.
and
tlicn
removed
five Koman miles Sliab. iii. [iv.] 3). at Ziphrou (Xiim.
liis own school to Bene Berak, from Jalla (Sanh. 32A; Tosef., Akiba also lived for some time
xxxiv. !)), the modern Zafrau near Hamatli (see Sifre. Num. iv. and the parallel pas-sjifres (juotcd in the TalFor mudieal dietionaries of Levy and Jastrow). another identitieation of the place, and other forms of its name, see Xeubauer, "Geographic," p. 391, and Jastrow, I.e. The greatest tannaim of the middle of the second century came from Akiba s school, notably Meir, Juilah ben Ilai, Simeon ben Yoliai, Jose ben Halafta, Kleazar 1). SImnwnai, and Xehcmiah. Besides these, who all attained great renown, Akiba undoubtedly had many di.scijiles whose names have not been handed down, but whose number is variously stated by the Haggadah at 12.0(H) ((!en. R, Ixi. 3)" 24.000 (Yeb. 62i). and 4.S.000 (Xed. .")(),;). That these figures are to be regarded merely as haggadic exagP. V.
(Z.
viii.
28).
,
gerations, and not, as some modern historians insist, as the actual numbers of Akil)a's political followers, is evident from the passjige, Ket. 106(/, in which there are similar exaggerations conceniing the disciples of otlier rabbis. The part which Akiba is HisRela- said to have taken in the Bar Kokba tions with war can not be historically determined.
Bar Kokba. The only
estalilishcd fact
concerning
his connection with Bar Kokba is that the venerable teacher really regarded the patriot as the promised Messiah (Yer. Ta'anit, iv. G8rf); and this is absolutely all there is in evidence of an active participation by Akiba in the revolution. The numerous journeys which, according to rabbinical sources, Aliiba issaidto have made, can not have been in any
way connected with politics. In ll.VJG Akiba was in Rome (Griltz, "Gescli. d. Judeii." iv. 121). and some time before 110 he was in Xehardea Yeb. xvi. 7); which jfmrneys can not be made to coincide with revohilionary plans. In view of the mode of traveling then in vogue, it is not at all im])robable that Akiba visited en route numerous other places having im|iortant Jewish conununities (Xeuburger in "Monalssehrift," 1873. p. 3i)3); but informalicm on this point is lacking. The statement that hedwelt in Ga/.aka in Media restsupona false reading in Gen. R. xxxiii. h, and 'Ab. Zarali, 34", where for "Akiba" should be read "' I'kba," the Babylonian, as Rjishi on Ta'anit, ll/(, points out. Similarly the pas.sageiuBcr. 8// should read "Simon b. (iamalii 1" instead of Akiba. just as the Pesikta led. Buber, iv. 3;V<) has it. A sutlicient ground for refusingcre<lence in any parficii)ation by Akiba in the political anti-Roman movemetitsof his day is the slatemcntof the' l!aiaila(Ber. (il/<). that he sulTered martyrdom on account of his transgression of I lai Irian's edicts a gainst Iheiiractiseand the tcachingof the Jewish religion, a religious and nota political reason for his death being given. Akiba's death, which, according to Sanh. 12*/, occurre<l after several years of imprisonment, nuist have taken place about 132, before the suppression of the liar Kokba revolution: olhi'rwise, as Frankel (I)arke ha -Mishnah." p. 121)remarks. thedilay of the Romans in e.vccuting him would tw (|uite iiu xl)licable. That the religious interdicts of Hadrian iireeedcd the overthrow of Bar Kokba. is shown by Misli pat im.lH, where Akiba reganlsthe martyr)Iek.,. (
dom
Akiba Baer ben Joseph
THE JEWISH EXCYCLOPEDIA
805
ominous of hisown fate. of Ii<'tliar no omens were needed to pri'dict evil days. Legends concerning thi'date and manner of Akiba's death are numerous; but they nnist all be disri'i^arded. as bcini; without histmieal foimdation (see Akiii.k hkn Joski-ii in Lkok.mi). Before pna'ceding to a con.siderntinn of Akilm's of
two of
After the
fall
1-20
his friends as
AUba ben Joseph
teaching, a word or two a.s to his personal character will be in place. According to the customary conception of the Pharisees, one would imagine him as being a typically jiroud and arrogant His Per- rabbi, looking down with contempt
sonal Char- upon the common people. How modacter. est he was in reality is shown by his funeral address over his son Simon. To the large assembly gathered on the occasion from
every quarter, he said "
am
Bri'tliren ot the lioiise of Israel, listen to me. Not because I a scliolar buve ye appeared liere so numerously : for ther«
are tlmse bere more learned than I. Nor t>eeause I am a wealtby man for there are many mi)re wealtliy Itian I. The pefiple o'f tlip south know Alvllia hut whenie sliiiuld the peoiile of Ualllee l(now lilm The men are acquamieil with hlni but bow shall the women an<l children 1 see lit-n- 1m- said to hear<iualnl*'d with him Still I know that your reward shall great, for ye have Klven yourselves the tn>uble to come simply In onler to do honor to the Torub aud to fullll a ri'll^^ious duty" (Sem. vlU., M. K.
