Simeon ben Gamliel (I) ( or רשב"ג הראשון; c. 10 BCE – 70 CE) was a '' Tanna'' (sage) and leader of the

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

ish people. He served as

nasi Nasi may refer to: Food Dishes Nasi Goreng is an Indonesian and Malay word for ''cooked rice'', featured in many Southeast Asian dishes *Nasi goreng, a popular rice dish often simply called ''nasi'' *Other Southeast Asian ''nasi'' dishes: ** Nasi ...

of the Great Sanhedrin at Jerusalem during the outbreak of the

First Jewish–Roman War The First Jewish–Roman War (66–74 CE), also known as the Great Jewish Revolt, the First Jewish Revolt, the War of Destruction, or the Jewish War, was the first of three major Jewish rebellions against the Roman Empire. Fought in the prov ...

, succeeding his father in the same office after his father's death in 50 CE and just before the

destruction of the Second Temple The siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE was the decisive event of the First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE), a major rebellion against Roman rule in the province of Judaea. Led by Titus, Roman forces besieged the Jewish capital, which had become ...

Family

Rabban Shimon was the great-grandson of

Hillel the Elder Hillel ( ''Hīllēl''; variously called Hillel the Elder or Hillel the Babylonian; died c. 10 CE) was a Jewish religious leader, Sage (philosophy), sage and scholar associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud and the founder of ...

. He succeeded his father, Rabban Gamliel the Elder, as the Nasi (President) of the

Sanhedrin The Sanhedrin (Hebrew and Middle Aramaic , a loanword from , 'assembly,' 'sitting together,' hence ' assembly' or 'council') was a Jewish legislative and judicial assembly of either 23 or 70 elders, existing at both a local and central level i ...

. His son was Rabban Gamliel of Yavneh. His daughter,

Imma Shalom Ima Shalom (1st century CE) is one of the few women who are named and quoted in the Talmud. She was the wife of Eliezer ben Hurcanus, a prominent Mishnaic sage, and the sister of Rabban Gamaliel II of Yavneh, the first person to lead the Sanhedrin ...

, married Rabbi

Eliezer ben Hurcanus Eliezer ben Hurcanus (or Hyrcanus) () was one of the most prominent Judean ''tannaitic'' Sages of 1st- and 2nd-century Judaism, a disciple of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai, Avot of Rabbi Natan 14:5 and a colleague of Gamaliel II (whose sister, ...

, one of the greatest students of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai (Babylonian Talmud,

Bava Metzia Bava Metzia (, "The Middle Gate") is the second of the first three Talmudic tractates in the order of Nezikin ("Damages"), the other two being Bava Kamma and Bava Batra. Originally all three formed a single tractate called ''Nezikin'' (torts or ...

59b). His name, ''Shimon'', was the same as that of his grandfather, Shimon ben Hillel, and his grandson,

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel Simeon ben Gamliel (I) ( or רשב"ג הראשון; c. 10 BCE – 70 CE) was a '' Tanna'' (sage) and leader of the Jewish people. He served as nasi of the Great Sanhedrin at Jerusalem during the outbreak of the First Jewish–Roman War, succe ...

(the second). In rabbinic literature, he is referred to as "Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel the Elder" or "Rashbag the Martyr" to distinguish him from his grandson. However, at times he appears simply as "Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel," which creates confusion in distinguishing him from his grandson.

Life

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel was born in Jerusalem during the Second Temple period. He was appointed as

Nasi Nasi may refer to: Food Dishes Nasi Goreng is an Indonesian and Malay word for ''cooked rice'', featured in many Southeast Asian dishes *Nasi goreng, a popular rice dish often simply called ''nasi'' *Other Southeast Asian ''nasi'' dishes: ** Nasi ...

about 18 years before the

and was the last Nasi during the Temple era. The

Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

(Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 15a) quotes a

Baraita ''Baraita'' ( "external" or "outside"; pl. ''bārayāṯā'' or in Hebrew ''baraitot''; also baraitha, beraita; Ashkenazi pronunciation: berayse) designates a tradition in the Oral Torah of Rabbinical Judaism that is not incorporated in the Mi ...

: During his time, the

was located in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

, but not in its traditional place, the

Chamber of Hewn Stone The Hall of Hewn Stones (), also known as the Chamber of Hewn Stone, was the meeting place, or council-chamber, of the Sanhedrin during the Second Temple period (6th century BCE – 1st century CE). The Talmud deduces that it was built into the no ...

, rather in the first exile of the Sanhedrin – shops on the

Temple Mount The Temple Mount (), also known as the Noble Sanctuary (Arabic: الحرم الشريف, 'Haram al-Sharif'), and sometimes as Jerusalem's holy esplanade, is a hill in the Old City of Jerusalem, Old City of Jerusalem that has been venerated as a ...

