To get back to this thread after a long absence, I have more sources in hand for these individuals:
Boethus (בייתוס)
Talmud, Pesachim 57a: .... 57a It was taught, Abba Saul said: There were sycamore treetrunks in Jericho, and the men of violence seized them by force, [whereupon] the owners arose and consecrated them to Heaven. And it was of these and of such as these that Abba Saul ben Bothnith said in the name of Abba Joseph ben Hanin: 'Woe is me because of the house of Boethus [בייתוס]; woe is me because of their staves! Woe is me because of the house of Hanin; woe is me because of their whisperings! Woe is me because of the house of Kathros (= Cantheras?); woe is me because of their pens! Woe is me because of the house of Ishmael the son of Phabi; woe is me because of their fists! For they are High Priests and their sons are [Temple] treasurers and their sons-in-law are trustees and their servants beat the people with staves.' ....
Martha the daughter of Boethus (מרתא בת בייתוס)
Mishnah, Yevamot 6.4: 4 A High Priest may not marry a widow (refer to Leviticus 21.14) whether she became a widow after a betrothal or after marriage. He shall not marry a bogeret [one over twelve years and six months of age]. Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Shimon permit him to marry one who is a bogeret, but he may not marry one who is wounded [id est, one who lost her hymen as the result of a blow]. If he [a common priest] betrothed a widow, and was subsequently appointed High Priest, he may consummate the marriage. It once happened with Yehoshua ben Gamla that he betrothed Martha the daughter of Baytos [who was a widow], the king appointed him High Priest, and he, nevertheless, consummated the marriage. If a shomeret yavam became subject to a common priest who was subsequently appointed High Priest, [the latter,] though he already addressed to her a ma'amar [the equivalent of betrothal by yibum, he] must not consummate the marriage. A High Priest whose brother died [without issue] must submit to halitzah and may not contract the levirate marriage [his sister-in-law, being a widow, is forbidden to him].
Talmud, Kethuboth 104a: 104a .... Said Abaye to R. Joseph. [Is it logical that] the poorest woman in Israel [should be allowed to recover her kethubah] only within twenty-five years and
Martha the daughter of Boethus [מרתא בת בייתוס] also only within twenty-five years? The other replied: In accordance with the camel is the burden. ....
Talmud, Gittin 56a: 56a .... The biryoni [בריוני] were then in the city. The Rabbis said to them, "Let us go out and make peace with them [the Romans]." They would not let them, but on the contrary said, "Let us go out and fight them." The Rabbis said, "You will not succeed." They then rose up and burnt the stores of wheat and barley so that a famine ensued. Martha the daughter of Boethius [מרתא בת בייתוס] was one of the richest women in Jerusalem. She sent her manservant out saying, "Go and bring me some fine flour." By the time he went it was sold out. He came and told her, "There is no fine flour, but there is white." She then said to him, "Go and bring me some." By the time he went he found the white flour sold out. He came and told her, "There is no white flour but there is dark flour." She said to him, "Go and bring me some." By the time he went it was sold out. He returned and said to her, "There is no dark flour, but there is barley flour." She said, "Go and bring me some." By the time he went this was also sold out. She had taken off her shoes, but she said, "I will go out and see if I can find anything to eat." Some dung stuck to her foot and she died. Rabban Johanan ben Zakkai applied to her the verse, "The tender and delicate woman among you which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground (= Deuteronomy 28.56a). Some report that she ate a fig left by R. Zadok, and became sick and died. For R. Zadok observed fasts for forty years in order that Jerusalem might not be destroyed, [and he became so thin that] when he ate anything the food could be seen [as it passed through his throat.] When he wanted to restore himself, they used to bring him a fig, and he used to suck the juice and throw the rest away. When Martha was about to die, she brought out all her gold and silver and threw it in the street, saying, "What is the good of this to me?" thus giving effect to the verse, "They shall cast their silver in the streets." ....
