(47) Akiba ben Joseph (born about 50 C.E., died about 132) was the greatest of the _Tannaim_ (teachers mentioned in the _Mishnah_). He was a "proselyte of righteousness" (_ger tzedek_). Until middle age, he remained illiterate and averse to study, but was spurred on to become learned in the _Torah_ by the daughter of the rich Kalba Shabua, whom he subsequently married. He was the pupil of R. Eliezer ben Hyrcanos, R. Jochanan ben Chanania, and Nahum of Gimzo. He espoused the cause of Bar Kochba, acknowledging him as the Messiah, and is said to have travelled throughout the land stirring up opposition to Rome. At the fall of Betar, he was captured by the Romans, and most cruelly put to death, expiring with the _Shema_ upon his lips. R. Akiba definitely fixed the canon of the Old Testament. He compiled and systematized the traditional law, in this respect being the forerunner of R. Judah ha-Nasi (see chapter II, n. 1), whose _Mishnah_ may be considered as being derived from that of the school of Akiba. His importance may be gauged by the following statement from the _Talmud_, "Our _Mishnah_ comes directly from R. Meir (a disciple of Akiba), the _Tosefta_ from R. Nehemiah, the _Sifra_ from R. Judah, and the _Sifre_ from R. Simon; but they all took Akiba for a model in their works and followed him" (_Sanhedrin_, 86a). Akiba introduced a new method of interpreting Scripture, in which not a word, syllable, or letter was considered superfluous, finding thereby a basis for many oral laws. His hermeneutical and exegetical activities were remarkable. Many interesting legends have clustered around his name. See Bacher, _ibid._, 271-348; Meilziner, _Introduction to the Talmud_, pp. 29, 125-126; Isaacs, _Stories from the Rabbis_, p. 61 _et seq.;_ Danziger, _ibid._, pp. 152-184; the _Jewish Encyclopedia_, arts. _Akiba ben Joseph_ and _Akiba ben Joseph in Legend;_ Myers, _Story of the Jewish People_, pp. 171-188; and Geiger, _Judaism and its History_, p. 226 _et seq._, 230 _et seq._