17. A well-informed citizen of .Jerusalem who per- suaded the people to exclude Agrippa from the Temjjle, but was pardoned for the offence on his confession (Jo- sephus, Ant. xix, 7, 4). A.D. 38.
18. Son of Saul, and a distinguished Jew who slew many of the inhabitants of Scythopolis, and finally killed himself, with his entire family (Josephus, War, ii, 18, 4). A.I), til).
19. Son of (iioras of Gerasa, and a prominent leader of the Jews in their last struggle with the Romans, ac- cording to Josephus, who relates at length some of his exploits against Cestius (iallus {War, ii, 19, 2), his in- trigues at Massada, his campaigns in Acrabbattine and
Idumrea (^ihid. iv, 9, 3 sq. ), and his final capture and execution by the llomans (ibid, vii, 2, 1 : 5, (J). A.D. 70. 20. Son of Cathlas and one of the Idumican generals who came at the invitation of the Zealots during the intestine broils at the final siege of Jerusalem. Jo- sephus recites a speech of his on the occasion ( War, iv, 4, 4.) A.D. 70.
Simon, a name common to a number of Jewish rab- bins and literati, of whom w^c mention the following:
1. SiMdN Dl'i;an. See Kashbaz.
2. Simon i5en-(;a>iai.iel I, A.D. cir. 50-70, succeed- ed his father Gamaliel (q. v.). The authentic notices of him are very few. We get a glimpse or two of him in the storm which was then so fiercely raging in Jeru- salem. As the resolute opponent of the Zealots, he took an active part in the political struggles whose convul- sions hastened the ruin of the state. He also took an active part in the defence of Jerusalem, and fell, one of the many victims of the national struggle. Josephus {Life, § 38) says of him : 6 o* '^tfnov ovtoq ijv ttoXiojq piv 'itponoXvixwv, yivovQ St (TpoSpa \a/K7rpoi), rijf Se <t>apiJaiiov a'lptanog, o'l Trtpi Ta ndrpia vopipa CuKovni tCov oXKmv aKpijitia Sia<peptii>. He St ovrog av>)p TT\i)pi]Q (Tvi'tatwg Tt Koi XoyKTfiov, IvvafiHoQ Tt TTpdy- jiara kokCjq /cfi^tra (ppoi>j]n(i ry tavrov Ciop^oKTan^^in. His recorded maxim is: "The world exists by virtue of three things — viz., truth, justice, and peace; as it is said. Truth and the judgment of peace shall be in your gates" (.-1 both, i, 18). He also belongs to the ten teach- ers who were called rr^lbiO "'STiti, "the killed for the kingdom," and their death is celebrated on the 25th of Sivan, for which day a fast is ordained. Comp. Schli- rer, Lehrbnch der neutest. Zeil(jeschichte (Leips. 1874), p. 335, 453, 459 ; Derenbourg, Essai sur V Histoire et la Ge- offraphie de la Palestine, p. 270 sq. ; Biick, Gesch. desjiid. Volkes (Lissa, 1878), p. 157; Griitz, Gesch. d. Juden, iii, 324, 354, 370, 388 sq. ; Cassel, Lehrburh der jiid. Gesch. u. Literatur (Leips. 1879), p. 147, 150, 166, 168, 177.
3. Simon KEN-(iAMAi,iKL II, A.D. cir. 140-160, a con- temporary of Nathan the Babylonian (q. v.), was the only schoolboy who escaped from the slaughter at Belhira un- der Bar-cocheha. He was the father of the famous Judah the Holy (q. v.), and was elected to the presidency when yet a youth. Simon was much regarded by the people for the sake of his illustrious forefathers; but his striv- ing for autocratic power aroused an opposition party
Kepiitcil Uoutu,
u the Tiiuiier at JaQ'u. (t'loiu a pliolcigraph by the Editor,)
SIMON
757
SIMON
against him, which rendered his position ven' difficuh. From some of the decisions of Simon which have come down to us, he seems to have been not only a man with a passable knowledge of Hebrew law, but, for a Jew at that time, an extraordinary proficient in Gentile litera- ture. He cultivated the study of the (ireek language, and gave his countenance to the reading of the Sept. Comp. the essay by Ph. Bloch on Simon, in Frankel's Alonatsschrift, 1864, p. 81 sq.
4. Simon ben-Hillel, who succeeded his father Hillel (q. v.) A.D. cir. 10-30, is said (Baronius, A.D. 1, n. 40), upon the authority of Athanasius and Epiphani- us, to have been that same Simon whom Luke described as embracing the infant Saviour in the Temple and pro- nouncing the Nunc dimittis (ii, 23-35). Whether he is the same whom Josephus (^Ant. xix, 7, 4) describes as accusing king Agrippa of an unholy living, and that he should be excluded from the Temple, since it belonged only to native Jews {Trpom]Kovai]i^ toIq lyytrecri) is dif- ficult to tell. Simon's recorded maxim is found in A both, i, 17 : "All my life have I been brought up among sages, nor have I found anything better than to keep silence; for to act, and not to explain, is the principle and basis of all; but he who multiplies words only induces sin." See SiMKON 5.
5. Simon ben-Jochai, the reputed author of the Zo- har (q. v.), lived in the 2d century. The biographical notices of him are so enveloped in mythical extrava- gances as to make it difficult to give a true statement of his life. His whole life was absorbed in the study of the Cabala, in which science he was regarded as one of the most eminent masters. He existed in a world of his own, a region beyond the bounds of ordinary nature, and peopled by the genii of his own imagination. His occasional intercourse with his coreligionists did not propitiate their good affections; he was disliked by some for the moroseness of his disposition, and feared by oth- ers from his supposed connection with the spirits of the other world. " He had the character of being an nn- jileasant companion and a bitter opponent; moreover, he merited the reproaches of his countrymen by causing the overthrow of the school at Jamnia. At a time when their Gentile rulers were grudging the Jews the partial relaxation they had lately enjoyed from the severe dis- cipline of Hadrian, and when the jealousy and suspicion entertained against them were so great that the pa- triarcli, who dared not use the title of nasi nor assume any outward mark of authority, was constrained to screen the ordinary routine of the schools as much as possible from observation, and not only to prohibit the publica- tion of books, but also to forbid the students to take written notes of the lectures, Simon ben-Jochai was rash enough to inveigh against their o])[)ressors in a public discourse." The affair, becoming a topic of public con- versation, aroused the displeasure of the civil authori- ties. A process of law was instituted, and Simon was doomed to die. He managed, however, to escape, and, accompanied by his son, he concealed himself in a cav- ern, where he remained for twelve years. Here, in the subterranean abode, he occupied himself entirely with the contemplation of the sublime Cabala, and was con- stantly visited by the prophet Elias, who disclosed to him some of its secrets which were still concealed from the theosophical rabbi. Here, too, his disciples resorted to be initiated by their master into those divine mys- teries; and here Simon ben-Jochai expired with this heavenly doctrine in his mouth while discoursing on it to his disciples. Scarcely had his spirit departed when a dazzling light filled the cavern, so that no one could look at the rabbi; while a burning tire a|ipeared outside, forming, as it were, a sentinel at the entrance of the cave, and denying admittance to the neighbors. It was not till the light inside and the fire outside had disap- peared that the disciples perceived that the lamp of Is- rael was extinguished. As they were preparing for his obsequies, a voice was heard from heaven, saying, "Come ye to the marriage of Simon ben-Jochai; he is entering