1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Tanna

by Israel Abrahams

TANNA (Aramaic, "teacher"). The root teni or tena corresponds philologically to the Hebrew shana, from which comes the word Mishnah (see Midrash and Talmud), the great Rabbinic code which (with certain parts of the Midrash and other Rabbinic books) was the main literary product of the activity of the tannaim (plural of tanna). The term tanna is used in the Talmud of those teachers who flourished in the first two centuries of the Christian era. The tannaim from the date of the destruction of the Temple may be grouped: (1) 70-100, representative name Johanan ben Zaqqai (q.v.); (2) 100-130, representative name Aqiba {q.v.); (3) 130-160, representative name Judah the Prince, compiler of the Mishnah. The successors of the lannaim were called 'amor aim (see 'Amora).

See W. Bacher, Die Agada der Tannaiten. An alphabetical list of tannaim and 'amoraim is given in the Jewish Encyclopedia, xii. 49-54.

(I. A.)