Hanan the Egyptian (, translit: ''Hanan ha-Mitzri'') was a

rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

of the 2nd century (third generation of

tannaim ''Tannaim'' ( Amoraic Hebrew: תנאים "repeaters", "teachers", singular ''tanna'' , borrowed from Aramaic) were the rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishnah, from approximately 10–220 CE. The period of the Tannaim, also refe ...

) who first lived at

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

. He later moved to

Judaea Judea or Judaea (; ; , ; ) is a mountainous region of the Levant. Traditionally dominated by the city of Jerusalem, it is now part of Palestine and Israel. The name's usage is historic, having been used in antiquity and still into the prese ...

and was active among the scholars of Jabneh. He was a disciple of

Rabbi Akiva Akiva ben Joseph (Mishnaic Hebrew: ; – 28 September 135 CE), also known as Rabbi Akiva (), was a leading Jewish scholar and sage, a '' tanna'' of the latter part of the first century and the beginning of the second. Rabbi Akiva was a leadin ...

and is quoted among "those who argued before the sages." Only one law, relating to the Temple service on

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur ( ; , ) is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, corresponding to a date in late September or early October. For traditional Jewish people, it is primarily centered on atonement and ...

, is preserved in his name. Another sage bearing the same name, also known as Hanan ben Abishalom, presided as a civil court judge in Jerusalem during Temple times. He was active a few generations earlier. Several of his decisions have been preserved.Ketubot 13:1 et seq.

References

Hanan the Egyptian
''Jewish Encyclopedia''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hanan the Egyptian Talmud rabbis of Syria Palaestina 2nd-century rabbis Egyptian rabbis Jews of Roman Alexandria