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Dictionary of Ancient Rabbis FM.Indd Zabdai ben Levi DICTIONARY OF ANCIENT RABBIS 462 Z ZABDAI BEN LEVI: Palestinian amora of the fi rst generation (third century). He belonged to the scholarly group of which Hoshaiah Rabbah was the chief (Yer. Dem. vii. 26a), and his halakot were trans- mit ted by R. Johanan (Zeb. 28b; Ker. 5a). Zabdai was particularly prominent in the Haggadah and in Biblical exegesis, in both of which he disput ed with Rab, Joshua b. Levi, and Jose b. Petrus. Thus the words “le-ruah ha-yom” (Gen. iii. 8; A. V., “in the cool of the day”) are explained by Zabdai to mean “the side of the setting of the sun,” in op- posi tion to Rab’s interpreta tion, “the side of the ris ing of the sun” (Gen. R. xix. 8). The phrase “Ka-‘et hayyah” (Gen. xviii. 14; A. V., “At the time ap point ed”) is explained by Zabdai as meaning “in a year from hence.” God made a scratch on the wall, say ing that when a year later the sun should ar rive at that mark Sarah would bear a son (Pesik. R. 6 [ed. Friedmann, p. 24b]; Tan., Wayera, 36; see also Pesik. xxv. 158a; Gen. R. lxxiv. 11; Lev. R. vii. 2). Two proems to Lam. R. (Nos. 29 and 30) are by Zabdai; in the second of them he contrasts the different prayers of four kings with regard to their ene mies. Dav id prayed to God that he might overtake his foes and defeat them (Ps. xviii. 38); and his prayer was granted (I Sam. xxx. 8). Asa prayed to God that he might pursue the enemy, but that God would smite him; and it was so (II Chron. xiv. 12). Jehoshaphat said that he was too feeble to pursue the enemy, and prayed God to exterminate the foe while he would sing the praises of his divine help er; and his prayer was satisfi ed (ib. xx. 22). Final ly, Hezekiah said that he had no strength even to sing the praises of God, but he prayed that his ene my might be routed while he himself would lie in his bed; and it so happened (II Kings xix. 35). It is relat ed that Zabdai, having survived Joshua b. Levi, wished to see him in a dream. Joshua ac cord ing ly appeared to him, and showed him people with fac es raised and people with faces cast down. When Zabdai asked the reason for the dif fer ence in posture, Joshua an- swered that those who ar rived there with the study of the Law in their mem ories had their faces raised, while those who had forgot ten it had their faces cast down (Eccl. R. ix. 10). BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bacher, Ag. Pal. Amor. iii. 640–642; Heilprin, Sed er ha-Dorot, ii. J. M. SEL. ZADOK: 1. A priest, perhaps the high priest dur ing the reign of David. He was the son of Ahitub (II Sam. viii. 17), but the attempt to trace his geneal o gy back to Eleazar, the third son of Aaron, as op posed Dictionary of Ancient Rabbis.indd 462 23.06.03, 20:45:52 463 DICTIONARY OF ANCIENT RABBIS Zadok to Abiathar, his contemporary and colleague, who was regarded as a descend ant of Eli and considered a member of the house of Ithamar, was fi rst made by the Chron icler (I Chron. v. 30–34 [A. V. vi. 4–8]; comp. vi. 35–38 [A. V. vi. 50–53]), thus as sur ing the preem inence of the Zadok- ites over the descend ants of Eli. In the beginning of his career he was as soci at ed with Abiathar (II Sam. xx. 25) and with his son (ib. viii. 17; I Chron. xxiv. 3, 6, 31). The hypothesis has accordingly been advanced that Zadok offi ciated in the Tabernacle at Gibeon (I Chron. xvi. 39; comp. I Kings iii. 4), while the sons of Eli were stationed as high priests at Jerusalem or, more probably, at Shiloh (comp. Keil on I Kings i. 8). Such a division of functions is very doubtful, howev er; and it is more plausible to suppose that Zadok grad u al ly won equality of rank with the sons of Eli by his good fortune in gaining the favor of David. According to the somewhat improbable state ment of the Chronicler, a certain Zadok, as a young man, had been one of those who joined David at Hebron and helped him win the crown of all Isra el, his house then including twenty-two captains (I Chron. xii. 29); and Josephus express ly identifi es this Zadok with the high priest of the same name (“Ant.” vii. 2, § 2). During the rebellion of Absalom, Zadok gained still greater promi- nence. He and the Levites wished to accompany the fl eeing David with the Ark of the Covenant, but the king begged them to remain at Jerusa- lem, where they could do him better service (II Sam. xv. 24–29; comp. 35), so that it actually hap pened that