Nasi

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For the Arab month by this name, see Nasi (month).
Also the Malay/Indonesian word for rice. (e.g. Nasi goreng)
Not to be confused with Nazi.

Nāśī’ (נָשִׂיא) is a Hebrew term meaning, roughly, "Prince", in Biblical Hebrew, or "President," in Modern Hebrew.

During the Second Commonwealth period the Nasi was the highest ranking member of and presided over the Sanhedrin, including when it sat as a criminal court. The position was created in about 191 BCE when the Sanhedrin lost confidence in the ability of the High Priests to serve as its head. The Romans recognised the Nasi as "Patriarch of the Jews", and required all Jews to pay a tax for the upkeep of that office, which ranked high in the Roman official hierarchy.

Gamaliel VI was the last Nasi. He was executed in 425 by Emperor Theodosius II who also suppressed the office of patriarch thereafter. The patriarch's tax was diverted to the imperial treasury in 426.

Certain great figures from the Jewish history are referred to by this title, e.g., Judah haNasi.

In modern Hebrew, Nasi means primarily "President", and is not used in its ancient meaning (the word for Prince is now "Nasich"). It is used as the Hebrew equivalent of "President" (Prime Minister is "Rosh Memshala").

Under Jewish law (halakha), the intercalary 13th month Adar Bet in the Hebrew calendar was announced by the Nasi.

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz is currently the Nasi of an attempt to re-establish Judaism's High Court and Minor Courts.

[edit] Nasi of the Sanhedrin

The office of Nasi was created in 191 BCE to act as the head of the Sanhedrin. Before 191 BCE the High Priest acted as the ex officio head of the Sanhedrin.

The office has been filled as follows:

Rabban was a higher title than Rabbi, and it was given to the Nasi starting with Rabban Gamaliel Hazaken (Gamaliel the Elder). The title Rabban was limited to the descendants of Hillel, the sole exception being Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai, the leader in Jerusalem during the siege, who safeguarded the future of the Jewish people after the Great Revolt by pleading with Vespasian. Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah, who was also Nasi, was not given the title Rabban, perhaps because he only held the position of Nasi for a short while and it eventually reverted to the descendants of Hillel. Prior to Rabban Gamliel Hazaken, no titles were used before someone's name, based on the Talmudic adage "Gadol miRabban shmo" ("Greater than the title Rabban is a person's own name"). For this reason Hillel has no title before his name: his name in itself is his title, just as Moses and Abraham have no titles before their names. (An addition is sometimes given after a name to denote significance or to differentiate between two people with the same name. Examples include Avraham Avinu (Abraham our father) and Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher).) Starting with Rabbi Judah haNasi (Judah the Nasi), often referred to simply as "Rabbi", not even the Nasi is given the title Rabban, but instead, Judah haNasi is given the lofty title Rabbeinu HaKadosh ("Our holy rabbi [teacher]").

[edit] See also

Modern attempts to revive the Sanhedrin

[edit] External links

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