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>> I actually agree with your sarcastic post; no such persons should be upheld. <<

Well, ThirdRuffian, if you actually take my sarcastic post #14 at face value, you are welcome to try and "investigate" why leading Rabbis did not publicly "speak out" against the Roman Empire's massacre of an estimated 100,000 Christians from roughly 64 A.D - 305 A.D. Christianity was an illegal religion in the empire at the time, whereas Judaism was perfectly legal and they were free to say what they wanted publicly, so why the "silence" when they could have done something?

I think you'll quickly discover that you're the only one who would demand an "explanation" for this, and if you started accusing famous Rabbis of that era of being sympathetic to Roman butchery and referred to them as "Nero's rabbis" you'd be laughed at (yet it's perfectly okay for people to call Pope Pius XII a cpyto-NAZI). Furthermore, if you demanded immediate access to all kinds of sacred jewish texts from that era in the name of "historic research" and they declined to give you carte blanche access to everything you wanted, you could try accusing Jewish officials of trying to "cover up and stonewall" the "truth" to protect the reputation of their famous historic leaders. Again, free free to try this because I'd be willing to bet money that you'd be ridiculed and people would suggest you're motivated by antisemitism when you try to pin Roman empire genocide on "the Jews" for being neutral at the time. No serious historian would take your efforts seriously.

Indeed, any rational person doesn't need to "investigate" this, because they're well aware of the fact that Jewish religious leaders could not have done anything to stop the Roman Empire's slaughter of Christians. Anyone with a half a brain would also deduct the fact that if a bunch of Jewish rabbis decided to go out of their way to loudly protest Christians being persecuted, the roman emperor would have been engaged at this "insolence" against the all-powerful empire ('who the hell do they think they are?') and responded by ordered a bunch of Jews to be throw to the lions as well. (which, of course, would have been the same result during World War II -- massive repercussions against Catholics and more dead Catholics, but no end or even slowing of the holocaust), if the Pope had publicly decided to poke his finger in Hitler's eye. Just as the Jews had no clout to dictate terms to an huge roman empire that viewed them as an annoyance, so did Vatican City when surrounded on all sides by a facist dictatorship during World War II.

The massacre of 100,000 Christians centuries ago is a tragic event in history, but we don't need to scapegoat another religion and blame them for the Romans crimes. It's unfortunate that Catholic bashers can't say the same about smearing good people over the Holocaust.

Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
(c.135 A.D.– 170 A.D.)

Rabbi Shimon was a “fifth-generation” Tanna, according to the classification of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz in “The Talmud – A Reference Guide,” who flourished in years 135 C.E. - 170 C.E.

He was one of the most eminent disciples of Rabbi Akiva, and is attributed by many with the authorship of the Zohar ("The Brightness"), the chief work of modern-day Jewish mysticism. In addition, the important legal homilies called Sifre and Mekhilta are attributed to him. In the Mishnah, he is often referred to as simply "Rabbi Shimon."

He was a student of Rabbi Akiva, and a contemporary of Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel II, who was the Nasi, the Scholar-President, and of Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehudah ben Ilai, among other great contemporaries. He was a complex individual, a Torah giant who was influenced by his father, Yochai, by his great teacher, Rabbi Akiva, and by the events of his day. His father was a man of considerable honor among the Jewish People. He acquired a reputation as a worker of miracles, and on this ground was sent to Rome as an envoy. Yochai was a pacifist, and was well-liked by the Romans. His son, Rabbi Eleazar ben Simon was also a noted scholar

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Anyone wanna guess what would happen if we started to blame his "silence" for the Roman empire's Christian massacres, referred to Rabbi Shimon as "Marcus Aurelius' Rabbi" and DEMANDED Jewish leaders stop writing allocates and tributes to him?