, where the Sanhedrin had moved during the days of his father.

Josephus Flavius Josephus (; , ; ), born Yosef ben Mattityahu (), was a Roman–Jewish historian and military leader. Best known for writing '' The Jewish War'', he was born in Jerusalem—then part of the Roman province of Judea—to a father of pr ...

describes him in his

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...

During the Great Revolt

During his presidency, the Great Revolt against the Romans took place. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel was part of the moderate camp, alongside Rabban

Yochanan ben Zakkai Yohanan ben Zakkai (; 1st century CE), sometimes abbreviated as for Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai, was a tanna, an important Jewish sage during the late Second Temple period during the transformative post-destruction era. He was a primary cont ...

, and was close to the moderate revolutionary government that was established at the beginning of the revolt. According to Josephus, Rabban Shimon supported the revolt, despite being in the moderate camp: Josephus writes praise for Shimon, but immediately afterward, he recounts that Shimon sought his removal from the position of military governor of

Galilee Galilee (; ; ; ) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon consisting of two parts: the Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and the Lower Galilee (, ; , ). ''Galilee'' encompasses the area north of the Mount Carmel-Mount Gilboa ridge and ...

, appointed by the revolutionary government. According to Josephus, he and Shimon had disagreements. Shimon was a friend of

John of Gischala John of Gischala (, ; , 70) was a leader of the First Jewish-Roman War, first Jewish revolt against the Romans. History During the Jewish war with Rome, John of Gischala (), son of Levi (), vied with Josephus over the control of Galilee and ama ...

, Josephus’ rival, and Shimon agreed to John’s request to persuade the high priests

Ananus ben Ananus Ananus ben Ananus (Hebrew: ''Hanan ben Hanan''; Greek: ''Ananos son of Ananos''; or ; d. 68 CE) was a Herodian-era High Priest of Israel in Jerusalem, Judea Province. He was the High Priest who ordered the execution by stoning of James, ...

and Joshua ben Gamla and others to dismiss Josephus. However, Ananus decided not to rush without evidence. Josephus claims that Shimon did not give up on his efforts and accuses him of a conspiracy: Shimon instructed John's brother to send gifts to Ananus and his faction to change their minds, and they decided to send envoys to Galilee to dismiss Josephus without the government’s knowledge. According to Josephus, this action caused great anger in Jerusalem toward Shimon and Ananus. The moderate revolutionary government did not last long and was overthrown by the

Zealots The Zealots were members of a Jewish political movements, Jewish political movement during the Second Temple period who sought to incite the people of Judaea (Roman province), Judaea to rebel against the Roman Empire and expel it from the Land ...

. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel was killed during the revolt, as mentioned in the writings of the Geonim:

His execution

According to tradition, Shmuel HaKatan prophesied Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel's death at the time of his own passing, saying: In translation, as explained by

Rashi Shlomo Yitzchaki (; ; ; 13 July 1105) was a French rabbi who authored comprehensive commentaries on the Talmud and Hebrew Bible. He is commonly known by the List of rabbis known by acronyms, Rabbinic acronym Rashi (). Born in Troyes, Rashi stud ...

, this refers to Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel and Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha the

Kohen Gadol In Judaism, the High Priest of Israel (, lit. ‘great priest’; Aramaic: ''Kahana Rabba'') was the head of the Israelite priesthood. He played a unique role in the worship conducted in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple in Jerusalem, ...

being killed by the sword, with their fellow rabbis executed by other methods, and great calamities befalling the Jewish people. Rabban Shimon is counted among the

Ten Martyrs The Ten Royal Martyrs ( ''ʿĂsereṯ Hārūgē Malḵūṯ'')were ten rabbis living during the era of the Mishnah who were martyred by the Roman Empire in the period after the destruction of the Second Temple. Their story is detailed in Midrash ...

who were executed by the Romans. According to tradition, he was executed along with Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha on the 25th of

Sivan ''Sivan'' (, from Akkadian ''simānu'', meaning "season; time") is the ninth month of the civil year and the third month of the religious year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a month of 30 days. ''Sivan'' usually falls in May–June on the Grego ...

, as recorded in the

Arba'ah Turim ''Arba'ah Turim'' (), often called simply the ''Tur'', is an important Halakha#Codes of Jewish law, Halakhic code composed by Yaakov ben Asher (Cologne, 1270 – Toledo, Spain c. 1340, also referred to as ''Ba'al Ha-Turim''). The four-part stru ...

