Rabbi Abahu רבי אבהו

Caesarea in Rabbi Abahu's day was the Roman capital of the province and the chief place where the Jewish community lived face to face with power and with the new faith. Rabbi Abahu headed the study and the community there, knew Greek and taught it to his daughters, had access to the governor—and used it for the community's affairs.

Hence a distinct layer of his sayings: answers to the minim, as the Talmud calls hostile disputants, most often the Christians of Caesarea. To the argument that God might come into the world as a man he replies: "If a man says ‹I am God› he lies; ‹I am the son of man› he will regret it; ‹I ascend to heaven› he will not fulfil it" (Jerusalem Talmud, Taanit 2:1).

To him also belong words on a scholar's modesty: when he was honoured he would say it was not for him, and explain by the parable of the log that is bowed to because it burns. And the famous saying: "In the place where the penitent stand, the wholly righteous do not stand" (Berakhot 34b).

He was wealthy—he traded in silk—and supported the study from his own means.