Editing Shammai (section)

== History ==
Shammai, along with [[Hillel the Elder|Hillel]] his contemporary, took on oversight of the [[Sanhedrin]] sometime after [[Abtalion]] and [[Shemaiah (scholar)|Shemayah]] relinquished power.<ref>[[Max Radin]], "Roman Knowledge of Jewish Literature", ''The Classical Journal'', vol. 13, no. 3 (Dec., 1917), p. 164 (note 2) concludes: "From the combination Pollio and Sameas, in the passage quoted, it is evident that Josephus had in mind the pair Abtalyon and Shemayah, who preceded Hillel and Shammai as heads of the Sanhedrin ([[Mishnah]] ''[[Pirkei Avot|Avot]]'' 1:10)."</ref> Shammai's school of thought became known as the [[House of Shammai]] ({{langx|he|בית שמאי}}, ''Beit Shammai''), as Hillel's was known as the [[House of Hillel]] (''Beit Hillel''). After [[Menahem the Essene]] resigned from the office of [[Av Beit Din]] (or vice-president) of the Sanhedrin, Shammai was elected to it, Hillel being at the time [[Nasi (Hebrew title)|Nasi (president)]]. After Hillel died, circa 10 CE, Shammai took his place as president, but no vice-president from the minority was elected so that the school of Shammai attained complete ascendancy.  During this time Shammai passed "18 ordinances" in conformity with his ideas. The [[Talmud]] states that when he passed one of the ordinances, contrary to the opinion of Hillel, the day "was as grievous to Israel as the day when the [[Golden calf|[golden] calf]] was made".<ref>''[[Shabbat (Talmud)|Shabbat]]'', 17a</ref> According to most opinions, the ordinances, which are listed in an appendix to the ArtScroll edition of the [[Mishnah]] of tractate [[Shabbat (Talmud)|Shabbos]], dealt with ritual purity of the [[Terumah]] and increased separation between Jews and [[Gentile|Gentiles]].