'I
W
':*
21/1
1
Modesty
is a favorite theme with Akiba, and he reagain and again. " He who esteems himself highly on account of his knowledge," he teaches, "is like a corpse lying on the wayside: the traveler turns his head away in disgust, and walks quickly by" (Ab. R. X.. cd. ^chechter, xi. 46). Anotherof his sayings, quoted also in the name of Ben Azzai(Lev.
verts to
it
i. 5), is specially interesting from the fact that Luke, xiv. 8-12, is almost litendly identical with it: "Take thy place a few seats t)elow thy rank until thou art biiiden to take a higher place; for it is better that they should .say to thee Come up higher than that they .should bid thee 'Go down lower'" (see Prov. XXV. 7). Though so modest, yet when an important matter aud not a merely personal one was concerned Akiba could not be cowed by the greatest, as is evidenced by his attitude toward the patriarch Gamaliel Convinced of the necessity of a central authority II. for Judaism, .kiba became a devoted adherent ami friend of Gamaliel, who aimed at constituting the
R.
'
'
patriarch the true sjiiritual chief of the Jews (R. H. ii. But Akiba was just as firmly con9). Akiba and vineed that (he jiowerof the patriarch Gamaliel II. must be limilcd both by the wiittcn and the oral law, the interpretation of which lay in the hands of the learned; and he was accordingly brave enough to act in ritual matters in Gamaliel's own house contrary to the decisions of Gamaliel himself (Tosef. Ber. iv. 12). Concerning Akiba's other pei-sonal excellences, such as benevolence, and kindness toward the sick and needy, see Xed. 40'(, Lev. R. xxxiv. Ift.and Tosef.. Meg. iv. 16. In this connection it may be mentioned that Akiba filled theoltice of an overseer of the poor (Ma'as. Sh. v. 9. and Kill. 27rtl Eminent as .Vkiba was by his magnanimity and moral worthiness, he was still more so by his intellect mil capacity, by which he secured an enduring inlluence upon hiscimtiniporariisand upon posterity. In the first jihue. .Vkiba was the one who definitely He fixed the canon of the Old Testament books. protested sti'ongly against the canonicily of certain of the .pocrvpiia. E<cle,siasticus. for instance (Sanh. X. 1, Bab. il'iii. UWh, Yer. ihi'l. x. 28.1). in which passages Knp is to be explained according to Kid. 49.1. and D'OIVTI according toils .ramaiceciuivalent Xn""l3: so that .Vkiba's utterance reads. "He who reads <i^<i/</in the synagogue from bixiks not belongHe ing to the canon as if they were canimic-al." etc. has, however, no objection to the private reading of the .VpcH-rypiia, as Is evident fmm the fact that he himself makes frec|Uent use of Ecclesiasticus iBacher, ".Vir. Tan. " i. 277: Griltz. "Gnoslicismus." p. 120). .Vkiba stoutly defended, however, thecancm ieity of the ijong of Sougs, ami Esther (Vad. iii. .
