2005 by Ralph V Harvey

RABBAN GAMALIEL

by Ralph V. Harvey

Second corrected edition for Kindle Reader, 2009

ISBN 1-59781-664-7

All rights reserved solely by the author. The author guarantees all contents are original and do not infringe upon the legal rights of any other person or work. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the permission of the author. The views expressed in this book are not necessarily those of the publisher.

About the Author

Introduction

Part I

Chapter 1: Gamaliel and His Family

Chapter 2: Gamaliel and Jesus

Chapter 3: Gamaliel and the Apostles

Chapter 4: Gamaliel and Saul

Chapter 5: Gamaliel’s Predicament

Chapter 6: Gamaliel and Paul

Chapter 7: Gamaliel and Christ’s Birth

Part II

Chapter 8: Christmas Tradition

Chapter 9: Easter Tradition

Chapter 10: Happy Easter

Chapter 11: Fear Pressure

Chapter 12: Authority

Chapter 13: Unity and Division

Chapter 14: Pacifism and Violence

Chapter 15: Adultery

Chapter 16: Divorce

Chapter 17: Logic

Chapter 18: A Them and Us World

Chapter 19: Perfection

Chapter 20: The Sermon on the Mount

Chapter 21: Hypocrisy

Chapter 22: Truth and Tolerance

Chapter 23: Grace and Truth

Chapter 24: Gamaliel’s Death

Appendix I: Christmas Quiz

Appendix II: Silent Night Story

Appendix III: Herod the Great

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ralph Harvey and his wife, Verna, served over 40 years as missionaries, 38 years in Austria. In addition to church work in several Austrian cities, they were instrumental in establishing and operating a youth center, a printing and publishing house, a Bible Institute, and a national youth organization. They also worked with refugees in Austria, collected and distributed relief goods for needy countries of Eastern Europe and helped with church construction in Romania and Albania. Ralph has written articles in both English and German, relating to missions and church history. Since 2002, he has been working on this book and an autobiography. They are presently involved in recruitment for Avant Ministries (formerly Gospel Missionary Union).

INTRODUCTION

My interest in Gamaliel began while doing research for a Christmas quiz (see Appendix I). I discovered that the Apostle Paul’s famous teacher was of the lineage of David and would, therefore, have been in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. I then determined to learn as much as possible about this man.

Other than Gamaliel’s call for tolerance in Acts, chapter five, and the contention of Paul that he had studied under this renowned teacher, the Bible does not mention Gamaliel. We must therefore lean heavily on other sources for information about this special personage. Josephus mentions him and Jewish historians have written volumes about their famous Rabbi, but not all of these sources are reliable. Still, it is possible to glean valuable historical background information that sheds light on his life and work. The New Testament gives us a clear picture of the Pharisees, among whom Gamaliel was the most prominent figure.

To my knowledge, no book by an evangelical author has dealt extensively with this important personality. Although Gamaliel is only mentioned twice in the Bible, he certainly deserves a more careful examination. I do not contend that this book attains that goal, but I do hope that it will encourage someone better qualified than I to do additional research and write an academic historical documentation on Gamaliel. I think the life of Gamaliel would even make a great film!

I have attempted to document and verify all information gathered, but this is not intended to be a historical book. My main purpose in writing this book is to inspire and encourage others to do some serious thinking about conclusions I have drawn. My study of Gamaliel, his illustrious family and the times in which he lived have proved both encouraging and challenging to me, and I hope readers of this book will experience the same.

I strongly advise readers to keep their Bible handy when reading. I often include Bible references without the text. This is the first limited edition, and I welcome comments, corrections, suggestions, criticisms and questions for consideration in future printings.