Talmud, Yoma 9a: 9a .... Rabbah ben Bar Hana said: What is the meaning of the passage, The fear of the Lord prolongeth days,' but the years of the wicked shall be shortened? 'The fear of the Lord prolongeth days' refers to the first Sanctuary, which remained standing for four hundred and ten years and in which there served only eighteen high priests. 'But the years of the wicked shall be shortened' refers to the second Sanctuary, which abided for four hundred and twenty years and at which more than three hundred [high] priests served . Take off therefrom the forty years which Simeon the Righteous served, eighty years which Johanan the high priest served, ten, which Ishmael ben Fabi served, or, as some say, the eleven years of R. Eleazar ben Harsum. Count [the number of high priests] from then on and you will find that none of them completed his year [in office]. [Bah, in his marginal notes, inserts on the basis of text on parallel passages the following interpolation here: R, Johanan ben Torta said: And why all that? Because they bought the priestly office for money, for R. Assi reported that Martha, the daughter of Boethus, brought King Jannai two kabful of denars to nominate Joshua ben Gamala as one of the high priests. And R. Johanan ben Torta said (further).] ....
Talmud, Yoma 18a: 18a .... It is quite right that [they assume] perchance he has forgotten, but that he never learnt, do we ever appoint men of that type? Surely it has been taught: And the priest that is highest among his brethren, that means he should be highest among his brethren in strength, in beauty, in wisdom, and in riches. Others say: Whence do we know that if he does not possess [any wealth], his brethren, the priests, endow him? To teach us that it says: 'And the priest who is great by reason of his brethren,' that is, make him great from what his brethren have? R. Joseph said: That is no difficulty. One refers to the first Temple, the other to the second, for R. Assi said: A tarkabful of denars did Martha, the daughter of Boethus give to King Jannai to nominate Joshua ben Gamala as one of the high priests.
Mary the daughter of Boethus (מרים בת בייתוס)
Midrash, Lamentations Rabbah 1.47: 47 It happened that when
Mary the daughter of Boethus [מרים בת בייתוס] was betrothed to
Yehoshua ben Gamla [יהושע בן גמלא], the king appointed him to be the High Priest, and they were married. Once, she said: I will go and see him (the High Priest) when he reads (the Torah) on Yom Kippur in the Temple. They laid out carpets for her from the entrance of her house to the gateway of the Temple so that her feet not be exposed (to the ground), even so, her feet were exposed.... R.Elazar b. Tzadok said: May I not live to see the consolation (of Jerusalem), if I did not see her hair tied to the tails of horses as they ran from Jerusalem to Lod. I applied this verse to her: ‘She who is most tender and dainty among you, so tender and dainty that she would never venture to set a foot on the ground shall begrudge the husband of her bosom, and her son and daughter [Deuteronomy 28.56].’ [
Link 1.
Link 2. Mary may simply be a scribal error for Martha.]
Joazar & Eleazar/Lazarus the sons of Boethus
