The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2276 page)

(2nd cent. CE)
. Jewish
tanna
. Simeon bar Yo
ai was a student of R.
Akiva
, and was vigorous in his opposition to the Romans. Surviving the
Bar
Kokhba revolt, he ‘revived the
Torah
at that time’ (
B.Yev
. 62b). He was betrayed to the Romans and was forced to live in hiding for twelve years. After he emerged, he established a
yeshivah
in Tekoa. He is traditionally credited with the authorship of the
Zohar
. Kabbalists remember his death on the festival of Lag Ba-Omer.

 
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(1st cent. CE)
.
Nasi
of the Jewish
Sanhedrin
. He presided over the Sanhedrin during the period of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, and is remembered for his moderate leadership. He is traditionally included among the
Ten Martyrs
.

 
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(early 2nd cent. CE)
. Jewish
nasi
. Simeon ben Gamaliel II was the son of Rabbi
Gamaliel I
and father of
Judah ha-Nasi
. After the
Bar
Kokhba revolt, he went into hiding, but was appointed nasi at the second meeting of the
Sanhedrin
after the revolt. He was known for his humility (
BBM
84b), and many halakhot are preserved in his name in the
Mishnah
.

 
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see
SYMEON
.

 
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(
c.
390–459)
. First of the Christian
stylites
. He began as a monk in the monastery of Eusebona near Antioch, then moved to Telanissos, where after several years as an
anchorite
, he mounted a pillar; this was at first close to the ground, but the height was eventually raised to 18 m. He lived there until he died, occupied in prayer and worship. Feast day, 1 Sept. in the E., 5 Jan. in the W.

 
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