Johanan ben Nappaha

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Johanan ben Nappaha was a follower of Judah ha-Nasi, and believed it to be his duty to carry on the writing of the Jerusalem Talmud. He started a school in Tiberias, and let anybody in if they wanted to learn, a contraversial move at the time. He laid the foundations for the Yerushalmi (Jerusalem Talmud) and gives many traditions relating to the destruction of the Second Temple.

His colleague, Simeon ben Lakish, was also his brother-in-law. He was the first person to disagree with some of the Mishnah and want it changed. He was a very independent man and a creative thinker.

Eleazar ben Pedat succeeded Johanan ben Napaha as head of the Tiberias school .