Shimon ben Shetah

Shimon ben Shetach ( Hebrew שמעון בן שטח) (born around 140 BC; died 60 BC ) was a Pharisee scholar and chairman of the Sanhedrin under the governments of King Alexander Jannäus and Queen Salome Alexandra . According to the Babylonian Talmud , he was the brother of Queen Alexandra ( B'rachot 48a ). He is also mentioned in the Proverbs of the Fathers (Chapter I, verse 8).

At the beginning of the reign of Alexander Jannäus, the Sanhedrin consisted mainly of Sadducees , but Shimon succeeded in gradually ousting them from the council. After he had achieved this, he called back the Pharisees who had fled into exile in Alexandria before John Hyrcanus , including the former Nasi Josua ben Perachja , who in turn was elected chairman of the council. After his death Shimon took over the office.

Soon the king turned from the Pharisees and turned to the Sadducees. Shimon had to flee, but was able to return to court at Salome Alexandra's instigation.

After the death of Alexander Jannäus under the rule of his widow Salome Alexandra, the party of the Pharisees gained great influence at court and in the temple. Together with Judah ben Tabbai , who had returned from Alexandria and who initially assumed the chairmanship of the council, he began to firmly establish the Pharisaic interpretation of the religious law.

Some of the laws passed at the time have had a significant impact on Judaism to this day, particularly the following two:

• Marriage Act : In the event of a divorce, the spouse is obliged to ensure the maintenance of a divorced woman. This was regulated in such a way that the spouse can use the dowry ( ketubba ) in his business, but in the event of a divorce is liable for the return with his entire property. The aim of this regulation was to make hasty and frivolous divorces more difficult (Talmud Yerushalmi, Ketubbot VIII, 32c).
• Religious instruction: The instruction of the youth in the religious law was the responsibility of the father in Shimon's time. Shimon initiated the establishment of religious schools in the larger cities. This institution still exists today in the form of the Talmud school or yeshiva .

After Judah ben Tabbai resigned as chairman of the council because of a judicial murder for which he was responsible, the chairmanship passed to Shimon. The fabulous execution of the 80 witches in Askalon (see Sifre Deut. 21:22; Mishnah Sanhedrin 6.4 ; Talmud Jeruschalmi Traktat Chagiga 77d; Talmud Bavli Tract Sanhedrin 45b) took place during this time .

literature

• Heinrich Graetz , History of the Jews, Volume 3.1, 6. u. 7th chap.
• Martin Hengel : Rabbinical legend and early Pharisaic history. Schimeon b. Shetah and the eighty witches of Askalon. Treatises of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences, Philosophical-Historical Class 1984/2. Heidelberg 1984.

Web links

• Sanhedrin 45