| Rabbinical eras |
|---|
Abtalion (Hebrew:אַבְטַלְיוֹןʾAḇṭalyōn) orAvtalyon (Modern Hebrew) was arabbinic sage in the early pre-Mishnaic era. He was a leader of thePharisees during the 1st century BCE, and by tradition the vice-president of the greatSanhedrin ofJerusalem. He lived at the same time asSh'maya. They are known as one of thezugot ("couples"):Shmaya and Avtalyon. Abtalion lived approximately from 90 BCE - 20 BCE.
Abtalion and Shemaiah wereconverts to Judaism or the descendants of converts; by tradition they were descended from KingSennacherib ofAssyria.[1] Despite this, they were influential and beloved. TheTalmud relates that once, when the high priest was being escorted home from theTemple by the people, at the close of aDay of Atonement, the crowd deserted him upon the approach of Abtalion and Shemaiah and followed them.[2] However,Graetz has argued that neither Shemaiah nor Abtalion was ofGentile descent, although both wereAlexandrians.[3]
Little is known about Abtalion's life. He was a pupil ofJudah ben Tabbai andSimeon ben Shetach, and probably lived for some time inAlexandria, Egypt, where he and also his teacher Judah took refuge whenAlexander Jannaeus cruelly persecuted the Pharisees. This gives pertinence to hismaxim, "You wise men, be careful of your words, lest you draw upon yourselves the punishment of exile and be banished to a place of bad water (dangerous doctrine), and your disciples, who come after you, drink thereof and die, and the name of theHoly One thereby be profaned."[4] He cautions the rabbis herein against participation in politics (compare the maxim of his colleague) as well as against emigration to Egypt, whereGreek ideas threatenedJudaism.
Abtalion and Shemaiah are the first to bear the titledarshan,[5] and it was probably by no mere chance that their pupil Hillel was the first to lay downhermeneutic rules for the interpretation of theMidrash; he may have been indebted to his teachers for the tendency towardaggadic interpretation. These two scholars are the first whose sayings are recorded in theaggadah.[6] The new method ofderush (Biblical interpretation) introduced by Abtalion and Shemaiah seems to have evoked opposition among the Pharisees.[7] Abtalion and Shemaiah are also the first whosehalakhot (legal decisions) are handed down to later times. Among them is the important one that thepaschal lamb must be offered even ifPassover falls on aSabbath.[8] Abtalion's academy was not free to every one, but those who sought entrance paid daily a small admission fee of one and a halftropaïka; that is, about twelve cents.[9] This was no doubt to prevent overcrowding by the people, or for some reasons stated by the Shammaites.[10]
The traditional tombs of Shmaiah and Abtalion are located inJish, a village in theGalilee.[11][12]
Josephus twice refers to aPollion, who may be identical to Abtalion, along with aSameas (Koinē Greek:Σαμαίας) who may be identical to Shemaya. Linguistically, the original form of Pollion is presumably Ptollion, which explains both the prefixed A in theTalmud and the omission of the t in Josephus.
In the first source, Abtalion used his influence with the people in persuading the men of Jerusalem, in the year 37 BCE, to open the gates of their city toHerod the Great. Herod was not ungrateful, and rewarded Pollion and Pollion's student Sameas (Shemaiah) with great honors.[13] In the second source, Herod exacted the oath of allegiance under penalty of death, and continues: "He desired also to compel Pollion, the Pharisee, and Sameas, together with the many who followed them, to take this oath; they, however, refused to do this, but nevertheless were not punished as were others who had refused to take it, and this indeed out of consideration for Pollion."[14] This episode took place in the eighteenth year of Herod's reign (20 or 19 BCE).
Some modern scholars believe that both of these sources refer to Abtalyon and Shemaiah;[15][16] others, that the first source refers to Avtalyon and Shemaya and the second source toHillel (who became leader in 30 BCE according to the Talmud) andShammai;[17] still others, that both sources refer to Hillel and Shammai.[18] According to the latter opinions, Josephus was misled by the similarity of the names Shemaiah and Shammai, and so wrote "Pollion and Sameas" instead of "Hillel and Shammai."
| Preceded by | Av Beth Din | Succeeded by |
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Louis Ginzberg (1901–1906)."Abtalion, Pollion". InSinger, Isidore; et al. (eds.).The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. It has the following bibliography:
