Jose ben Joezer

Who is Jose ben Joezer?

Yose ben Yoezer was a rabbi of the early Maccabean period, possibly a disciple of Antigonus of Soko and member of the ascetic group known as the Hasidæans, though neither is certain. He belonged to a priestly family.

With him and Jose ben Johanan of Jerusalem, his colleague, begins the period known in Jewish history as that of the zugot, which ended with Hillel and Shammai. According to an old tradition, the member of the "zugot" mentioned first occupied the office of Nasi of the Sanhedrin, while the one mentioned second served in the capacity of vice-president.

Yose belonged to the party of the Ḥasidim, and was a decided adversary of Hellenism. To prevent Jews from settling beyond Judea he declared all heathen countries "unclean". He declared also glass utensils unclean, probably because they were manufactured in heathen countries. In other respects, however, he was very liberal, and received the surname "Sharaya" for having rendered three liberal decisions on certain ritual questions

The first halakic controversy known in the Talmud was that between Yose ben Yoezer and his colleague Yose ben Johanan.