Page 35 - A Walk to Caesarea / Joseph Patrich

A Walk to Caesarea: A Historical-Archaeological Perspective 21

Our information about this new period, in the early days of which almost no Jews
remained in Caesarea, is scant, and it is derived for the most part from studies
and general information about the way a colony was administered. In addition,
interesting pieces of information are scattered in the Rabbinic sources, both about
the time of Hadrian as well as from the third century on, with the renewal and
establishment of a new Jewish community in the city under the leadership of Rabbi
Hoshaiah and Rabbi Abbahu (d. 309). Rabbi Abbahu would sit, adjudicate, and
teach in the synagogue over which the Great Revolt broke out (kenishta d’maradtha).
He was well versed both in Scripture and Mishnah (Eccl. Rabba 7:18).

In Praise of Rabbi Abbahu

“When Rabbi Abbahu came from the academy to Caesar’s (i.e. the Caesarean governor) court, the ladies
of the court went out to receive him and sang to him: ‘Great man of thy people, leader of thy nation,
lantern of light, thy coming be blessed with peace’” (BT, Sanhedrin 14a, tr. Shachter, p. 66; Ketubot 17a,
p. 93).

His Death

“When Rabbi Abbahu’s soul rested [i.e., when he expired and died], the columns of Qesari let down tears”
(BT, Moᶜed Qatan 25b

Greek was a common language among the Jews, even in synagogue prayers:

Recitation of the Shemᶜa in Greek in the Caesarea Synagogue

“Rabbi Levi bar H. aitah went to Caesarea. He heard them read Shemᶜa in Greek. He wanted to stop them
from doing so. Rabbi Yosé heard and was angered. He said, Should I say, ‘He who does not know how to
read them in Assyrian letters [of Hebrew], should not read them at all’? Rather one fulfills his obligation in
any language which he knows” (JT, Sota VII, 21b, tr. Neusner, p. 176).

The abundance enjoyed by the city is reflected in the following passage, which
speaks of the plethora of types of baked goods there:

“R. Eleazar b. R. Jose also said in the name of R. H. ananiah b. R. Abbahu: A woman of Caesarea once took
her son to a baker and said to him, ‘Teach my son the trade.’ He replied to her, ‘Let him stay with me five
years and I will teach him five hundred confections with wheat’’’ (Lamentation Rabbah [ed. Buber], 3:6,
tr. A. Cohen, p. 196).

At the same time, the Christian community became firmly established. It was well
known for its library and academy under the leadership of Origen and afterwards
of Pamphilus. Origen (c. 185–c. 254), was a teacher at the Alexandria academy
from c. 202. In 231/2, the patriarch turned against him, and Origen took refuge