Josephus, Antiquities 17.13.1 §339-341: 339 Ἀρχέλαος δὲ τὴν ἐθναρχίαν παραλαβὼν ἐπεὶ εἰς Ἰουδαίαν ἀφικνεῖται, Ἰωάζαρον τὸν Βοηθοῦ ἀφελόμενος τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην ἐπικαλῶν αὐτῷ συστάντι τοῖς στασιώταις Ἐλεάζαρον τὸν ἐκείνου ἐπικαθίσταται ἀδελφόν. 340 ἀνοικοδομεῖ δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐν Ἱεριχοῦντι βασίλειον ἐκπρεπῶς, τῶν τε ὑδάτων ὁπόσα Νεαρὰν τὴν κώμην ὠφελεῖ ἐπιρρέοντα ἐξ ἡμισείας ἀπέστρεψεν ἐπαγωγὴν αὐτῷ ποιούμενος τῷ πεδίῳ φοίνιξιν ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ πεφυτευμένῳ, κώμην τε κτίσας Ἀρχελαΐδα ὄνομα αὐτῇ τίθεται. 341 καὶ τοῦ πατρίου παράβασιν ποιησάμενος Γλαφύραν τὴν Ἀρχελάου μὲν θυγατέρα, Ἀλεξάνδρου δὲ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ γαμετὴν γενομένην, ἐξ οὗ καὶ τέκνα ἦν αὐτῇ, ἀπώμοτον ὂν Ἰουδαίοις γαμετὰς ἀδελφῶν ἄγεσθαι, γαμεῖ. διατρίβει δὲ οὐδὲ ὁ Ἑλεάζαρος ἐν τῇ ἱερωσύνῃ ἐπικατασταθέντος αὐτῷ ζῶντι Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Σεὲ παιδός. / 339 When Archelaus was entered on his ethnarchy, and was come into Judea, he accused Joazar, the son of Boethus, of assisting the seditious, and took away the high priesthood from him, and put Eleazar his brother in his place. 340 He also magnificently rebuilt the royal palace that had been at Jericho, and he diverted half the water with which the village of Neara used to be watered, and drew off that water into the plain, to water those palm trees which he had there planted: he also built a village, and put his own name upon it, and called it Archelais. 341 Moreover, he transgressed the law of our fathers and married Glaphyra, the daughter of Archelaus, who had been the wife of his brother Alexander, which Alexander had three children by her, while it was a thing detestable among the Jews to marry the brother's wife. Nor did this Eleazar abide long in the high priesthood, Jesus, the son of Sie, being put in his room while he was still living.
Simon the son of Boethus
Josephus, Antiquities 17.4.2 §78: 78 κατηγορεῖτο δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως ἡ θυγάτηρ, γυνὴ δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως, ὡς πάντων ἵστωρ τούτων γενομένη κρύπτειν προθυμηθεῖσα αὐτά. καὶ διὰ τάδε Ἡρώδης ἐκείνην τε ἐξέβαλεν καὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς ἐξήλειψε τῶν διαθηκῶν εἰς ὃ βασιλεύσοι μενουσῶν, καὶ τὸν πενθερὸν τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην ἀφείλετο Σίμωνα τὸν τοῦ Βοηθοῦ, καθίσταται δὲ Ματθίαν τὸν Θεοφίλου Ἱεροσολυμίτην γένος. / 78 The high priest's daughter (= Mariamne) also, who was the king's wife, was accused to have been conscious of all this, and had resolved to conceal it; for which reason Herod divorced her, and blotted her son out of his testament, wherein he had been mentioned as one that was to reign after him; and he took the high priesthood away from his father-in-law, Simeon the son of Boethus, and appointed Matthias the son of Theophilus, who was born at Jerusalem, to be high priest in his room.
Josephus, Antiquities 19.6.2 §297-298: 297 Ἐντελῶς δ᾽ οὖν θρησκεύσας τὸν θεὸν Ἀγρίππας Θεόφιλον μὲν τὸν Ἀνάνου τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης μετέστησεν, τῷ δὲ Βοηθοῦ Σίμωνι, τούτῳ Κανθηρᾶς ἐπίκλησις ἦν, τὴν ἐκείνου προσένειμε τιμήν. δύο δ᾽ ἦσαν ἀδελφοὶ τῷ Σίμωνι καὶ πατὴρ Βοηθός, οὗ τῇ θυγατρὶ βασιλεὺς συνῴκησεν Ἡρώδης, ὡς ἀνωτέρω δεδήλωται. 298 σὺν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς οὖν τὴν ἱερωσύνην ἔσχεν ὁ Σίμων καὶ σὺν τῷ πατρί, καθὰ καὶ πρότερον ἔσχον οἱ Σίμωνος τοῦ Ὀνία παῖδες τρεῖς ὄντες ἐπὶ τῆς τῶν Μακεδόνων ἀρχῆς, ὅπερ ἐν ταῖς προαγούσαις γραφαῖς παρέδομεν. / 297 And when Agrippa had entirely finished all the duties of the Divine worship, he removed Theophilus, the son of Ananus, from the high priesthood, and bestowed that honor of his on Simon the son of Boethus, whose name was also Cantheras whose daughter king Herod married, as I have related above. 298 Simon, therefore, had the [high] priesthood with his brethren, and with his father, in like manner as the sons of Simon, the son of Onias, who were three, had it formerly under the government of the Macedonians, as we have related in a former book.
