Gamaliel the Elder (/ɡəˈmeɪliəl,-ˈmɑː-,ˌɡæməˈliːəl/;^[1] also spelledGamliel;Hebrew:רַבַּן גַּמְלִיאֵל הַזָּקֵןRabban Gamlīʾēl hazZāqēn;Koinē Greek:Γαμαλιὴλ ὁ ΠρεσβύτεροςGamaliēl ho Presbýteros), orRabban Gamaliel I, was a leading authority in theSanhedrin in the early first century CE. He was the son ofSimeon ben Hillel and grandson of the great Jewish teacherHillel the Elder. He fatheredSimeon ben Gamliel, who was named for Gamaliel's father,^[2] and a daughter, who married a priest named Simon ben Nathanael.^[3]

In the Christian tradition, Gamaliel is recognized as aPharisaic doctor^{[further explanation needed]} ofJewish Law.^[4] Gamaliel was named as a member of the Sanhedrin in thefifth chapter ofActs and the teacher ofPaul the Apostle inActs 22:3.^[5] Gamalielencouraged his fellow Pharisees to show leniency to theapostles of Jesus inActs 5:34.^[6]

In theTalmud, Gamaliel is described as bearing the titlesNasi(Hebrew: נָשִׂיאNāśīʾ "prince") andRabban ("our master") as the president of the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem; it is not doubted that he held a senior position in the highest court in Jerusalem.^[2] Gamaliel holds a reputation in theMishnah for being one of the greatest teachers in all the annals of Judaism: "Since Rabban Gamaliel the Elder died, there has been no more reverence for the law, and purity and piety died out at the same time".^[7]

Gamaliel's authority on questions of religious law is suggested by two Mishnaic anecdotes in which "the king and queen" ask for his advice about rituals.^[8] The identity of the king and queen in question is not given, but is generally thought to either beHerod Agrippa and his wifeCypros theNabataean, orHerod Agrippa II and his sisterBerenice.^[2][9]

Asrabbinic literature always contrasts the school ofHillel the Elder to that ofShammai and only presents the collective opinions of each of these opposing schools of thought without mentioning the individual nuances and views of the rabbis within them, these texts do not portray Gamaliel as being knowledgeable about the Jewish scriptures, nor do they describe him as a teacher.^[2] For this reason, Gamaliel is not listed as part of the chain of individuals who perpetuated the Mishnaic tradition.^[10] Instead, the chain is listed as passing directly from Hillel toYohanan ben Zakkai.

Nevertheless, the Mishnah mentions Gamaliel's authorship of a few laws about community welfare and conjugal rights. He argued that the law should protect women during divorce and that, for the purpose of remarriage, a single witness was sufficient evidence for the death of a husband.^[11]

Various pieces of classical rabbinic literature additionally mention that Gamaliel sent out threeepistles, designed as notifications of new religious rulings, and which portray Gamaliel as the head of the Jewish body for religious law.^[12] Two of these three were sent, respectively, to the inhabitants ofGalilee and "the Darom" (southern Judea), and were on the subject of thefirst tithe. The third epistle was sent to theJews of the diaspora and argued for the introduction of anintercalary month.

Since the Hillelian school of thought is presented collectively, very few other teachings are clearly identifiable as Gamaliel's. There is only a cryptic dictum comparing his students to classes of fish:

Aritually impure fish: one who has memorized everything by study, but has no understanding, and is the son of poor parents

A ritually pure fish: one who has learnt and understood everything, and is the son of rich parents

A fish from theJordan River: one who has learnt everything, but doesn't know how to respond

A fish from theMediterranean Sea: one who has learnt everything, and knows how to respond

In some manuscripts ofDunash ibn Tamim's tenth-century Hebrew commentary on theSefer Yetzirah, the author identifies Gamaliel with the physicianGalen. He claims to have seen an Arabic medical work translated from Hebrew entitledThe Book of Gamaliel the Prince (Nasi), called Galenos among the Greeks.^[13] However, since Galen lived in the second century and Gamaliel died during the mid-first century, this is unlikely.