Ahimaaz, the sou of Zadok, and Jonath an, the son of Abiathar, brought the king an important message (ib. xvii. 21). In all these pas sag es Zadok is mentioned before Abi athar. According to the Hebrew text of II Sam. xv. 27, Dav id addressed the priest with the words “ha-ro’eh attah,” and the Vulgate consequently regards Zadok as a seer, although this interpretation is incor rect. These two diffi cult words are emended by Wellhausen to äúà ùàøä ïäëä, thus implying the promise of the high-priest hood to him. On the sup pres sion of the rebel lion, the king sent Zadok and Abiathar to the elders of Ju- dah, urging them to hasten to bring the monarch back (ìb. xix. 12). Zadok again manifested his loyalty to the king when he espoused the cause of Solomon against Adon ijah (I Kings i. 8 et seq.), and in his gratitude the new king appointed him sole high priest (ib. ii. 35). In his account of this event Josephus states (“Ant.” viii. 1, § 3) that Zadok was a scion of the house of Phinehas, and consequently a descend ant of Eleazar. Reliable historical data show that the high-priesthood remained in the hands of the Zadokites from this time until the rise of the Mac- cabees. The descendants of Zadok increased in rank and infl u ence, so that his son Azariah was one of the princ es of Solomon (I Kings Dictionary of Ancient Rabbis.indd 463 23.06.03, 20:45:53 Zadok DICTIONARY OF ANCIENT RABBIS 464 iv. 2), and the Ahimaaz who mar ried a daughter of Solomon was prob- ably anoth er of Zadok’s children (ib. iv. 15). Either Zadok himself or his grandson was the ruler of the Aaronites (I Chron. xxvii. 17), and Jerusha, the mother of Jotham, is apparently termed the daughter of Zadok to emphasize her noble line age, since her father may have been a descendant of the fi rst Zadok (II Kings xv. 33; II Chron. xxvii. 1). A Zadok is also mentioned in the geneal o gy of Joseph, the father of Jesus (Matt. i. 14). G. S. KR. 2. Sadducean leader. The only data concerning the origin of the Sad- ducees are based on certain deductions drawn from their name, for a late rabbinical source alone appears to be found ed on actu al knowl- edge. Two pupils of ANTIGONUS OF SOKO are said to have misinterpreted their teacher’s statement that God should be worshiped without hope of reward as meaning that there is no recompense, either for good or for evil, in the world to come. These two scholars, Zadok and Boethus, are accordingly regarded as the founders of the here sies of the SADDU- CEES and the BOETHUSIANS (Ab. R. N. recension A, 5; recension B, 10). This state ment is devoid of historic i ty, however, since it incor rect ly postulates deni al of the future life as the cardinal doctrine of the Sad- ducees, while it betrays also its lack of authenticity by making the origin of the Boethusians synchronous with the rise of Sad ducee ism, although the former sect derived its name from the high priest Boethus, who fl ourished dur ing the reign of Herod. The only historical portion of this legend is the part which con- nects the origin of each of these here sies with a personal name, for the Hebrew íéÔåãö is derived from ÷åãö just as are íéñåúéá from ñåúéá and íéñøå÷éôà from ñåøå÷éôà, while Herod was the eponym of the party of the HERODIANS. Geiger’s theory of the derivation of the name of the Sadducean party from the Biblical ap pel la tive “Zadok” is, therefore, the most probable one. This name ÷åãö, which occurs ten times in Ezekiel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, is transliterated Óáääïýê throughout by the Septuagint in these books, as well as in oth er passages in Lucian’s version of the Septuagint. The same form ap pears in Josephus; and even a manu- script of the Mishnah (Codex De Rossi No. 138) vocalizes the name of the rabbi Zadok ÷µåµã±ö (= “Zadduk”). The only moot point is the problem whether the appellation of the sect is to be derived from a Zadok who is no longer known or from the priestly family of the Zadokites. An unknown Zadok was assumed to be the found er of the Sad ducees by Kuenen (though he later adopt ed the opposing the o ry), Graetz, Montet, and Lagar de; while the second hypothesis, which is Dictionary of Ancient Rabbis.indd 464 23.06.03, 20:45:53 465 DICTIONARY OF ANCIENT RABBIS Zadok the more probable, was maintained by Geiger and Schür er, and is now confi rmed by the Hebrew Ben Sira (see Schechter’s note in “The Wisdom of Ben Sira,” 1899, p.
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