(Orach Chaim, Siman 580). Rabbi Aharon Hyman suggests that Rabban Shimon may have been executed by the

due to his opposition to their radical methods, though this view lacks direct support from rabbinic sources. In the

Minor Tractates The minor tractates (, ''masechtot qetanot'') are essays from the Talmudic period or later dealing with topics about which no formal tractate exists in the Mishnah. They may thus be contrasted to the Tosefta, whose tractates parallel those of the ...

, it is recorded in Tractate Semachot (Chapter 8) that before their execution, one of them began to weep. His companion asked, In an earlier source, a similar story is recounted: The news of their deaths reached

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 Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira, who tore their garments and lamented: The Romans did not permit his son, Rabban Gamliel of Yavneh, to inherit his position and sought to kill him as well. Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai requested mercy on his behalf, and they agreed. After the execution of Rabban Shimon, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai assumed the role of Nasi for a few years, during which he enacted several decrees to uplift the people after the destruction of the Temple, moving the center of Jewish scholarship from

Yavneh Yavne () is a city in the Central District of Israel. In 2022, it had a population of 56,232. Modern Yavne was established in 1949. It is located near the ruins of the ancient town of Yibna (known also as Jamnia and Jabneh), later the village of ...

. He later passed the position on to Rabban Shimon's son, Rabban Gamliel of Yavneh.

Famous deeds and practices

Only a few teachings are attributed to Rabban Shimon, but part of his Torah is quoted as the teachings of the "

House of Hillel The House of Hillel (Beit Hillel) and House of Shammai (Beit Shammai) were, among Jewish scholars, two schools of thought during the period of tannaim, named after the sages Hillel and Shammai (of the last century BCE and the early 1st century ...

His Teachings in Pirkei Avot

The following teaching in

Pirkei Avot Pirkei Avot (; also transliterated as ''Pirqei Avoth'' or ''Pirkei Avos'' or ''Pirke Aboth'', also ''Abhoth''), which translates into English as Chapters of the Fathers, is a compilation of the ethical teachings and maxims from Rabbinic Jewis ...

is attributed to Rabban Shimon: This identification comes from the

Tosafot Yom Tov Rabbi Gershon Shaul Yom-Tov Lipmann ben Nathan ha-Levi Heller (c. 157919 August 1654), was a Bohemian rabbi and Talmudist, best known for writing a commentary on the Mishnah called the ''Tosefet Yom-Tov'' (1614–1617). Heller was one of the major ...

's commentary on this Mishnah, which emphasizes that this refers to the son of Rabban Gamliel the Elder, as opposed to

the second.

Joy of the Festival

Rabban Shimon's participation in the

Simchat Beit HaShoeva Simchat Beit Hashoevah or Simchas Beis Hashoeiva () is a special celebration held by Jews during the intermediate days of Sukkot. Origin When the Temple in Jerusalem stood, a unique service was performed every morning throughout the Sukkot ho ...

held in the

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

during

Sukkot Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths, is a Torah-commanded Jewish holiday celebrated for seven days, beginning on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. It is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals on which Israelite ...

is well known. The Talmud states:

Lowering the Price of Bird Offerings

One of Rabban Shimon's most famous actions was his decree regarding the prices of bird offerings. A "ken" (bird offering) consists of a pair of turtledoves or young pigeons, which were required as a sacrifice for a woman after childbirth, for a

leper Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria '' Mycobacterium leprae'' or '' Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve da ...

, and in other circumstances. The

Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; , from the verb ''šānā'', "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first written collection of the Jewish oral traditions that are known as the Oral Torah. Having been collected in the 3rd century CE, it is ...

(Keritot 1:7) recounts: This ruling was exceptional, as originally the woman would be obligated to bring offerings for all her births or discharges. However, Rabban Shimon leniently ruled in this case based on the principle of "It is time to act for the Lord, they have made void Thy law" (Psalms 119:126), to prevent those obligated to bring offerings from abstaining due to the high prices. The Mishnah concludes: "That day, the price of bird offerings dropped to a quarter of the original price," meaning they were reduced significantly, either to a quarter of a silver denar or to half of a silver denar, depending on the interpretation. This significant reduction in price made it affordable for the general population to bring their required sacrifices, thereby ensuring that individuals would fulfill their religious obligations without financial hardship.

Tomb

According to a later tradition, his tomb is located in

Kafr Kanna Kafr Kanna (, ''Kafr Kanā''; ) is an Arab town in the Galilee, part of the Northern District of Israel. It is associated by Christians with the New Testament village of Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine. In its population was . It ...

, in the

. During the October 2000 riots, the tomb was set on fire by Arab rioters.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simeon ben Gamliel 1st-century BCE Jews 1st-century rabbis 10s BC births 70 deaths Jewish martyrs Mishnah rabbis People executed by the Roman Empire People of the First Jewish–Roman War Pirkei Avot rabbis Sanhedrin Year of birth uncertain People from Roman Judea