Rabbi gamaliel biography images

What did gamaliel say about jesus

Gamaliel the Elder , or Gamaliel I , was the leading Jewish teacher of his day in the first half of the first century C. He was the grandson of the great rabbi Hillel the Elder and a high authority in the Sanhedrin in the mid-first century. His son Shimon ben Gamaliel was one of the leaders of the Jewish rebellion against Rome, and his grandson, Gamaliel II, was an even more famous Sanhedrin leader than Gamaliel I himself.

Gamaliel I died around 54 C. One of his most famous sayings is "Secure a teacher for thyself. Gamaliel is known to the Christian world as the Pharisaic leader who saved the disciples from death in a story in the Book of Acts , in which he is quoted as saying, "If their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men.

Even though few of his actual teachings have been preserved, Gamaliel I held a reputation as one of the greatest teachers in the annals of Judaism. The Mishnah Sotah pays tribute to this quality, saying: "Since Rabban Gamaliel the Elder died, there has been no more reverence for the Torah , and purity and abstinence died out at the same time.

While believing the Law of Moses to be wholly inspired by God, he took a broad-minded and compassionate attitude toward its interpretation, much like his famous grandfather, Hillel the Elder. Gamaliel ruled that the sabbath laws should be interpreted realistically rather than rigorously. He also argued that the law should protect women during divorce and urged Jews to be kind toward Gentiles.