Josephus, Antiquities 19.8.1 §338: 338 ταῦτα Ἀγρίππας ἀνιαρῶς ἐξεδέχετο: καὶ Μάρσῳ μὲν ἐκ τούτου διαφόρως ἔσχεν, τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην δὲ Ματθίαν ἀφελόμενος ἀντ᾽ αὐτοῦ κατέστησεν ἀρχιερέα Ἐλιωναῖον τὸν τοῦ Κιθαίρου παῖδα. / 338 This was very ill taken by Agrippa, who after that became his enemy. And now he took the high priesthood away from Matthias, and made Elioneus, the son of Cantheras, high priest in his stead.
Nakdimon/Nicodemus the son of Gorion (נקדימון בן גוריון)
Talmud, Ta'anith 19b-20a: 19b .... Our Rabbis have taught: Once it happened when all Israel came up on pilgrimage to Jerusalem that there was no water available for drinking. Thereupon Nakdimon ben Gurion [נקדימון בן גוריון] approached a certain [heathen] lord and said to him, "Loan me twelve wells of water for the Pilgrims and I will repay you twelve wells of water; and if I do not, I will give you instead twelve talents of silver," and he fixed a time limit [for repayment]. When the time came [for repayment] and no rain had yet fallen the lord sent a message to him in the morning, "Return to me either the water or the money that you owe me." Nakdimon replied, "I have still time; the whole day is mine." At midday he sent to him a message, "Return to me either the water or the money that you owe me." Nakdimon replied, "I still have time today." In the afternoon he sent to him a message, "Return to me either the water or the money that you owe me." Nakdimon replied, "I still have time today." Thereupon the lord sneeringly said to him, "Seeing that no rain has fallen throughout the whole year will it then rain now?" Thereupon he repaired in a happy mood to the baths. Meanwhile, whilst the lord had gone gleefully to the baths, Nakdimon entered the Temple depressed. He wrapped himself in his cloak and stood up to pray. He said, "Master of the Universe! It is revealed and known before You that I have not done this for my honor nor for the honor of my father's house, but for Your honor have I done this in order that water be available for the Pilgrims." Immediately the sky became covered with clouds and rain fell until the twelve wells were filled with water and there was much over. As the lord came out of the baths Nakdimon ben Gurion came out from the Temple and the two met, and Nakdimon said to the lord, "Give me the money for the extra water that you have received." The latter replied, "I know that the Holy One, blessed be He, disturbed the world but for your sake, yet my claim against you for the money still holds good, for the sun had already set and consequently the rain fell in my possession." Nakdimon thereupon again entered the Temple and wrapped himself in his cloak and stood up to pray and said, "Master of the Universe! Make it known that You have beloved ones in Your world." Immediately the clouds dispersed and the sun broke through. Thereupon the lord said to him, "Had not the sun broken through I would still have had a claim against you entitling me to exact my money from you." It has been taught, "
His name was not Nakdimon but Boni and he was called Nakdimon because the sun had broken through [
nikdera] on his behalf." The Rabbis have taught, "For the sake of three the sun broke through: Moses, Joshua and Nakdimon ben Gurion." Now of Nakdimon we know from the above tradition; of Joshua too we know from Scripture where it is written, "And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed," and the rest; but of Moses whence do we know this? R. Eleazar said, "We deduce it from an inference from the analagous use of the word
ahel. Here it is written, 'I will begin [
ahel] to put the dread of you,' and elsewhere it is written, 'I will begin [
ahel] to magnify you.'" R. Samuel ben Nahmani said, "From an analogous use of the word
teth. Here it is written, 'I will begin to put [
teth] the the dread of you,' and elsewhere it is written, 'In the day when the lord delivered [
teth] up the Amorites,' and the rest." R. Johanan said, "It can be derived from the verse itself, 'Who, when they hear the report of you, shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.' When did they tremble and were in anguish before Moses? When the sun broke through for Moses."
Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 43a: 43a .... Our Rabbis taught, “Yeshu had five disciples: Matthai, Nakai, Nezer,
Buni, and Todah. When Matthai was brought he said to them, ‘Shall Matthai be executed? Is it not written, “When [Matthai] shall I come and appear before God” (= Psalm 42.3)?’ Thereupon they retorted, ‘Yes, Matthai shall be executed, since it is written, “When [Matthai] shall [he] die and his name perish” (= Psalm 41.6).’ When Nakai was brought in he said to them, ‘Shall Nakai be executed? Is it not written, “The innocent [Naki] and the righteous do not slay” (= Exodus 23.7)?’ ‘Yes,’ was the answer, ‘Nakai shall be executed, since it is written, “In secret places does the innocent [Naki] slay” (= Psalm 10.8).’ When Nezer was brought in, he said, ‘Shall Netzer be executed? Is it not written, “And a twig [Netzer] shall grow forth out of his roots” (= Isaiah 11.1)?’ ‘Yes,’ they said, ‘Netzer shall be executed, since it is written, “But you are cast forth away from thy grave like an abhorred branch [Netzer]” (= Isaiah 14.19).’ When
Buni was brought in, he said, ‘Shall
Buni be executed? Is it not written, “My son [Beni], my first born” (= Exodus 4.22)?’ ‘Yes,’ they said, ‘
Buni shall be executed, since it is written, “Behold, I will slay your son [Bineka], your firstborn” (= Exodus 4.23).’ And when Todah was brought in, he said to them, ‘Shall Todah be executed? Is it not written, “A psalm for thanksgiving [Todah]” (= Psalm 100.1)?’ ‘Yes,’ they answered, ‘Todah shall be executed, since it is written, “Whosoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving [Todah] honored me” (= Psalm 50.23).’”
Talmud, Gittin 56a: 56a .... He then sent against them Vespasian the Caesar who came and besieged Jerusalem for three years. There were in it three men of great wealth, Nakdimon ben Gorion [נקדימון בן גוריון], Ben Kalba Shabua' and Ben Zizith Hakeseth. Nakdimon ben Gorion was so called because the sun continued shining for his sake. Ben Kalba Shabua 'was so called because one would go into his house hungry as a dog [keleb] and come out full [sabea']. Ben Zizith Hakeseth was so called because his fringes [zizith] used to trail on cushions [keseth]. Others say he derived the name from the fact that his seat [kise] was among those of the nobility of Rome. One of these said to the people of Jerusalem, I will keep them in wheat and barley. A second said, I will keep them in wine, oil and salt. The third said, I will keep them in wood. The Rabbis considered the offer of wood the most generous, since R. Hisda used to hand all his keys to his servant save that of the wood, for R. Hisda used to say, A storehouse of wheat requires sixty stores of wood [for fuel]. These men were in a position to keep the city for twenty-one years. The
biryoni [בריוני] were then in the city. The Rabbis said to them, "Let us go out and make peace with them [the Romans]." They would not let them, but on the contrary said, "Let us go out and fight them." The Rabbis said, "You will not succeed." They then rose up and burnt the stores of wheat and barley so that a famine ensued. Martha the daughter of Boethius [מרתא בת בייתוס] was one of the richest women in Jerusalem. She sent her manservant out saying, "Go and bring me some fine flour." By the time he went it was sold out. He came and told her, "There is no fine flour, but there is white." She then said to him, "Go and bring me some." By the time he went he found the white flour sold out. He came and told her, "There is no white flour but there is dark flour." She said to him, "Go and bring me some." By the time he went it was sold out. He returned and said to her, "There is no dark flour, but there is barley flour." She said, "Go and bring me some." By the time he went this was also sold out. She had taken off her shoes, but she said, "I will go out and see if I can find anything to eat." Some dung stuck to her foot and she died. Rabban Johanan ben Zakkai applied to her the verse, "The tender and delicate woman among you which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground (= Deuteronomy 28.56a). Some report that she ate a fig left by R. Zadok, and became sick and died. For R. Zadok observed fasts for forty years in order that Jerusalem might not be destroyed, [and he became so thin that] when he ate anything the food could be seen [as it passed through his throat.] When he wanted to restore himself, they used to bring him a fig, and he used to suck the juice and throw the rest away. When Martha was about to die, she brought out all her gold and silver and threw it in the street, saying, "What is the good of this to me?" thus giving effect to the verse, "They shall cast their silver in the streets."
