Saint Gamaliel was a prominent Pharisee and renowned legal scholar during the New Testament era, known for his profound influence in Jewish religious affairs.
The Bible’s book of Acts, specifically in Acts 5:34, describes him as counseling the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish tribunal, to spare the lives of Saint Peter and the Apostles. They had defied Jewish authorities by continuing to preach, and despite potential backlash, the Sanhedrin heeded Gamaliel’s advice due to his high standing and authority.
It’s also in the Acts, specifically Acts 22:3, that we discover Saint Paul was a student of Gamaliel. However, the exact extent and nature of his influence on the future apostle remain unclear. Many believe Gamaliel is the same person as a respected Jewish legal scholar with the same name, who passed away eighteen years before Jerusalem’s destruction. Like his grandfather, Hillel, this Gamaliel was known as “the Elder” in the Talmud and was the first to be honored with the title “Rabban,” or “our master.”
According to the Talmud, Gamaliel played a crucial role in the Jewish high tribunal and initiated numerous legal ordinances. He had a son named Simeon, named after his own father, and a daughter who married a priest named Simon ben Nathanael. The Talmud states that Gamaliel remained a Pharisee until his death, leading to the declaration, “When he died, the honour of the Torah (the law) ceased, and purity and piety became extinct.”
Interestingly, early ecclesiastical traditions suggest that Gamaliel might have secretly converted to Christianity while still serving on the Sanhedrin, discreetly supporting his fellow Christians. Photius, a notable scholar, suggests that Gamaliel, along with his son and Nicodemus, was baptized by Saint Peter and Saint John. According to legend, Gamaliel’s body, said to be miraculously discovered in the fifth century, is currently preserved in Pisa, Italy.
Photo credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
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