Please direct all correspondence to:

Ralph V. Harvey

153 Bentwood Dr.

Malaga, NJ 08328

Telephone: (856) 694-5684

Websites:

http://www.rabbangamaliel.org/

http://www.rvharvey.org/

Chapter 1 GAMALIEL AND HIS FAMILY

Gamaliel

Gamaliel (“reward of God”) was known as Rabban Gamaliel, Gamaliel I, or Gamaliel the Elder. He was a respected doctor of the law, son of Rabbi Simeon and grandson of the revered Hillel. From the Bible, we know that he taught Saul of Tarsus, later known as the Apostle Paul. Paul himself makes this declaration in his testimony to the Jews ()and advocated leniency toward Christians in Acts 5. Gamaliel’s birth date is unknown, but he was at least 30 years of age when Christ was born.

Gamaliel was a teacher of distinction, and his ancestry, influence and reputation soon earned him a seat on the Sanhedrin. Gamaliel was one of a select group of Palestinian masters of the Jewish Oral Law. According to Jewish tradition, Gamaliel succeeded his father, Simeon, and his grandfather, the renowned sage Hillel, whose school of thought he faithfully represented.

Gamaliel was also nasi, a term for the president of Judaism’s supreme judiciary and legislative body, the Sanhedrin. The title had become a hereditary one since the days of Gamaliel’s grandfather, Hillel the Elder.

Gamaliel was first to be given the title Rabban, “our teacher,” rather than Rabbi, which means “my teacher.” Like his grandfather Hillel, Gamaliel was also given the title ha-Zaqen (the Elder) to distinguish him among Rabbis of his time.

The historian, Josephus Flavius, mentions both the Gamaliel of Scriptures and his grandson Gamaliel II. The Mishnah speaks of Gamaliel (Aboth 1; Sota 9,15; Gittin 4,2; Baba mez. 5,8 etc.) and the Babylonian Talmud names Gamaliel as the third person of a five-generation dynasty of nasi. Hillel and Gamaliel are mentioned frequently in Jewish history books. Both men are held to be among the greatest Hebrew scholars of all time. Aboth 1 in the Mishna lists five pairs of Rabbi as “Bearers of the Law,” but Gamaliel’s recognition was so great that he was called “The Glory of the Law.” Sota 9,15 reads, ”Since Gamaliel the Elder died, reverence for the law has ceased and purity and moderation are vanished.”

Gamaliel’s Father

Although little is known of Gamaliel’s father other than his name, Simeon (Hebrew form of Simon) was also a Rabbi of repute, for he was a member of the Sanhedrin, and at least for a time, he served as nasi or President.

Some scholars conjecture that Gamaliel’s father is that same Simeon mentioned in Luke 2:25-35, while other historians contend that such a distinguished personage as Simeon, son of Hillel, would hardly have been referred to simply as a “just and devout man of Jerusalem.” They categorize this postulation with the legend of two sons of Simeon, Charinus, and Leucius, as reported in the apocryphal gospel of Nicodemus.

I personally believe that the Simeon mentioned in Luke 2 could well be the father of Gamaliel. According to St. Luke, Simeon was advanced in years and claimed to have received a revelation of the Holy Ghost, that he would not die before he had seen the anticipated Messiah. If some ordinary Jew had made this statement, it would hardly have been deserving of special notice. Many Jews were expecting the imminent appearance of the Christ, as can be seen in Matthew 2:3; Luke 2:25-40 and Luke 3:15. Luke uses extraordinary language in describing Simeon as “a just and devout man of Jerusalem.”

Simeon’s prophecies would indicate a special personage rather than an ordinary devout Jew. Upon seeing Joseph and Mary with Jesus in the temple on the occasion of his dedication, Simeon took the child into his arms and uttered what is called the Canticle Nunc Dimittis. After blessing the family, he prophesied concerning Jesus, that he was “set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against.” Of his mother, he prophesied, “Yea a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

If Simeon was truly Gamaliel’s father and he died soon after seeing the Savior (as he prayed), he would have lived his entire life in the shadow of his illustrious father, Hillel. Patriarchs maintained prominence throughout their entire lives and Hillel reportedly died around 10 AD at 120 years of age! Simeon would have been between 80 and 90 years of age at the time of Christ’s birth and his son Gamaliel had likely achieved considerable recognition as a learned Rabbi by this time. Hillel became nasi of the Sanhedrin around 30 BC and by the time Simeon became nasi, Gamaliel would have been a respected teacher in Israel. It is even likely that Gamaliel became a member of the Sanhedrin during the lifetime of both his father and grandfather. Gamaliel claimed to have learned at the feet of the great sages, which would have included both ancestors. Gamaliel’s son Simeon II is quoted as saying, “All my life I grew up among the sages, and I found nothing better for a person than silence. And not the learning is the thing, but the doing. And whoever talks too much causes sin.” (Perkei Avos 1).

