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Akiva ben Joseph (Mishnaic Hebrew: עֲקִיבָא בֶּן יוֹסֵף, ʿĂqīḇāʾ ben Yōsēp̄; c. 50 – 28 September 135 CE), also known as Rabbi Akiva (רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא), was a leading Jewish scholar and sage, a tanna of the latter part of the first century and the beginning of the second century.
- Rabbinic Achievements
- Martyrdom
- Books About Rabbi Akiva
Akiva developed as a sage during the period after the destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE), a time of transformation for the Jewish community as Rabbinic Judaism began to take shape. Since the Temple no longer served as the focal point of Jewish life, the Sages (who later became known as rabbis) reconstructed Judaism with Torah study at its cen...
Though Rabbinic Judaism would ultimately take the place of the Temple, during the period after the destruction of the Second Temple Jews still hoped and prayed that the Temple might be rebuilt. This hope eventually took the form of military resistance to the Roman Empire’s oppressive anti-Jewish laws. Shimon bar Kosiva, also known as Bar Kochba, le...
Holtz, Barry W. Rabbi Akiva: Sage of the Talmud(2017) Hammer, Reuven. Akiva: Life, Legend, Legacy(2015) Nadich, Judah. Rabbi Akiba and his Contemporaries(1998)
Rabbi Akiva was one of the most prolific and inspiring teachers of Judaism, who formed a crucial link in the chain of transmission of Jewish tradition that began with Moses and continues to this very day.
- He Started as a Poor Shepherd. The descendant of converts to Judaism, Akiva began as a poor and ignorant shepherd tending the flocks of Kalba Savua, one of the wealthiest men in Jerusalem in the waning years of the Second Temple.
- His Father-in-Law Disowned Him. When Kalba Savua caught wind of Rachel’s choice, he swore that the young couple would not benefit from his wealth, and they started their home in a barn filled with straw and little else.
- He Left Home for 24 Years. Despite their meager means, Rachel wholeheartedly encouraged Akiva to leave home for 24 years to study Torah in yeshivah at the feet of Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua.
- A Water-Worn Rock Inspired Him at Age 40. Forty years old and entirely unlearned, Akiva observed how the water of a well had eroded a stone and arrived at the following conclusion: If the soft water can carve the hard stone, the solid words of Torah can surely penetrate my mind.
Learn about the life, teachings, and legacy of Rabbi Akiva, a prominent Tanna and leader of the Mishna. Explore his role in the Bar Kochba rebellion, his martyrdom, and his influence on Jewish law and tradition.
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What does Akiva ben Yosef do?
Akiva ben Yosef (born 40 ce —died c. 135, Caesarea, Palestine [now in Israel]) was a Jewish sage, a principal founder of rabbinic Judaism. He introduced a new method of interpreting Jewish oral law (Halakha), thereby laying the foundation of what was to become the Mishna, the first postbiblical written code of Jewish law.
Learn about the life and legacy of Rabbi Akiva, the national hero of the Jewish people and the symbol of every man who studies Torah and rises above his limitations. Discover how he became a scholar, a leader, a teacher, and a martyr, and how he influenced the Talmudic sages and the Jewish people.
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