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Joshua ben Gamaliel (Jesus ben Gamla) was the Jewish High Priest in 63-64 CE, and one of the leaders of the anti-Zealot faction in Jerusalem during the Jewish revolt in 66-68 CE.

• This page is edited by Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan.

Overview

Joshua ben Gamaliel was appointed High Priest by Herod Agrippa II, succeeding Joshua ben Damnaeus. Both High Priests served under the Roman Governor Albinus.

Under the tenure of Joshua ben Gamaliel, the work of construction of the Temple, iniziated in 20 BCE by Herod the Great, came to completion. A crisis arose, since the 18,000 workers remained suddenly unemployed. Seeking new job, they petitioned to rebuild the eastern portico. Herod Agrippa II denied their request and instead employed them to pave the city of Jerusalem. The king also removed Joshua ben Gamaliel from office; it is not clear weather the decision was somehow related to the crisis or more likely, to the coming of the new Roman governor, Florus.

Later Rabbinic sources add some interesting details to the biography of Joshua. According to the Mishnah (Yebam. 6:4), before becoming high priest Joshua betrothed Martha the widowed daughter of Boethus, thus becoming part of that powerful family of High Priests. Talmudic sources claim that it was Martha, one of richest women in Jerusalem, who by bribing the king, secured for Joshua the office of the High Priest and a husband for herself (b. Yebam. 61a). On the other hand, the Babylonian Talmud praises Joshua for creating schools for boys over five years of age, "in each district and each town" (b. Bat. 21a). He is therefore regarded as the founder of the institution of formal Jewish education.

According to Josephus, Joshua ben Gamaliel played a major role at Jerusalem during the Jewish War where he joined another former High Priest, Ananus ben Ananus of the House of Annas, in leading the moderate and anti-Zealot faction of the rebellion. After the defeat of Cestius in 66 CE, members of the Jewish aristocracy (among whom Josephus reckoned himself) "partly by force, partly by persuasion" joined the rebellion. They had immediately to face the challenge by the more radical wing. In his autobiography Josephus refers to Joshua as "an intimate friend of mine" who even revealed Josephus a plot against him. Common interests and the fight for survival strengthened the alliance between the House of Boethus and the House of Annas. Joshua supported Ananus in the opposition against the Zealots and with him shared the same destiny of death at the hands of the Idumeans.

Joshua ben Gamaliel in ancient sources

• See Joshua ben Gamaliel (sources) -- survey of ancient sources

Joshua ben Gamaliel in scholarship

• See Joshua ben Gamaliel (research) -- survey of scholarly works

References

• High Priests and Politics in Roman Palestine / E. Mary Smallwood / JTS 13 (1962) / pp.14-34
• High Priests and the Politics of Roman Palestine / Richard A. Horsley / JSJ 17 (1986) / pp.23-55
• The Jewish Leadership in Jerusalem in the First Part of the Great Revolt (66-68 BE) / Uriel Rappaport / The Congregation of Israel (2001 Gafni), edited volume / pp.75-83 <Hebrew>
• From Joshua to Caiaphas (2004 VanderKam), book / pp.483-487

Related categories

• High Priests / Ananus ben Ananus (subject)
• Herod Agrippa II (subject)

External links

• Wikipedia
• Jewish Encyclopedia (1906)