Abba Sikra [אבא סקרא]
the head of the biryoni [ריש בריוני] in Jerusalem was the son of the sister of Rabban Johanan ben Zakkai. [The latter] sent to him saying, "Come to visit me privately." When he came he said to him, "How long are you going to carry on in this way and kill all the people with starvation?" He replied, "What can I do? If I say a word to them, they will kill me." He said, "Devise some plan for me to escape. Perhaps I shall be able to save a little." He said to him, "Pretend to be ill, and let everyone come to inquire about you. Bring something evil smelling and put it by you so that they will say you are dead. Let then your disciples get under your bed, but no others, so that they shall not notice that you are still light, since they know that a living being is lighter than a corpse." He did so, and R. Eliezer went under the bier from one side and R. Joshua from the other. When they reached the door, some men wanted to put a lance through the bier. He said to them, "Shall [the Romans] say, 'They have pierced their Master?'" They wanted to give it a push. He said to them, "Shall they say that they pushed their Master?" They opened a town gate for him and he got out. When he reached the Romans he said, "Peace to you, O king, peace to you, O king." He [Vespasian] said, "Your life is forfeit on two counts, one because I am not a king and you call me king, and again, if I am a king, why did you not come to me before now?" He replied, "As for your saying that you are not a king, in truth you are a king, since if you were not a king Jerusalem would not be delivered into your hand, as it is written, 'And Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.' Mighty one [is an epithet] applied only to a king, as it is written, 'And their mighty one shall be of themselves,' and the rest; and Lebanon refers to the Sanctuary, as it says, 'This goodly mountain and Lebanon.' As for your question, why if you are a king, I did not come to you till now, the answer is that the
biryoni [בריוני] among us did not let me." He said to him, "If there is a jar of honey round which a serpent is wound, would they not break the jar to get rid of the serpent?" He could give no answer. R. Joseph, or as some say R. Akiba, applied to him the verse, "He turneth wise men backward and maketh their knowledge foolish." He ought to have said to him, "We take a pair of tongs and grip the snake and kill it, and leave the jar intact." ....
Lamentations Rabbah 1.5.31: In Jerusalem there were four councillors, namely, ben Sisit, ben Gurion, ben Naqdimon, ben Kalba Shevua. Each of them was capable of supplying food for the city for ten years.
Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7.12.1: Three councillors were in Jerusalem, namely, ben Sisit Hakkeser, Naqdimon ben Gurion, and ben Kalba Shevua, each of whom was capable of supplying food for the city for ten years.
Mary the daughter of Nakdimon (מרים בת נקדימון)
Talmud, Kethuboth 66b-67a: 66b .... Rab Judah related in the name of Rab: It once happened that the daughter of Nakdimon ben Gorion was granted by the Sages an allowance of four hundred gold coins in respect of her perfume basket for that particular day, and she said to them, 'May you grant such allowances for your own daughters!' and they answered after her: Amen. Our Rabbis taught: It once happened that R. Johanan ben Zakkai left Jerusalem riding upon an ass, while his disciples followed him, and he saw a girl picking barley grains in the dung of Arab cattle. As soon as she saw him she wrapped herself with her hair and stood before him. 'Master,' she said to him, 'feed me'. 'My daughter,' he asked her, 'who are you?' 'I am,' she replied, 'the daughter of Nakdimon ben Gorion'. 'My daughter,' he said to her, 'what has become of the wealth of your father's house?' 'Master,' she answered him, 'is there not a proverb current in Jerusalem: "The salt of money is diminution?"' (Others read: Benevolence). 'And where [the Master asked] is the wealth of your father-in-law's house?' 'The one,' she replied, 'came and destroyed the other'. 'Do you remember, Master,' she said to him, 'when you signed my kethubah?' 'I remember,' he said to his disciples, 'that when I signed the kethubah of this [unfortunate woman], I read therein "A million gold denarii from her father's house" besides [the amount] from her father-in-law's house'. Thereupon R. Johanan ben Zakkai wept and said: 'How happy are Israel; when they do the will of the Omnipresent no nation nor any language-speaking group has any power over them; but when they do not do the will of the Omnipresent he delivers them into the hands of a low people, and not only in the hands of a low people but into the power of the beasts of a low people'. Did not Nakdimon ben Gorion, however, practice charity? Surely it was taught: It was said of Nakdimon ben Gorion that, when he walked from his house to the house of study, woollen clothes were 67a spread beneath his feet and the poor followed behind him and rolled them up! — If you wish I might reply: He did it for his own glorification — And if you prefer I might reply: He did not act as he should have done, as people say, 'In accordance with the camel is the burden.' ....
