Jochanan Bar-napacha

Jochanan Bar-Napacha, a distinguished rabbi, was born in Judaea about A. D. 170. He is said to have studied under Judah Hakkodesh and other Jewish teachers, and is believed to have formed a school of his own at Tiberias when quite a youth. His history, like that of all other distinguished rabbis of that period has been so intermingled with extraordinary legends that it is well nigh impossible to arrive at anything definite concerning his life. So much appears certain, that he lived to a very old age, instructing very nearly to his last hour (in 279). He is by some Hebraists supposed to have collected all the works written on the Jerusalem Talmud (q.v.); but this seems unreasonable. See J. Fürst, Biblioth. Judaica, 2:94, 99; Grätz, Geschichte der Juden, 4, 285 sq. SEE JUDAH HAK-KODESH. (J.H.W.)