Rabbi Hananya Burned Alive While the Letters Flew Upward

Exempla of the Rabbis, No. 67

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·March 24, 2026

67. Uananya b. Ter ady on’s Martyrdom.

Aboda Zara, f. 17 b to 18a.

Semahot, ch. 8; 12.

cf. Hekhalot in Jellinek, B. H. Ill, p. 88.

Maas. Kallah, end. Mass. Semahot, ch. 8. Sifre, Deut. § 305, f. 129a.

Midr. Ele Ezkera Jellinek, B. H. II, p. 68 and ibid. VI, 28ff. Midr. Hagadol, Gen. To- ledot.

Lament. R. 3 § 6.

Zunz, G. V2, p. 150 f. Tendlau, Sagen 3, No. 7. Singer in Z. V. Vlksd. II, P- 295.

Codd. G. 130 No. 63;

184, No. 150.

(See No. 288.)

Themes

Repentance Martyrdom Torah War Fire

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Exempla of the Rabbis (Gaster, 1924)Martyrdom of Qananya bThe martyrdom of Rabbi Hananya ben Teradyon is among the most harrowing passages in all of rabbinic literature. The Talmud (Avodah Zarah 17b-18a) describes his Exempla of the Rabbis (Gaster, 1924)Martyrdom of Hananya bWhen the Romans decreed that teaching Torah was punishable by death, Rabbi Hananya ben Teradyon did not stop. He gathered his students in the open, placed a Tor Ben SiraBen Sira's Warning Against Self-DeceptionIt's precisely those moments that the wisdom of Ben Sira addresses with such piercing clarity. This ancient text, part of the Apocrypha, pulls no punches when i Ben SiraGold's RepentanceHis wisdom, preserved in the book of Ben Sira, a book considered part of the Apocrypha by some, but a treasure trove of practical ethics nonetheless, cuts right Ben SiraDavid Shattered the Horn of the PhilistinesBen Sira, in his wisdom, offers us a glimpse into the very heart of David's reign. "And he went against the Philistine foe, and to this day shattered their horn Book of JubileesThe Eternal Prohibition Against Eating BloodThe Book of Jubilees, a text bubbling with rich detail expanding on the Torah’s narratives, dives headfirst into this very topic. This isn’t just a suggestion;