It is possible that he is giving praise to his grandfather Simeon, who was known more for his deeds and quiet wisdom than for leadership abilities for which Hillel and Gamaliel had become famous. He certainly had a high respect for his father, for he named his eldest son Simeon rather than naming him after his grandfather Hillel. The next descendant to be named after Hillel, was Hillel II, influential between 330-365 A.D. Hillel may have requested that no descendent be named after him, for he placed a high value on humility.

Although Hillel, Gamaliel the Elder, Simeon II and Gamaliel II are all honored in the Mishna, the elder Simeon is not mentioned at all. Jewish chroniclers report that all, including Simeon, were leaders of the Sanhedrin. The complete absence of any reference in the Mishna to Simeon, father of Gamaliel and son of Hillel, is remarkable when one considers that the Hillite dynasty dominated the Jewish nation for five generations!

Some historians have attempted to explain the omission of Simeon as a copying error, but that would be a rarity, since the Scribes were very meticulous in such matters! This strange silence would rather lend to argumentation for the Simeon of Luke 2 being Gamaliel’s father. It would certainly have been an embarrassment to Jewish leaders when Christians later made reference to Simeon’s pronouncement that Jesus was the promised Christ. Simeon would have fallen into disfavor with Jewish leaders for making such a bold prophecy. A later sage, Avtalon, could have had Simeon in mind when he spoke, “Sages, watch what you say, lest you become liable to the punishment of exile, and go into exile to a place of bad water and die, and disciples who follow you drink bad water and die, and the name of Heaven be thereby profaned.” (Perkei Avos 1)

Gamaliel’s Grandfather

Gamaliel’s grandfather, Hillel, is acclaimed by Jewish historians to have been the greatest spiritual leader of his time, a reputation which was exceeded only by Gamaliel himself.

Hillel was born in Babylon, but moved to Jerusalem around 70 BC to study scriptures and the traditions of the fathers. His teachers were Shemaiah and Abtalion. Josephus called them Sameas and Pollion.

Hillel was soon recognized as an authority among the Pharisees and the scribes of Jerusalem. He became the head of the “great school”, later associated with Shammai, Hillel’s peer in the study of Jewish Law. Hillel’s sayings were recorded partly in Hebrew, the language of his school and partly in “the Babylonian language” which was Aramaic, the language of the people.

In Sifre, Deut. 357, Hillel’s life is compared to that of Moses. Both men are said to have lived 120 years. At 40, Hillel moved from Babylon to Palestine while Moses fled Egypt at 40. Hillel then devoted the next 40 years to study, and Moses spent 40 years of preparation in the wilderness tending the sheep of his father-in-law, Jethro. Hillel’s final 40 years were spent as the spiritual patriarch of Israel just as the final 40 years of Moses’ life were spent as God’s chosen leader of Israel. Hillel’s leadership in the Sanhedrin began a hundred years before the destruction of Jerusalem according to Shab. 15a. We can thus estimate the dates of Hillel as 110 B.C. To 10 A.D.

Gamaliel’s Early Years

To my knowledge, there is no extensive record of Gamaliel’s childhood and youth other than that which Gamaliel himself relates and that which can be deducted from the circumstances in which he lived.

The expectations associated with being the grandson and son of learned Rabbis and nasi must have left an indelible impression on his young mind and strongly influenced his lifestyle. Education would have begun at an early age with little time for play and idleness. The Hillel school of thought must have influenced his upbringing. We can thus assume that although his parents placed great value on study and learning, they would have showed love and understanding for typical childish traits, needs and concerns.