Skip to main content

Unraveling a Talmudic Enigma: The Dialogue of Cleopatra and Rabbi Meir

A Royal Inquiry into the Resurrection: The Talmudic Passage

The Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 90b) preserves a fascinating exchange between a figure of note and a revered sage

:שאלה קליאופטרא מלכתא את רבי מאיר. אמרה: ידענא דחיי שכבי, דכתיב ״ויציצו מעיר כעשב הארץ״. אלא כשהן עומדין, עומדין ערומין או בלבושיהן עומדין? אמר לה: קל וחומר מחיטה. ומה חיטה שנקברה ערומה יוצאה בכמה לבושין, צדיקים שנקברים בלבושיהן – על אחת כמה וכמה.

Translated, it reads:

“Cleopatra the Queen asked Rabbi Meir: ‘I know the dead will live, as it is written, “They shall blossom from the city like grass of the earth” (Psalm 72:16). But when they rise, will they stand naked or clothed?’ He replied: ‘An inference from a wheat grain: If a grain buried naked emerges with many garments, how much more so the righteous, buried in their garments!’”

This dialogue introduces a theological question with profound implications, setting the stage for historical and interpretive scrutiny.

A Temporal Disconnect: The Anachronism

Coin with Marc Antony and Cleopatra

The mention of "Cleopatra" instantly evokes Cleopatra VII, the famed Queen of Egypt, whose life ended dramatically in 30 BCE—a story immortalized by Shakespeare and others. Yet, a glaring anachronism emerges when we consider the timeline:

  • Cleopatra VII died in 30 BCE.
  • Rabbi Meir, a prominent Tanna, lived around 130–160 CE—nearly two centuries later.

This significant chronological gap prompts a deeper investigation into the identity of the "Cleopatra" in this Talmudic account.

Seeking Historical Footing: Exploring Potential Candidates and Textual Variants

Given the anachronism, scholars and interpreters have proposed several theories to reconcile the figures in this passage. Below, we explore these possibilities systematically.

A. Shalshelet HaKabbalah: A Dismissed Earlier Rabbi Meir?

The 16th-century chronicle Shalshelet HaKabbalah suggests there were two Rabbi Meirs, positing that Cleopatra interacted with an earlier one closer to the first century CE. However, this theory lacks corroboration in earlier Talmudic or historical sources, rendering it an unlikely solution for this analysis.

B. Textual Variant of Gamliel: Still Chronologically Challenged

The Midrash HaGadol substitutes “Rabbi Meir” with Rabban Gamliel. Two candidates emerge:

  • Rabban Gamliel I (d. c. 50 CE): Closer to Cleopatra VII’s time (d. 30 BCE), but still slightly misaligned, with no historical evidence of contact.
  • Rabbi Gamliel II (d. c. 118 CE): His timeline aligns better with a later Cleopatra (e.g., of Herod Agrippa II), though no interaction is documented.

This variant shifts the rabbinic figure but fails to fully resolve the anachronism with Cleopatra VII.

C. Cleopatra of Herod Agrippa II: A Royal Figure Closer in Time

A compelling candidate is a daughter of Herod Agrippa II, a client king under Roman rule (c. 50–100 CE).

  • Identity and Status: Herod Agrippa II, the last Herodian ruler, had a daughter named Cleopatra. As a royal descendant, she held significant influence, though not as a sovereign queen.
  • Chronological Overlap: Born between 50–70 CE, she could have lived into Rabbi Meir’s era (130–160 CE), perhaps encountering him in her later years as a young sage rose to prominence.
  • The Title "Queen" (Malketa): The Talmud’s use of malketa (מלכתא, "queen") might reflect her royal lineage rather than literal queenship, a plausible semantic stretch.
  • Caveat: No direct evidence confirms this interaction, leaving the theory speculative but intriguing.

D. A Different Cleopatra or Honorific Term

Perhaps the Talmud refers to another Cleopatra—a local noblewoman or influential figure from Rabbi Meir’s time. Alternatively, "Cleopatra" could be a symbolic or honorific term for a powerful woman. The challenge lies in the title malketa, which implies royalty and complicates a non-royal interpretation.

E. Bacher’s Emendation: Samaritan “Patricus”

Wilhelm Bacher suggests that קליאופטרא (Cleopatra) is a scribal error for פטריקוס (Patrikus), a Samaritan title. This aligns with:

  • Parallel Debates: Rabbi Meir debates resurrection with a Samaritan in Kohelet Rabbah 5:12.
  • Samaritan Theology: Samaritans typically denied bodily resurrection, fitting the dialogue’s tension.
  • Challenges: The emendation requires significant textual alteration, and malketa (queen) clashes with the male connotation of "Patrikus."

Allegorical Interpretation: Spiritual Garments and חלוקא דרבנן

When historical reconciliation proves elusive, an allegorical lens reveals deeper meaning in this exchange.

