antipater's son Herod was designated "King of the Jews" by the Roman Senate in 40 BCE but he did not gain military control until 37 BCE. During his reign the last representatives of the Hasmoneans were eliminated, and the huge port of Caesarea Maritima was built."

"Judea was under Roman Occupation.  In 6 CE Archelaus' tetrachy (Judea, plus Samaria and Idumea) came under direct Roman administration. The Judean province did not initially include Galilee, Gaulanitis (today's Golan), nor Peraea or the Decapolis. Its revenue was of little importance to the Roman treasury, but it controlled the land and coastal sea routes to the "bread basket" of Egypt and was a buffer against the Parthian Empire. The capital was at Caesarea Maritima,not Jerusalem. Quirinius became Legate (Governor) of Syria and conducted the first Roman tax census of Syria and Judea, which was opposed by the Zealots. Judea was not a senatorial province, nor an imperial province, but instead was a "satellite of Syria" governed by a prefect who was a knight of the Equestrian Order (as was that of Roman Egypt), not a former consul or praetor of senatorial rank."

"Still, Jews living in the province maintained some form of independence and could judge offenders by their own laws, including capital offenses, until c. 28 CE. Judea in the early Roman period was divided into five administrative districts with centers in Jerusalem, Gadara, Amathus, Jericho, and Sepphoris.

Old Roman era gate, Bab al-'Amud, in Jerusalem's Old City

The 'Crisis under Caligula' (37–41) has been proposed as the first open break between Rome and the Jews."

Resource:

The new Standard Jewish Encyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamaliel_II

Finding Our Fathers-a guidebook to Jewish genealogy by Dan Rottenberg

Geni. com  https://www.geni.com/people/Rabban-Gamliel-II-Ben-Shimon-II-of-Yavne-President-of-the-Sanhedrin/6000000000961703974

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judah_ha-Nasi   a long article

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gamaliel-III

https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Gamaliel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judea_(Roman_province)

Edit: 6/27/21 7:18am:  Abital