Symmachus ben Joseph

Symmachus ben Joseph was a Jewish Tanna sage of the fifth generation.

Biography

Rabbi Meir is considered his main teacher. After R. Meir died, and despite R. Judah ben Ilai's reluctance to teach R. Meir's students, Symmachus joined R. Judah ben Ilai's class and debated halakhic matters with him.
Symmachus' brilliance was described as follows:

Teachings

He is quoted five times in the Mishna: three times his teachings appear, and twice he quotes an opinion of Rabbi Meir.
He is best known for the following disagreement about judgment in a case of monetary dispute:
Later opinions differ on which situations Symmachus intended for his rule to apply.

Relation to other individuals named Symmachus

Some have tried to identify him with Symmachus the translator, but this view has been generally rejected. In Epiphanius' treatise On Weights and Measures, a certain Symmachus is said to have converted to Judaism from the Samaritan religion at the time of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius who is also called Verus. Rabbi Meir would have been his contemporary.