Mourning the Last Parthian King
About This Entry
In this talmudic passage, Rav mourns Ardavan, presumably referring to the last Parthian emperor, Artabanus IV (r. 213–224 CE). The account attributes the same words to Rav as are attributed to the patriarch Judah the Prince (called simply Rabbi) regarding a figure named Antoninus—most likely a reference to the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius (r. 138–161 CE), although there are historical problems with this identification. The claim that these imperial figures actually served the rabbis is pure fantasy, and indeed, the relationship between Judah and Antoninus is the subject of some particularly imaginative talmudic storytelling.
Antoninus attended to Rabbi. Ardavan attended to Rav. When Antoninus died, Rabbi said, “The bond has been snapped.” When Ardavan died, Rav said, “The bond has been snapped.”
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.
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In this talmudic passage, Rav mourns Ardavan, presumably referring to the last Parthian emperor, Artabanus IV (r. 213–224 CE). The account attributes the same words to Rav as are attributed to the patriarch Judah the Prince (called simply Rabbi) regarding a figure named Antoninus—most likely a reference to the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius (r. 138–161 CE), although there are historical problems with this identification. The claim that these imperial figures actually served the rabbis is pure fantasy, and indeed, the relationship between Judah and Antoninus is the subject of some particularly imaginative talmudic storytelling.
Related Guide
Parthian and Sasanian Iran in History and Memory
You may also like
Samuel and King Shapur
Rava and the Queen Mother
b. Niddah 20b