Names of Rabbis in Pirkei Avot
Articles > Names

Names of Rabbis in Pirkei Avot

Compiled by Yehoshua ben Haim haYerushalmi (MKA Zachary Kessin)

© 2002-2003 Zachary Kessin

Pirkei Avot is one of 64 chpaters of the Mishna, the compilation of the Jewish Oral Law. Pirkei Avot was compiled the second century and in many Jewish communities is read on Sabbath afternoons in the spring and summer. Avot contains the saying on ethics of approximately sixty Rabbis who lived from just before the common era to about the second century.
These names represent a mix of classical Hebrew and Aramaic names as well as some Greek names like Antigonus. Some of these names did enter the cannon of classical Jewish names like Hillel and other like Yehudah are directly out of the Bible.
Antigonus
Shimon haTzadick
Yose Ben Yoezer
Yes Ben Yochanan
Yehoshua ben Perachyah
Nittai of Arbel (haArbel)
Yehudah ben Tabbai
Shimon ben Shatach
Shemayah
Avtalyon
Shammai
Gamliel
Shimon Ben Gamliel
Chanania ben Akashia
Yahuda haNassi The Prince
Yochanan Ben Zakkai
Eliezer ben Hyrkanos
Yehoshua ben Chanania
Yose haKohen
Shimon ben Nesanel
Elazar Ben Arach
Abba Shaul
Tarfon
Akavia ben Mahalalel
Chania ben Tradyon
Nechunia ben HaKaneh
Chalafta ben Dosa
Elazar of Bartosa
Yaakov
Dotai bar Yannai
Meir
Chanina Ben Dosa
Dosa Ben Harkinas
Elazar the Meda'ite
Yishmael
Akiva
Elazer ben Azariah
Eliezer ben Chisma
Ben Zoma
Ben Azzai
Levitas of Yavneh
Yochanan ben Beroka
Yishmael bar Yose
Tzadok
Yonsan
Eliezer ben Yaakov
Yochanan the Sandler
Elazar ben Shanna
Nehorai
Yannai
Masya ben Charash
Shmuel haKattan the small
Elisha ben Avuya
Yose bar Yehudah
Meir
Elaer haKappar
Yehudah ben Tema
Ben Bag Bag
Yehoshua ben Levi
Shimon ben Yochai
Yose ben Kisma

Sources

Zlotwitz, Rabbi Meir , "Perkei Avot. Ethics of the Fathers/ A New Translation with a Concise Commentary Anthologized from the Classical Rabibinic Sources",(New York, Artscroll Mesorah Publications , 1984).