Joshua ben Gamla (), also called Jesus the son of Gamala (), was a Jewish high priest in about 64-65 CE. He was killed during the

First Jewish–Roman War The First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE), sometimes called the Great Jewish Revolt ( he, המרד הגדול '), or The Jewish War, was the first of three major rebellions by the Jews against the Roman Empire, fought in Roman-controlled ...

. While the

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 ce ...

refers to Joshua ben Gamla, the earlier Greek works of

Josephus Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for '' The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly ...

Flavius call him ''Γαμάλα μὲν υἱὸς Ἰησοῦς'' (''Gamala men huios Iesous'') a semitism for: ''The son of Gamala, Jesus''. Joshua married the rich widow

Martha Martha (Hebrew: מָרְתָא‎) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness ...

of the high-priestly family Boethus and was appointed High Priest by

Herod Agrippa II Herod Agrippa II (; AD 27/28 – or 100), officially named Marcus Julius Agrippa and sometimes shortened to Agrippa, was the last ruler from the Herodian dynasty, reigning over territories outside of Judea as a Roman client. Agrippa II fled ...

. According to Talmudic sources, Martha bribed a "King Jannai" into appointing Joshua High Priest with a tarkab of denarii. This cannot refer to

Alexander Jannaeus Alexander Jannaeus ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξανδρος Ἰανναῖος ; he, ''Yannaʾy''; born Jonathan ) was the second king of the Hasmonean dynasty, who ruled over an expanding kingdom of Judea from 103 to 76 BCE. A son of John Hyrcanus, ...

, who reigned 150 years earlier and was himself the High Priest, but may refer to King Agrippa II as is mentioned in the Talmudic notes. The two lots used on the

Day of Atonement Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day's o ...

, hitherto of boxwood, he made of gold. Joshua did not remain long in office, being forced, after a year, to give way to Mattathias ben Theophilus. Although Joshua himself was not a scholar, he was solicitous for the instruction of the young, and provided schools in every town for children over five years of age, earning thereby the praises of posterity. The Talmud states, "Joshua b. Gamala came and ordained that teachers of young children should be appointed in each district and each town, and that children should enter school at the age of six or seven." He is therefore regarded as the founder of the institution of formal Jewish education. Although no longer High Priest, Joshua remained one of the leaders of Jerusalem. Together with another former high priest,

Ananus ben Ananus Ananus ben Ananus (Hebrew: ''Hanan ben Hanan'' Greek: "Ananos son of Ananos" var: Ananias, la, Anani Ananus or ), d. 68 CE, was a Herodian-era High Priest of Israel in Jerusalem, Iudaea Province. He was the High Priest who ordered the exe ...

, and other men of rank, he opposed, without success, the election of

Phinehas b. Samuel Phannias ben Samuel (in Hebrew: פנחס בן שמואל ''Pinhas ben Shmuel'') (c. 70 CE) was the last Jewish High Priest, the 83rd since Aaron According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septua ...

(68) as high priest.

reports that Joshua was an "intimate friend", who reported a plot to replace Josephus as general of Galilee to Josephus' father. Because his father wrote to him of the plot, Josephus was able to resist it. Joshua attempted peaceably to prevent the fanatic and pugnacious Idumeans from entering

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

during the

Zealot Temple Siege The Zealot Temple Siege (68 AD) was a short siege of the Temple in Jerusalem fought between Jewish factions during the First Jewish–Roman War (66–70 AD). According to the historian Josephus, the forces of Ananus ben Ananus, one of the heads ...

. After they had come into possession of the city, these fanatics took bloody vengeance on him, killing both him and Ananus as traitors to their country (68).

Identification

Scholars have argued that Joshua ben Gamla of the Talmud is the same high priest from the days of the destruction, and that the priesthood was acquired from

.Isaac Hirsch Weiss
דור דור ודורשיו
Part I, Page 182

References

* {{High Priests of Judaism 1st-century High Priests of Israel Mishnah rabbis 1st-century rabbis People of the First Jewish–Roman War