| Judah
ben Tabbai (son of good) was a Jewish tanna of the early first century
BCE. He was a contemporary of Simeon ben Shetach. During the persecution
of the Pharisees under Alexander Jannaeus (r. 103-76 bce), Judah
fled to Alexandria, returning after Jannaeus' death. Judah b. Tabbai
was accused by Simeon b. Shetach of wrongfully executing a witness
for political purposes (namely, to send a message to the opposition
Sadducee party). Judah b. Tabbai then resolved to judge only according
to Simeon b. Shetach, and spent the rest of his days weeping prostrate
over the grave of his victim [1]. |