HILLEL, one of the most celebrated of the Jewish Rabbis, was descended on his mother's side from King David ; but his father belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. His birth is placed by Bartolocci ('Biblioth. Rabinic.; voL p. 784) in a.m. 3648 (n.o. 112), which agrees with the account of Jerome, who says that he lived shortly before the birth of Christ. According to Jewish tradition he was born in Babylon. At the age of forty be went to Jerusalem, where he applied himself to the study of the law, and became so eminent for his sanctity and knowledge that he was appointed president of the Sanhedrim at the age of eighty. He continued to discharge his duties as president for forty years; he died at the advanced age of 120.
Hillel is not mentioned by Josephus ; but it has been supposed that he must have been the same as Pollio, or the high-prieet Hananeel.
The disciples of Hillel were very numerous, amounting, according to tradition, to 1000, of whom one of the most eminent was Jonatbau Ben the author of the Chaldee paraphrase upon the prophets.
The decisions of Erne' on several points in the Jewish law differed from those of Shammai, vice-president of the Sanhedrim; and the disciples of each frequently disturbed the peace of Jerusalem by their divisions and quarrels. liillel's party at length prevailed, in conse quence it is said of a bath kol,' that is, a voice pretended to come from heaven. The decisions of Hillel are supposed to have been the ground-work of the Mishna.
Another rabbi of the name of Hillel, the son of Rabbi Jude Nasi, and a descendant of Hillel, of whom we have spoken above, who lived in the 4th century of the Christian era, is said to have established the present calendar of tho Jewish year.