Hillel

Hillel, Jewish scholar

Hillel, fl. c.30 B.C.–A.D. 10, Jewish scholar, regarded as the forebear of the later patriarchs who led the Jews of Palestine until c.A.D. 400. The Jerusalem Talmud calls him the president of the Sanhedrin. He and Shammai formed the most important of the rabbinic zuggot (oppositional pairs), with Hillel usually taking a more liberal stance in the interpretation of scripture. He was the great spiritual and ethical leader of his generation. His most famous maxim is "Do not unto others that which is hateful unto thee."

Bibliography

See biographies by N. N. Glatzer (1956) and A. H. Blumenthal (1973).

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Hillel, in the Bible

Hillel (hĭl`ĕl), in the Bible, father of Abdon (1.)

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Hillel

(flourished 1st century BC–c. first quarter of the 1st century AD) Jewish sage and architect of rabbinic Judaism. Born in Babylonia, he went to Palestine to complete his studies under the Pharisees. He became the revered head of the school known by his name, the House of Hillel, and his carefully applied method of exegesis came to be called the Seven Rules of Hillel. He liberated texts from a slavish literal interpretation and sought to make obedience to the Law feasible for all Jews. His legal writings were very influential in the compilation of the Talmud, which also contains many stories and legends about his life. He is remembered as a model scholar and communal leader, whose brilliance, patience, and goodness are to be emulated by all rabbis.

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Hillel

?60 bc--?9 ad, rabbi, born in Babylonia; president of the Sanhedrin. He was the first to formulate principles of biblical interpretation