Possibly Related
Josephus, Wars 2.17.10 §451: 451 οἱ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἱκεσίαν ἁρπάσαντες ἀνέπεμψαν πρὸς αὐτοὺς Γωρίονά τε Νικομήδους υἱὸν καὶ Ἀνανίαν Σαδούκι καὶ Ἰούδαν Ἰωνάθου δεξιάν τε καὶ ὅρκους δώσοντας. ὧν γενομένων κατῆγεν τοὺς στρατιώτας ὁ Μετίλιος. / 451 The others readily complied with their petition, sent to them Gorion, the son of Nicodemus, and Ananias, the son of Sadduk, and Judas, the son of Jonathan, that they might give them the security of their right hands, and of their oaths; after which Metilius brought down his soldiers.
Possibly Unrelated
Josephus, Antiquities 14.3.2 §37: 37 Μετ᾽ οὐ πολὺ δὲ ἧκον πάλιν πρέσβεις πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἀντίπατρος μὲν ὑπὲρ Ὑρκανοῦ, Νικόδημος δὲ ὑπὲρ Ἀριστοβούλου, ὃς δὴ καὶ κατηγόρει τῶν λαβόντων χρήματα Γαβινίου μὲν πρότερον Σκαύρου δὲ ὕστερον, τοῦ μὲν τριακόσια τοῦ δὲ τετρακόσια τάλαντα, πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ τούτους ἐχθροὺς αὐτῷ κατασκευάζων. / 37 In a little time afterward came ambassadors again to him, Antipater from Hyrcanus, and Nicodemus from Aristobulus; which last also accused such as had taken bribes; first Gabinius, and then Scaurus: the one three hundred talents, and the other four hundred; by which procedure he made these two his enemies, besides those he had before.
Josephus, Wars 2.20.3 §563: Joseph also, the son of Gorion [Ἰώσηπός τε υἱὸς Γωρίονος], and Ananus the high priest, were chosen as governors of all affairs within the city, and with a particular charge to repair the walls of the city.
Josephus, Wars 4.3.9 §158-159: 158 And now the people could no longer bear the insolence of this procedure, but did all together run zealously, in order to overthrow that tyranny; 159 and indeed they were Gorion the son of Joseph [Γωρίων τε υἱὸς Ἰωσήπου], and Symeon the son of Gamaliel, who encouraged them, by going up and down when they were assembled together in crowds, and as they saw them alone, to bear no longer, but to inflict punishment upon these pests and plagues of their freedom, and to purge the temple of these bloody polluters of it.
Josephus, Wars 4.6.1 §357-358: 357 μάλιστα δ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἀνδρείαν τε καὶ εὐγένειαν ἐφόνων, τὴν μὲν φθόνῳ λυμαινόμενοι, τὸ δὲ γενναῖον δέει: μόνην γὰρ αὐτῶν ἀσφάλειαν ὑπελάμβανον τὸ μηδένα τῶν δυνατῶν καταλιπεῖν. 358 ἀνῃρέθη γοῦν σὺν πολλοῖς ἑτέροις καὶ Γουρίων, ἀξιώματι μὲν καὶ γένει προύχων, δημοκρατικὸς δὲ καὶ φρονήματος ἐλευθερίου μεστός, εἰ καί τις ἕτερος Ἰουδαίων: ἀπώλεσε δὲ αὐτὸν ἡ παρρησία μάλιστα πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις πλεονεκτήμασιν. / 357 But their thirst was chiefly after the blood of valiant men, and men of good families; the one sort of which they destroyed out of envy, the other out of fear; for they thought their whole security lay in leaving no potent men alive; 358 on which account they slew Gorion, a person eminent in dignity, and on account of his family also; he was also for democracy, and of as great boldness and freedom of spirit as were any of the Jews whosoever; the principal thing that ruined him, added to his other advantages, was his free speaking.
