Nathan the Babylonian

R. Nathan ha - Babli ( Natan of the Babylonians - not to be confused with the historian of the 10th century ) was a Jewish scholar of antiquity, is counted among the Tannaim of the fourth generation and worked in the second century AD.

He was time and office contemporary of R. Simeon b. Gamaliel III. and Rabbi Meir.

R. Natan was known as ha - Babli because he was originally from Babylonia, came at the time of Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel II from there to Palestine. At whose court he served important functions together with R. Meir. A, undertaken in collaboration with Meir disempowerment attempt of Patriarch failed, the two were excluded from further meetings of the Sanhedrin, but soon called back because of their extraordinary scholarship. Your doctrines but had to be handed down from then anonymous ( Natan = some think; Meir = others think ). Some time later, a reconciliation between Natan and the Patriarch took place.

R. Natan often found herself in dispute with Judah ha - Nasi. The Abot de Rabbi Natan attributed review of Abot is occasionally attributed to him. He is also the author of the Baraita Mem tet middot be ( Mathematical and Haggadisches containing ). On the editorial board of the Mishnah Natan had in any case due to the use of his texts by Judah ha - Nasi larger share.