A. Cleopatra’s Symbolic Role: Earthly Attachment

Cleopatra VII’s legend—epitomized by Plutarch’s account of her death in royal garb (Life of Antony 85–86)—casts her as a symbol of earthly power and physical identity. Her question, “Naked or clothed?” reflects a concern with mortal trappings in the afterlife.

B. Rabbi Meir’s Kal V’Chomer: Spiritual Continuity

Rabbi Meir’s response uses kal v’chomer (light-to-heavy reasoning):

  • Premise: A wheat grain, buried naked, emerges clothed in husks.
  • Inference: If nature provides such renewal, the righteous—buried in their deeds—will rise adorned in spiritual garments.

C. Kabbalistic Parallel: The Garment of the Sages

This resonates with Kabbalah’s concept of חלוקא דרבנן ("garment of the sages"), where mitzvot (good deeds) clothe the soul (Zohar III:168a). Rabbi Meir’s analogy prefigures this:

  • Physical decay mirrors the grain’s burial.
  • Spiritual merits endure as eternal attire in resurrection.

D. Polemical Subtext: Merit Over Materialism

Cleopatra’s regal imagery contrasts with Rabbi Meir’s emphasis on inner merit, subtly critiquing materialism in favor of spiritual worth.

Conclusion

The Cleopatra-Rabbi Meir dialogue defies simple historical resolution. Theories—ranging from a Herodian Cleopatra to a Samaritan misnomer or a symbolic figure—offer plausible but unproven solutions. Yet, the Talmud’s aggadic brilliance shines through its use of Cleopatra’s mythos to explore resurrection, identity, and spiritual legacy. Rabbi Meir’s kal v’chomer underscores that the righteous rise not merely revived, but adorned with their mitzvot—their חלוקא דרבנן. This passage, more literary than literal, invites reflection on life’s enduring values.

Postscript: Henry Abramson from Touro University proposes an intriguing theory. In his view, Cleopatra in this instance refers to a 3rd to 4th century Alexandrian philosopher known as Cleopatra the Alchemist. She was sometimes referred to as Queen Cleopatra. See Cleopatra the Alchemist - Wikipedia

References

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Discovering the Talmudic Antoninus

Disovering Antoninus: Identifying the Talmudic Emperor as Septimius Severus - A Counter Narrative of Historical Memory Abstract: The enduring enigma of "Antoninus" in the Babylonian Talmud, the close Roman imperial confidante of Rabbi Judah the Prince, has long defied singular historical identification, leading scholars to posit a composite figure drawing from various emperors of the Antonine dynasty. This article challenges that prevailing view, proposing that Septimius Severus (reigned 193–211 CE) served as the singular historical referent for the Talmudic Antoninus, unifying previously disparate narrative threads into a coherent and historically grounded account. Through a critical re-examination of key Talmudic narratives—including the alleged requests for senatorial approval, the cryptic "Gira" story (with its nuanced, bidirectional plant counsel), the strategic "vegetable plucking" metaphor, the discussions on secrecy (underpinned by a pervasive at...
Post a Comment
Read more

Death Came Through My Window

Introduction As we enter this period of national mourning, I feel moved to share a more personal mourning that also takes place during these days. Last year, my father z''l passed away on the 6th of Av, and his first yahrzeit is fast approaching. For my family, this week on the Jewish calendar has long been marked by grief, as my sister a''h died under tragic circumstances on the 3rd of Av many years ago. In this series of three posts, I will reflect on themes relating to mourning and loss, beginning with the eulogy I delivered at my father's funeral. Death Came Through My Window Twenty-one years ago, almost to the day, I stood in this very place, at this same funeral home, to speak some words at my sister’s funeral. I remember how people said then that it was unnatural, for a parent to bury their own child. It was an upside-down world. Now I find myself standing here again, this time as a son burying his father. They say this is the natural order of things, the w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dama ben Netina: The Hidden Narrative Beyond Filial Piety

Dama ben Netina, a unique non-Jewish figure in rabbinic literature, is celebrated for his extraordinary ethical qualities. His story, recounted in distinct episodes across the Talmud and its commentaries, offers more than simple moral lessons; these narratives subtly pose profound questions about human behavior and meaning. By examining these accounts closely, and particularly a less-known third account, we can unlock a profound and unexpected understanding of his character. The Foundational Narratives: Two Repeated Accounts We begin with two primary episodes featuring Dama ben Netina, found in various rabbinic texts. 1. The Gem for the Ephod (Bavli Kiddushin 31a) The Bavli Kiddushin (31a) records the following incident: The sages sought a precious gem for the High Priest’s ephod, and it was found in Dama’s possession in Ashkelon. They agreed to pay him a large sum for it, either six hundred thousand zuz or eight hundred thousand. However, the key to the chest containing the ...
Post a Comment
Read more