Vers. 34. A Pharisee named Gamaliel, a Doctor of the Law, had in reputation among all the People.
This was Pauls Tutor, Acts 22. 3. the son of Simeon, that took Christ into his arms, Luke 2. and the Grandchild of famous Hillel. He is called Gamaliel the Elder, for there were two others of the same name, one his Grandchild, the other his great Grandchild in the fifth descent; and he is always called Rabban Gamaliel, and so likewise were those two his Grandchildren intitled. These being three of the seven, that only carried this title Rabban. A title which was of the highest eminency and note, of any title among their Doctors, and that very title the weth the great reputation he had among the people. In the Talmudick Writers there is very frequent mention of Rabban Gamaliel, but scarcely distinguishing which of the three they mean; yet so much to be collected out of them, as to confute that forgery of Lucians Epistle (which yet Baronius hath graced with this Te∣stimonial: Narrat Lucianus in ea quam totus Christianus orbis recepit Epistola) that Gamaliel became a most zealous Christian, and professor of the Gospel; that he received Nicodemus when the Jews had ••ast him out; and that he buried the body of Stephen, and held a solemn mourning for him seventy days.
In Pirke Abhoth. Perek. 1. this saying is ascribed to this Gamaliel, among the several Adagies of those Doctors 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Procure thy self a tutor, and get thee out of doubting, and do not multiply to pay thy tithes by conjecture.
He is held to have died 18 years before the destruction of the City, or about 22 years after this, and Onkelos the Targumist of the Law is reported to have burnt threescore and ten pound of Frankincense for him being dead: And by this it is more than a conjecture, that he died not a Christian, but lived and died in his Pharisaical opinions, and pro∣fession.