Dosetai is a Greek

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

meaning "gift of God". It was extremely popular in late classical

Judea Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous L ...

and among Jewish communities in Egypt, and corresponds to the Hebrew ''"Mattaniah"'' or ''"Nethaneel,"'' which seems to have been a favorite one both in Palestine and in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

. It has been borne by the following:

In legend

*In a later Midrashic legend, Dosetai b. Jannai is the name of one of the two teachers sent by the Assyrian king to convert the

pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...

s who had settled in

Eretz Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Isra ...

(later on, the Samaritans). The name was probably suggested by its similarity to that of the Samaritan etc. of the Dositheans.

''
Tannaim ''Tannaim'' ( Amoraic Hebrew: תנאים , singular , ''Tanna'' "repeaters", "teachers") were the rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishnah, from approximately 10–220 CE. The period of the ''Tannaim'', also referred to as the Mis ...
'' - Mishnah rabbis

Dosetai of Kefar Yatma

A pupil of Shammai lived in Kefar Yitma, east of modern

Ariel Ariel may refer to: Film and television *Ariel Award, a Mexican Academy of Film award * ''Ariel'' (film), a 1988 Finnish film by Aki Kaurismäki * ''ARIEL Visual'' and ''ARIEL Deluxe'', 1989 and 1991 anime video series based on the novel series ...

, north of Shiloh.

Dosetai b. Matun

A tanna mentioned in a baraita as the author of an aggadic teaching, which elsewhere is ascribed to Dosetai b. Judah. According to Yoma 30b, an amora, also named Dosetai b. Matun, handed down a teaching of Johanan's; but the correct reading is ''"Justai b. Matun,"'' which is found in the parallel passage, Zebachim 99a, and is confirmed by the

Jerusalem Talmud The Jerusalem Talmud ( he, תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, translit=Talmud Yerushalmi, often for short), also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud of the Land of Israel, is a collection of rabbinic notes on the second-century ...

Abba Jose b. Dosetai

On Abba Jose b. Dosetai see Bacher, "Ag. Tan." ii. 388.

Dosetai b. Jannai

A tanna of the late 2nd century, known especially as having handed down teachings of

Rabbi Meir Rabbi Meir ( he, רַבִּי מֵאִיר) was a Jewish sage who lived in the time of the Mishnah. He was considered one of the greatest of the Tannaim of the fourth generation (139-163). He is the third most frequently mentioned sage in the Mishn ...

, Jose ben Halafta, and Eleazer ben Shammua. On a journey to Babylonia he was ill-treated at Nehardea by the Jewish-Persian authorities, and took revenge by giving a

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...

description of them. The account of the affair is preserved in two different versions. Examples of Dosetai's humor are to be found in his answers to his pupils' questions on the differences between man and woman, and in his reply to the question why

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

did not have thermæ like

Tiberias Tiberias ( ; he, טְבֶרְיָה, ; ar, طبريا, Ṭabariyyā) is an Israeli city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. A major Jewish center during Late Antiquity, it has been considered since the 16th century one of Judaism's Fo ...

: "If Jerusalem had warm springs, the

pilgrim A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on Pilgrimage, a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the a ...

s coming up for the feasts would have dwelt on the pleasures of the baths offered them, instead of considering how best to fulfill the regulations for the pilgrimage". The words of

Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes (; hbo, קֹהֶלֶת, Qōheleṯ, grc, Ἐκκλησιαστής, Ekklēsiastēs) is one of the Ketuvim ("Writings") of the Hebrew Bible and part of the Wisdom literature of the Christian Old Testament. The title commonly use ...

11:6 ("In the morning sow thy seed," etc.) he explained as a reminder to the farmer to be diligent in his sowing and planting. In another teaching he showed how the person who does not work during the six weekdays will soon find himself compelled to work on

Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; he, שַׁבָּת, Šabbāṯ, , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical storie ...

. One of Dosetai's sermons praises

alms Alms (, ) are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty. Providing alms is often considered an act of virtue or Charity (practice), charity. The act of providing alms is called almsgiving, and it is a widespread p ...

giving, interpreting Psalms 17:15 thus: "Through charity shall I see thy face, and enjoy thy sight on awakening".

Dosetai b. Judah

A tanna of the late 2nd century CE. Several of his

halakhic ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...

teachings are recorded. and he transmitted those of Shimon bar Yochai. Once Dosetai's opinion was opposed to that of Judah ha-Nasi, the patriarch. Four interpretations of Deuteronomy 32 bear his name.

Dosetai of Kokaba

A contemporary of

. He asked Meir what was meant by the verse, "The belly of the wicked shall want", and Meir answered by relating an incident characteristic of the

's vain and intemperate love of pleasure. According to another version of this story, Meir was the questioner and Dosetai the narrator. It is unnecessary to assume that "Dosetai" is here a generic term, meaning a Dosithean.

''Amora''s - Talmud rabbis in the Land of Israel

Dosetai

The father of Apotriki or Patriki, perhaps the same Patriki or Patrik who is mentioned as the brother of Derosa.

Dosetai the Elder

Dosetai the Elder is mentioned with a younger Dosetai. He is probably the Dosetai frequently referred to in

midrash ''Midrash'' (;"midrash"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. he, מִדְרָשׁ; ...

ic literature as having handed down the teachings of Samuel b. Naḥman and of Levi.

Dosetai of Biri

An amora who lived in the

Land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Isra ...

of the early 4th century. Ulla, a native of Biri (thought to be Baram) in

Galilee Galilee (; he, הַגָּלִיל, hagGālīl; ar, الجليل, al-jalīl) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and Lower Galil ...

, once addressed a halakhic question to him. The

Babylonian Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...

contains three interpretations of Scripture from Dosetai's sermons, which were perhaps handed down in the schools of Babylon by Ulla, who had emigrated from the Land of Israel. One of these refers to Numbers 10:36; another, to

I Samuel The Book of Samuel (, ''Sefer Shmuel'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Samuel) in the Old Testament. The book is part of the narrative history of Ancient Israel called the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books (Joshu ...

22:1 et seq.; while the third is an original exposition showing how

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

(in Psalms 19:13 et seq.) gradually begs forgiveness for his sins, like a Samaritan peddler unfolding his wares one after the other. Palestinian sources do not mention Dosetai of Biri.Bacher, "Ag. Pal. Amor." iii. 695; Krauss, in '' Monatsschrift'', xli. 561

References

* {{given name Mishnah rabbis Talmud rabbis of the Land of Israel Judean people