is a Greek Given Name meaning "gift of God". It was extremely popular in late classical Judea and among Jewish communities in Egypt, and corresponds to the Hebrew ''"Mattaniah"'' or ''"Nethaneel,"'' which seems to have been a favorite one both in Palestine and in Alexandria (Josephus, "Ant." xiii. 9, § 2; xiv. 10, § 18; xv. 6, § 2). It has been borne by the following:
- , a pupil of Shammai ('Orlah ii. 5).
- , a Tanna mentioned in a Baraita (Ber. 7b; Meg. 6b) as the author of a Haggadah sentence, which in another place (Derek Ereẓ, ii.) is ascribed to '''Dosetai b. Judah'''. According to Yoma 30b, an Amora , also named , handed down a sentence of Johanan's; but the correct reading is ''"Justai b. Matun,"'' which is found in the parallel passage, Zeb. 99a, and is confirmed by the Jerusalem Talmud (Yer. B. K. vii. 6a). On Abba Jose B. Dosetai see Bacher, "Ag. Tan." ii. 388.
- , the father of Apotriḳi or Patriḳi. (Ḥul. 64b; compare B. M. 5a). He is perhaps the same Patriḳi or Patriḳ who is mentioned as the brother of Derosa (Yer. Yoma iv. 41d). Dosetai the Elder (Yer. Ned. x. 42b; Yer. Hag. i. 76d), mentioned with a younger Dosetai. He is probably the Dosetai frequently referred to in Midrash ic literature as having handed down the sentences of Samuel B. Naḥman and of Levi (Bacher, "Ag. Pal. Amor." i. 488, 492, 503; ii. 431; iii. 695).
- : Tanna of the latter half of the second century, known especially as having handed down sentences of the tannaim Meïr, Jose b. Ḥalafta, and Eleazar b. Shammu'a. On a journey to Babylon he was ill-treated at shall I see thy face, and enjoy thy sight on awakening" (B. B. 10a).
- In a later Midrashic legend (Tan., Wayesheb, 2; Pirḳe R. El. xxxviii.) is the name of one of the two teachers sent by the Assyrian king to convert the pagans who had settled in Israel (later on, the Samaritan s). The name was probably suggested by its similarity to that of the Samaritan sect of the Dositheans (Bacher, "Ag. Tan." ii. 385-387). Compare Dositheus .
- was a Tanna of the latter half of the Second Century CE . He was the author of several Halakhic sentences (see B. Ḳ. 83b; Ḳid. 69a, and parallels) and transmitted those of Simon B. Joḥai . On one occasion Dosetai's opinion was opposed to that of Judah Ha-Nasi , the patriarch ('Ar. 30a). Four interpretations of Deut. xxxii. bear his name (Sifre, Deut. 306, 309, 318, 320; comp. Bacher, "Ag. Tan."ii. 390 et seq.).
- was Palestinian amora of the early part of the fourth century. 'Ulla , a native of Biri in Galilee, once addressed a halakic question to him ('Ab. Zarah 40a). The Babylonian Talmud contains three interpretations of Scripture from Dosetai's sermons, which were perhaps handed down in the schools of Babylon by 'Ulla, who had come up from Palestine. One of these refers to Num. x. 36 (B. Ḳ. 83a; compare Sifre to Num. lxxxiv., and the Baraita, Yeb. 64a); another, to I Sam. xxii. 1 et seq. ('Er. 45a);, while the third is an original exposition showing how David in Ps. xix. 13 et seq. gradually begs forgiveness for his sins, like a Samaritan pedler unfolding his wares one after the other (Sanh. 107a). Palestinian sources do not mention Dosetai of Biri (Bacher, "Ag. Pal. Amor." iii. 695; Krauss, in "Monatsschrift," xli. 561).
- was a contemporary of the tanna Meïr. He asked the latter what was meant by the sentence, "The belly of the wicked shall want" (Prov. xiii. 25), and Meïr answered by relating an incident characteristic of the Pagan 's vain and intemperate love of pleasure (Pesiḳ. vi. 59b; Pesiḳ. R. xxvi. 82b; Midr. Mishle xiii. 25 instead of Kokaba, Be-Yeshebab is mentioned as the home of Dosetai ; Tan., Pinḥas, 13; Num. R. xxi.). According to another version of this story, Meïr was the questioner and Dosetai the narrator. It is unnecessary to assume (compare Oppenheim in Berliner's '"Magazin," i. 68, and Goldberg in "Ha-Maggid," xii. 62) that "Dosetai" is here a generic term, meaning a Dosithean (Bacher, "Ag. Tan." ii. 32).J. Sr. W. B.
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