Lazarus, Mary, & Martha in the Gospels
John 11.1-57: 1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." 4 But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it." 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." 8 The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?" 9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." 11 This He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep." 12 The disciples then said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. 14 So Jesus then said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15 and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him." 16 Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, so that we may die with Him." 17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off; 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. 20 Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. 21 Martha then said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world." 28 When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, 34 and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?" 38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" 41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me." 43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." 44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." 45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. 47 Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, "What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. 48 If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish." 51 Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there to the country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there He stayed with the disciples. 55 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 So they were seeking for Jesus, and were saying to one another as they stood in the temple, "What do you think; that He will not come to the feast at all?" 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might seize Him.
John 12.1-17: 1 Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. 3 Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, 5 "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?" 6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. 7 Therefore Jesus said, "Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. 8 "For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me." 9 The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus. 12 On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, "Hosanna! Blessed it He Who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel." 14 Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, 15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." 16 These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. 17 So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him.
Luke 10.38-42: 38 Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."
Luke 16.19-31: 19 "Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20 And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 22 Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' 27 "And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers, in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 29 But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' 30 But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' 31 But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'"
Nicodemus in the Gospels
John 3.1-21: 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" 5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." 9 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?" 10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. 12 If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. 14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."
John 7.40-53: 40 Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, "This certainly is the Prophet." 41 Others were saying, "This is the Christ." Still others were saying, "Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?" 43 So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him. 44 Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him. 45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why did you not bring Him?" 46 The officers answered, "Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks." 47 The Pharisees then answered them, "You have not also been led astray, have you? 48 No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he? 49 But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed." 50 Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) said to them, 51 "Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?" 52 They answered him, "You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee." 53 Everyone went to his home.
John 19.38-42: 38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. 39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
Simon the Leper/Pharisee in the Gospels
Matthew 26.6-13: 6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. 8 But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? 9 For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. 11 For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. 12 For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. 13 Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”
Mark 14.3-9: 3 While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. 4 But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5 For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. 6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. 9 Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”
Luke 7.36-50: 36 Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, 38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” 49 Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” 50 And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Four Days Dead
Mishnah, Yevamot 16.3: 3 Testimony [regarding the identity of a deceased] is not accepted [in order to permit the widow to remarry], unless [afforded by] the full face including the nose, though there were also marks on the man's body or clothing. Testimony [regarding a man's death] is not accepted before his soul has departed; even though the witnesses have seen him [with his arteries] cut or hanged or being devoured by a wild beast. Testimony [regarding a man's death] is not accepted only [by those who saw the corpse] within three days [after death; afterwards, decomposition makes identification unreliable]. Rabbi Yehudah ben Baba, however, says; [Since] not all men, places, and seasons are alike [and each affects the speed of decomposition, therefore, it very much depends on the circumstances; the
halachah does not follow Rabbi Yehudah].
Midrash, Genesis Rabbah 100.7: 7 Bar Kappara taught, “Until three days [after death] the soul keeps on returning to the grave, thinking that it will go back [into the body]; but when it sees that the facial features have become disfigured, it departs and abandons it. Thus it says, 'But his flesh grieveth for him, and his soul mourneth over him' (Job 14.22).”
Midrash, Leviticus Rabbah 18.1: 1 For three days [after death] the soul hovers over the body, intending to reenter it, but as soon as it sees its appearance change, it departs, as it is written, “When his flesh that is on him is distorted, his soul will mourn over him” (Job 14.22).