InPirkei Avot, Gamaliel is credited as saying:

Make a teacher for yourself and remove yourself from doubt; and do not give excess tithes by estimating.^[14][15]

TheActs of the Apostles introduces Gamaliel as aPharisee and celebrated doctor of theMosaic Law inActs 5:34–40. In the larger context (vs.17–42),Peter and the otherapostles are described as being prosecuted before the Sanhedrin for continuing to preach thegospel despite the Jewish authorities having previously prohibited it. The passage describes Gamaliel as presenting an argument against executing the apostles, reminding them about the previous revolts ofTheudas andJudas of Galilee, which had collapsed quickly after the deaths of those individuals. Gamaliel's advice was accepted after his concluding argument:

And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

— Acts 5:38–39

The Book of Acts later goes on to describePaul the Apostle recounting that though "born in Tarsus", he was brought up in Jerusalem "at the feet of Gamaliel,[and] taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers" (Acts 22:3). No details are given about which teachings Paul adopted from Gamaliel, as it is assumed that as a Pharisee, Paul was already recognized in the community at that time as a devout Jew. Also, how much Gamaliel influenced aspects of Christianity is unmentioned. However, there is no other record of Gamaliel ever having taught in public,^[2] but the Talmud does describe Gamaliel as teaching a student who displayed "impudence in learning", which a few scholars identify as a possible reference to Paul.^{[16][citation needed]} The relationship ofPaul the Apostle and Judaism continues to be the subject of scholarly debate.Helmut Koester, Professor of Divinity and Ecclesiastical History atHarvard University, questions if Paul studied under Gamaliel at all, arguing that there is a marked contrast in the tolerance that Gamaliel is said to have expressed toward Christianity with the"murderous rage" against Christians that Paul is described as having before his conversion (Acts 8:1–3).^{[citation needed]} However,Richard Bauckham, a scholar atRidley Hall atCambridge, argues that Paul was indeed connected to Gamaliel.^[17]

The "Gospel of Gamaliel" is a hypothetical book speculated to exist by some scholars, perhaps a part ofPilate apocrypha. While no ancient sources directly refer to such a gospel,Paulin Ladeuze andCarl Anton Baumstark first proposed that such a book existed in 1906. Scholars who believe such a book once existed have reconstructed it from a homily, the "Lament of Mary" (Laha Maryam) by a bishop named Cyriacus. They believeLaha Maryam extensively quotes the Gospel of Gamaliel; the Lament includes a section that leads with "I, Gamaliel", which caused speculation that these sections were actually quoting an existing gospel. Other scholars believe such inference that the author was "plagiarizing" a lost gospel is unwarranted, and these sections are simply written by Cyriacus from the perspective of Gamaliel.^[18]

Reasonably complete manuscripts ofLaha Maryam exist in bothGe'ez andGarshuni versions. Regardless of whetherLaha Maryam is quoting a lost gospel, Gamaliel does feature in it. He witnesses a miracle of healing in raising a dead man atJesus's tomb; Jesus's abandoned grave cloths have miraculous powers. Gamaliel also talks withPontius Pilate, who is portrayed highly positively as a Christian himself.^[19]

Ecclesiastical tradition claims that Gamaliel had embraced theChristian faith, and his tolerant attitude towardearly Christians is explained by this. According toPhotios I of Constantinople, he was baptised bySaint Peter andJohn the Apostle, together with his sonAbibon (Abibo,Abibas, Abibus) andNicodemus.^[20] TheClementine Literature suggested that he maintained secrecy about the conversion and continued to be a member of the Sanhedrin to assist his fellow Christians covertly.^[21] Some scholars consider the traditions to be spurious,^[22] and the passage in which Gamaliel is mentioned does not state that he became a Christian either implicitly or explicitly.

TheEastern Orthodox Church venerates Gamaliel as a saint, and he is commemorated on August 2,^[23][24] the date whentradition holds that hisrelics were found, along with those ofStephen theProtomartyr,Abibon (Gamaliel's son), andNicodemus. The traditional liturgical calendar of theCatholic Church celebrates the same feast day of the finding of the relics on August 3. It is said that in the fifth century, his body had been discovered and taken toPisa Cathedral by a miracle.^[25]

Gamaliel is referred to in the 15th-centuryCatalan document,Acts of Llàtzer.^[26]

• List of biblical figures identified in extra-biblical sources
• Gamaliel Foundation
• Gamaliel's principle
• Beit Jimal
• Split of Christianity and Judaism

  Media related toGamaliel at Wikimedia Commons

• The Jewish Encyclopedia on Gamaliel I
• Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911)."Gamaliel s.v. Gamaliel I." .Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 11 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 434.
• Perspectives on Transformational Leadership in the Sanhedrin of Ancient Judaism