Knowledge of Greek Literature
Abbahu was an authority on weights and measures (Yer. Terumot v.43c). He encouraged the study of Greek by Jews. He learned Greek himself in order to become useful to his people and Shimon, then under the Roman proconsuls, that language having become, to a considerable extent, the rival of the Hebrew even in prayer (Yer. Sotah, vii.21b). In spite of the bitter protest of Simon b. Abba, he also taught his daughters Greek (Yer. Shab. vi.7d; Yer. Sotah, ix.24c; San. 14a). Indeed, it was said of Abbahu that he was a living illustration of the maxim (Ecc. vii.18; compare Targum), "It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this ; yea, also from that withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all" (Ecc. R. to vii.18).
Read more about this topic: Abbahu
Famous quotes containing the words knowledge of, knowledge, greek and/or literature:
“The satirist is prevented by repulsion from gaining a better knowledge of the world he is attracted to, yet he is forced by attraction to concern himself with the world that repels him.”
—Italo Calvino (1923–1985)
“Philosophical questions are not by their nature insoluble. They are, indeed, radically different from scientific questions, because they concern the implications and other interrelations of ideas, not the order of physical events; their answers are interpretations instead of factual reports, and their function is to increase not our knowledge of nature, but our understanding of what we know.”
—Susanne K. Langer (1895–1985)
“The uppermost idea with Hellenism is to see things as they really are; the uppermost ideas with Hebraism is conduct and obedience. Nothing can do away with this ineffaceable difference. The Greek quarrel with the body and its desires is, that they hinder right thinking; the Hebrew quarrel with them is, that they hinder right acting.”
—Matthew Arnold (1822–1888)
“There are people whom even children’s literature would corrupt. They read with particular enjoyment the piquant passages in the Psalter and in the Wisdom of Solomon.”
—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)