Tiberias of the Jerusalem Talmud/Sanhedrin Era

Hebrew:
טבריה בתקופה של התלמוד הירושלמי והסנהדרין
Pronunciation:
T’ver-ia
Description:
Jewish life flourished in Tiberias during the first centuries of the first millenium

Historical events created a venue for Tiberias to develop as a welcoming center of Jewish life from the 1st to the 5th centuries A.D. Tiberias was a logical location to host the writing of the Jerusalem Talmud alongside a functioning Sanhedrin Court.

Contents 1 Jerusalem Talmud 1.1 Rabbi Johanan ben Nappaha 2 Sanhedrin 2.1 Tiberias Sanhedrin 3 Beit HaVa’ad 3.1 Sanhedrin and Christianity

[edit] Jerusalem Talmud

Following the redaction of the Mishna in Tiberias, many rabbis of the day continued to write commentaries and expound on the Mishna’s teachings. Two sets of commentaries were written -- the “Babylonian Talmud” was written in Iraq while the “Yerushalmi Talmud” -- Jerusalem Talmud -- was written in Israel. Most scholars believe that the Jerusalem Talmud was written in Ceasarea and Tiberias, the two centers of Jewish scholarship of the day.

[edit] Rabbi Johanan ben Nappaha

One of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s students, Rabbi Johanan ben Nappaha, founded the institute of Torah study in Tiberias after Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s death. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi had redacted the Mishna in Tiberias during the previous generation and his student, Rabbi Johanan ben Nappaha was eager to see the tradition of Jewish scholarship continue in Tiberias.

Little information is known about the compiling and personalities involved in the Jerusalem Talmud which is not as extensive as the Babylonian Talmud. The Jerusalem Talmud contains more discussions about commandments which are specifically devoted to life in the Land of Israel. Rav Muna and Rav Yossi were two of the contributors to the Jerusalem Talmud which was written between the 2nd and the 4th centuries A.D. The Jerusalem Talmud was completed, edited and sealed in Tiberias in 400 A.D.

[edit] Sanhedrin

Following the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple the Supreme Jewish Court, the Sanhedrin, fled, moving from site to site until, in 193 A.D., the members made their final move to Tiberias. A 2005 archaeological dig just south of the present-day city of Tiberias has uncovered a basilica structure which, archaeologists believe, may have served as the Sanhedrin’s seat in Tiberias.

[edit] Tiberias Sanhedrin

The Sanhedrin’s move to Tiberias signified the belief that Tiberias was a safe location where Jewish scholarship could flourish. The presence of thirteen synagogues, yeshivas and many of the greatest rabbis of the era created a welcoming atmosphere for Jews to worship and study. Tiberias merged with the neighboring town of Hammat and became the largest Jewish city in the Galilee, supporting a population of approximately 40,000. The marketplace had 13 different markets, each of which was devoted to a specific commodity.

[edit] Beit HaVa’ad

The Sanhedrin called itself the “Beit HaVa’ad” -- Council House -- while it functioned in Tiberias, possibly to deter Roman anxiety at its independence. The physical structure of the Sanhedrin’s court, as reconstructed by archaeologists, shows a 2000 square meter complex of 25 rooms and a courtyard with columns where the residents could gather. There was also a reception hall and a water cistern as well as a marble floor, leading to the speculation that the structure was once the palace of Herod Antipas, the founder of Tiberias.

[edit] Sanhedrin and Christianity

By the 4th century A.D., Roman harassment of the Jews of Tiberias had increased. Sensing that their days were numbered the Sanhedrin met in secret in 353 A.D. in the caves of nearby Mt. Berenice to set the Hebrew calendar. In 358 A.D. the Roman Emperor Theodosius disbanded the Sanhedrin and declared it illegal, under pain of execution, to grant ordination to new Sanhedrin members or issue new court rulings. Rabbi Yohanan the Amorai established a yeshiva "The Land of Israel" in Tiberias following the dissolution of the Sanhedrin and Tiberias continued to serve as a Jewish spiritual center, though under threats from the growing Christian population. The first Christian church was built in Tiberias in the 4th century.