Antoninus and Judah the Prince

[Antoninus] had a certain daughter whose name was Gira, [who] performed a prohibited action, [i.e., she engaged in promiscuous intercourse. Antoninus] sent a rocket plant [gargira] to [Rabbi, to allude to the fact that Gira had acted promiscuously (gar). Rabbi] sent him coriander [(kusbarta), which Antoninus understood as a message to kill (kos) his daughter (barta), as she was liable to receive the death penalty for her actions. Antoninus] sent him leeks [(karti) to say: I will be cut off (karet) if I do so. Rabbi then] sent him lettuce [ḥasa, i.e., Antoninus should have mercy (ḥas) on her].

Every day [Antoninus] would send to [Rabbi] crushed gold in large sacks, with wheat in the opening of [the sacks]. He [would] say to [his servants]: Bring [this] wheat to Rabbi [and they did not realize that the bags actually contained gold]. Rabbi said to [Antoninus]: I do not need [gold, as] I have plenty. [Antoninus] said: [The gold] should be for those who will come after you, who will give it to the last ones who come after you. And those who descend from them will bring forth [the gold that I now give you and will be able to pay taxes to the Romans from this money].

[Antoninus] had a certain [underground] cave [from which there was a tunnel] that went from his house to the house of Rabbi. Every day he would bring two servants [to serve him]. He would kill one at the entrance of the house of Rabbi and would kill [the other] one at the entrance of his house, [so that no living person would know that he had visited Rabbi]. He said to [Rabbi]: When I come [to visit], let no man be found before you. One day, [Antoninus] found that R. Ḥanina bar Ḥama was sitting [there]. He said: Did I not tell you [that] when I come [to visit], let no man be found before you? [Rabbi] said to him: This is not a human being; [he is like an angel, and you have nothing to fear from him. Antoninus] said to [R. Ḥanina bar Ḥama]: Tell that servant who is sleeping at the entrance that he should rise and come. R. Ḥanina bar Ḥama went [and] found that [the servant Antoninus referred to] had been killed. He said [to himself]: How shall I act? If I go and tell [Antoninus] that he was killed, [this is problematic, as one should] not report distressing [news. If] I leave him and go, [then I would be] treating the king with disrespect. He prayed for [God to have] mercy and revived [the servant], and he sent him [to Antoninus. Antoninus] said: I know [that even] the least among you [can] revive the dead; but when I come [to visit] let no man be found before you, [even one as great as R. Ḥanina bar Ḥama].

Every day [Antoninus] would minister to Rabbi; he would feed him [and] give him to drink. When Rabbi wanted to ascend to his bed, [Antoninus] would bend down in front of the bed [and] say to him: Ascend upon me to your bed. [Rabbi] said [in response: It is] not proper conduct to treat the king with this much disrespect. [Antoninus] said: Oh, that I were set as a mattress under you in the World-to-Come! [On another occasion, Antoninus] said to [Rabbi: Will] I enter the World-to-Come? [Rabbi] said to him: Yes. [Antoninus] said to him: But isn’t it written: And there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau (Obadiah 1:18)? [Rabbi answered: The verse is stated] with regard to [those who] perform actions [similar to those] of [the wicked] Esau, [not to people like you]. This is also taught [in a baraita]: And there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau, [one] might [have thought that this applies] to everyone [descended from Esau, irrespective of an individual’s actions. Therefore,] the verse states: Of the house of Esau, [to indicate that the verse is stated only] with regard to [those who continue in the way of Esau, and] perform actions [similar to those] of Esau. [Antoninus] said to [Rabbi]: But isn’t it written [in the description of the netherworld]: There is Edom, her kings and all her leaders (Ezekiel 32:29)? [Rabbi] said to him: [The verse states:] “Her kings,” but not: All of her kings, [and likewise it states:] “All her leaders,” but not: All of her officers. [Some of them will merit the world to come.]