JOSE (Joseph), ABBA, BEN DOSITAI (Dosai; Derosai; Dosa):

Palestinian tanna of the second century; mentioned as both halakist and haggadist. He transmitted a halakah of R. Jose the Galilean (Tosef., Ta'an. ii. 6). His haggadot consist chiefly of reconciliations between contradictory Biblical passages, almost all of them being transmitted by Rabbi (Judah I.). A series of them is in the Sifre to Num. 42; they are reproduced in Num. R. xi. 19, and single haggadot occur in Sanh. 52a, Yoma 22a, Zeb. 116b, and elsewhere. Lev. R. xxiv. 3 and Tan., Ḳedoshim, 9, preserve a demon-story the hero of which is called Jose of Ẓitor; while according to Midr. Teh. to Ps. xx. 7, where the same story occurs, the hero is Abba Jose b. Dositai.

Bibliography:
  • Bacher, Ag. Tan. ii. 388;
  • idem, Ag. Pal. Amor. ii. 450;
  • Heilprin, Seder ha-Dorot, ii.
S. S. M. Sel.
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