Honi HaMe'agel

right|thumb|200px|Gravestone of Honi

Honi HaMe'agel () was a 1st-century BC Jewish scholar prior to the age of the tannaim, the scholars from whose teachings the Mishnah was derived.

During this period, a variety of religious movements and splinter groups developed amongst the Jews in Judea. Several individuals claimed to be miracle workers in the tradition of Elijah and Elisha, the ancient Jewish prophets. The Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds both provide examples of such Jewish miracle workers, including Honi, such as in Jerusalem Talmud Taanit 3:10, 66d and Babylonian Talmud Taanit 19a; 23a.

Circle drawing incident

thumb|250px|Tomb of Honi HaMe'agel's grandsons in [[Hatzor HaGlilit, Galilee]]

His surname is derived from an incident in which, according to the Babylonian Talmud, his prayer for rain was miraculously answered. On one occasion, when God did not send rain well into the winter (in Israel, it rains mainly in the winter), Honi drew a circle in the dust, stood inside it, and informed God that he would not move until it rained. When it began to drizzle, Honi told God that he was not satisfied and expected more rain; it then began to pour. He explained that he wanted a calm rain, at which point the rain calmed to a normal rain.

He was almost put into herem (excommunication) for the above incident in which he showed "dishonor" to God, as if he had imposed himself upon God. However, Simeon ben Shetach, the brother of Salome Alexandra, queen regnant of Hasmonean Judah, excused him, saying that Honi had a special relationship with God.

Two variations of this story appear in the Talmud, in Taanit 19a and 23a.

Extended sleep story

Two variations of a story are recorded—in the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds—in which Honi fell asleep for decades before awakening. The story provides a Jewish version on the theme of a person or persons (as the Seven Sleepers) sleeping for many decades and waking to find a changed world—a theme originating in the story of Epimenides—found in many divergent cultures and traditions, and in modern times associated especially with the Rip Van Winkle story.

In the Babylonian Talmud (Carob tree story)

The Babylonian Talmud tells the following story, in which Honi slept for 70 years, before awaking and then dying:

Descendants

The Babylonian Talmud Taanit 23b:8 refers to Honi as the maternal grandfather of Hanan ha-Nehba. The Babylonian Talmud Taanit.23a.18 says Abba Hilkiah is the paternal grandson of Honi.

In the Jerusalem Talmud

In the Jerusalem Talmud, the circle-drawing story is notably missing (except in the Mishnah), and the sleep theme does not manifest as the carob story. Instead, the story is about Honi sleeping in a cave for seventy years, then returning to see that the Temple in Jerusalem had been rebuilt, where he was able to prove his identity:

Unlike the Babylonian Talmud story, the account in the Jerusalem Talmud does not describe Honi's death. This more closely resembles the Epimenides sleep story in which Epimenides can pass on his message. According to one source, this difference could be specifically because of the two pieces this story is based on: Honi's death in Josephus and the Epimenides sleep theme. The idea would be that in the Jerusalem Talmud's case, the author more closely followed the Epimenides story to get their point across, while in the Babylonian Talmud, the author had a more metaphorical approach to his death in Josephus.

The Babylonian Talmud records a different story of his death, as part of the aforementioned carob tree story. Scholars like Maharsha reconcile the accounts by suggesting that Josephus reflects popular belief, while the Talmud preserves the true story, using synthesis to harmonize the narratives. Rabbi Jehiel Heilprin in Seder HaDoroth proposes that there were two figures named Honi, one from each account, effectively resolving the contradiction. Modern scholars like Zvi Ron allegorize the Talmudic story, interpreting it as a moral lesson about the consequences of refusing to mediate conflict, while Moshe Simon-Shoshan rejects the Talmudic account as ahistorical, viewing it as a literary construct. Likewise, Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein paper demonstrates how different approaches (such as synthesis, allegorization, and rejection) can be used to address discrepancies in rabbinic historical accounts, highlighting the flexibility and creativity required to reconcile rabbinic and external sources.

Honi's grave is found near the town of Hatzor HaGlilit in northern Israel.

His Yahrzeit is 5 Iyar.

Explanation of the word HaMe'agel

"HaMe'agel" in Hebrew means "circle maker". Samuel Klein suggested that the term "circle maker" relates to Honi's profession as a roofer (in Hebrew Me'agel). It was customary for sages in the Talmud to be called by their profession. Rollers for compressing plaster and mud on roofs during the Hellenistic period were found at Mount Gerizim. In the time of Honi, these rollers are the tools of the trade for a me'agel/circle maker/roofer. The Mishna in Maakot 2:1 calls this roofer a "circle maker" ("me'agel"). The term circle maker has a double meaning - profession and a label to describe Honi's drawing circles to interact with God.

Seder HaDoroth however, writes that the name is toponymic, as Honi was from a town named Maglu (see Seder HaTanna'im VehaAmora'im).