Avtalyon אבטליון
av beit din of the fourth pair, teacher of Hillel
Avtalyon is the second of the fourth pair, beside Shemaiah, and with him a teacher of Hillel and Shammai.
His saying in Avot 1:11 is addressed not to the student but to the teacher: «Sages, be careful with your words, lest you incur the guilt of exile and be exiled to a place of evil waters; and the disciples who follow after you will drink and die, and the Name of Heaven will be profaned.» The point is that a teacher's imprecise word can lead his students where there is no return.
Yoma 71b preserves a scene showing what that position cost. The crowd escorting the High Priest on Yom Kippur left him and followed Shemaiah and Avtalyon instead. One of the priests called after them: «Let the sons of the nations go in peace.» The answer came: «Let the sons of the nations who do the work of Aaron go in peace — and let the son of Aaron who does not do the work of Aaron not go in peace.»
A descendant of converts, head of the court, and teacher of the man who would become the measure of all later tradition — Avtalyon stands in the chain exactly where Jewish learning passes from the age of the Temple to the age of the Mishnah. His exact dates are unknown.
On the timeline
Sources
Chazal: Mishnah, Talmud, midrash, Zohar
- Mishnah Avot 1:4–1:12 — the list of the five pairs and each man's saying
- Mishnah Chagigah 2:2 — who in each pair was nasi and who av beit din, and the dispute over laying hands on a festival
- Yoma 71b — the crowd leaving the High Priest to follow them, and the reply about «sons of the nations»
- Gittin 57b — the tradition of descent from converts
Basis: Talmud and midrash.