Besides the elementary schools, which were chiefly intended for popular education, there w^ere, as already in- timated, also superior colleges, at first confined to Jeru- salem, under the management of the presidents and vice- presidents of the Sanhedrim, the Sopherini, or " scribes" and " doctors," as they are called in the New Test., and members of the Sanhedrim, who made it one of their principal objects to train young men destined to become the teachers and judges of Israel, and the bearers of " the traditions of the fathers" (Aboth, i, 1). Gradually thefee academies were midtiplied in the metropolis, and spread over all the countries where the Jews resided. Akbara, Lydda, Ushach, Sepphoris, Tiberias, Jabne, Nares, Nahar- dea, Machuza, Selki, Shakan-Zib (El-Sib), Pumbaditha, Sora, and Alexandria, in the process of time, became dis- tinguished for their seats of learning. The following are the presidents and vice-presidents of the colleges which were the depositories of the traditions of the fathers and the supreme arbiters in the sphere of morals and educa- tion, together with the most distinguished masters and disciples under each presidency, both in Palestine and Babylon, to the close of the Talmud, in their chronolog- ical order (more briefly summarized in part under Pum- baditha ; Sora ; etc.) :
TuE Tan AIM Epoch. v.o.
Simon the Just or Pious 300
Antigonus of Soho 200-170
J Jose ben-Joeser of Zereda, and
( Joseben-Jochanan of Jerusalem, the first pair, 170-140 1 ( Jehoshnnh ben-Perachja, and
" (Nalai of Arabela 140-110
(Simon ben-Shetach, their pnpil, and
" t Jehndah ben-Tabai 110-6.')
, fShemaja, and
"• t Abtalion 6&-30
Ilillel I, the Great, the Babylonian, in whose family the presidency became hereditary f(ir tifleen generations (a.i>. 10-415). llewas first with Menachem and then with Sliam- mai, who founded a separate school. . .n.o. 30-a.t). 10 The former was designated the school of Hil- lel, which had eighty disciples, called the eldevK of the hoiise of Hillel, among whom were Jonathan lien-Uziel the Targumist, Dossa ben-Hnrchinas, Jonathan his hroiher, and Jochanan hen-Zakkai ; while the latter was (lenoiuinnted the school of Shamviai, the itnmediate disciples or elilers of which were Baha ben-Buta, Dotal of Stoine, and Zadok, the oiigriiator of the Zealots. a.i>.
Simon l)oii-Hillel 1 10-30
G.mialiol I, beu-Simon I, called Ila-Zakeu t?te
elder, the teacher of the apostle Pan! 30-50
Simon 1 1, ben-Gamaliel 1 50-70
Jochanan ben-Zakkai, founder of the school of Jabne or Janinia CS-SO
SCHOOLS, HEBREW
433
SCHOOLS, HEBIIEW
Palestine.
A.D.
Gamnliel II, of Jabiie, ben-Simon II, and Eleazar ben - Azaiiah, who was for a little time presi- dent in the place of Gamaliel. Here are to be mentioned Eliezer ben-Hyrkamis, brother-in- law of Gamaliel, and founder of the school at Lydda, which continued the only seat of learn- ing in Southern Jiidtea for several centuries; Joshua ben-Chananja, who established a school at Bekiin, in the valley between Jabne and Lyd- da ; Isniael ben-Eliesa, the founder of the school known by the name Be-R. Ismael ; Aqnila, the translator of the Bible; R. Ilai.R. Chaliphta.Bar- Cochba, the false Messiah SO-llG
Simon II, beu-Gamaliel II, and R. Nathan, vice- president, author of the Mishna or Tosiphta which goes by his name, and of a commentary on A both. The distinguished men of this presi- dency are, R. Judah ben-Ilai,of Ushah : R. Jose ben-Chaliphta, of Sepphoris, author of the his- tory called 8eder Olam; R. Jochanan, of Alexan- dria; R. Siniou ben-Jochai, of Galilee, the re- puted originator of the Cabala and author of the far-famed Zohar 1-10-163
Jehudah I, the Holy, Ha-Nasi, ben-Simon III, ed- itor of the Mishna, and called Rabbi. His cele- brated disciples, who also became heads of schools, were called semi-Tanaim, and perfected their master's work, the Mishna. These were R. Janai, whose school was at Akbara; R. Chi- ja=Achi.ja; Ushaja the elder, suruamed "the lather of the Mishna ;" and Abba Areka, sur- named Kab, the founder of the school at Pum- badita 163-193
Gamaliel III, ben-Jehudah I, in whose presidency the college was transferred from Jabne to Tibe- rias 193-220
Babylon.
Nahardea, the centre of learning since the Baby- lonian exile, and the seat of the rector-general of all the Babylonian colleces. It was destroy- ed through the adventurer Papa beu-Nazar, in the year a.d. 259.
R. Chanina, nephew of R. Josuah, formed a col- lege in Nachor-Pacor, in the neighborhood of Nahardea, of which he became president; and R. Nechauja orAchija was vice-president 13S-140
R. Shila was the rector-general at Nahardea ; R. Nathan, the last Tana, and R. Chija were both educated here. Abba Areka, who also was a student here and afterwards went to Palestine to finish his studies under Jehndah I, brought with him on his first return to Babylon (a.d. 1S9) the complete Mishna of his master cir. 140-190
Samuel the astronomer, also called Mar-Samuel, Arioch, and Jarchini, succeeded R. Shila as rec- tor of the college at Nahardea 190-247
Tui: Amouaim Epocu.
Jehudah II, ben-Simon III, also called Rabbi, the teacher of Origen. The teachers of this period Avere, R. Chaninah, the most distinguished dis- ciple of Jehudah I, who founded a school at Sep- phoris ; R. Simlai, the celebrated Haggadist, who reduced the law of Moses to G13 command- ments ; R. Jose of Maou ; R. Chaggai, R. Jehu- dah beu-Nachmani, etc 220-2T0
Abba Areka, surnamed Rab, having returned to his native place a second time, founded a school at Sora, which maintained its celebrity for near- ly SCO years, and which attracted about 1200 stu- dents iu the lifetime of its founder. He was the president of it twenty-eight years 219-247