senior, of Babylon, president of the sanhedrim of Jerusalem. He formed a celebrated school there, in which he maintained the oral traditions of the Jews against Shamai, his colleague, whose disciples adhered only to the written law; and this controversy gave rise to the sects of Pharisees and Scribes. He was likewise one of the compilers of the Talmud. He also laboured much at giving a correct edition of the sacred text; and there is attributed to him an ancient manuscript bible, which bears his name. He flourished about 39 years B.C. and died in a very advanced age.

the nasi, or prince, another learned Jew, the grandson of Judas Hakkadosh, or the Saint, the author of the Mishna, lived in the fourth century. He composed a cycle; and was one of the principal doctors of the Gamara. The greatest number of the Jewish writers attribute to him the correct edition of the Hebrew text which bears the name of Hillel, which we have already mentioned in the preceding article. There have been several other Jewish writers of the same name.