Yehudah b. Tabbai

Talmudic Figures

The third of the pairs, Yehudah b. Tabbai and Shimon b. Shetach served during the tumultuous reign of Alexander Yannai. Though Yannai's brother-in-law, Shimon had to hide at the height of Yannai's persecution of the Pharisees; while Yehudah fled to Egypt. Nevertheless, Shimon wrested control of the Sanhedrin away from the Sadducees.

Sources

We have stated: Jehudah ben Ṭabbai was Patriarch, and Simeon ben Shetaḥ President of the Court; there are Tannaim who switch. What happened in Alexandria supports him who said, Jehudah ben Tabbai was Patriarch. [The people of Jerusalem] wanted to appoint him Patriarch in Jerusalem. The people from Jerusalem did write: From the great Jerusalem to the small Alexandria: How long still will my betrothed live in your midst and I am sitting sorrowful about him? He took leave and started on a ship. He said, I remember the lady of the house who received us…

Jerusalem Talmud Chagigah 2:2:5

Judah b. Tabbai and Simeon b. Shetach were the third of the “pairs” in the series of dual leadership. It is not clear which one of them was Nasi of the Sanhedrin and which one was head of the court. The name of Judah b. Tabbai is listed first whenever they are mentioned together which may lead to the conclusion that he was the Nasi. However, there exists an opinion that Simeon b. Shetach was Nasi and Judah b. Tabbai was head of the Court. They both lived in an unsettled period. The Sadducees were strongly entrenched in the government of Judea and the struggle with them was difficult and…

The Jewish Spiritual Heroes, Volume I; The Creators of the Mishna, Judah ben Tabbai and Simeon ben Shetach