Abba Judan

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Abba Judan (Judah) was a generous philanthropist who lived in Antioch in the early 2nd century. Once he sold half of his property—already reduced by his charity—to avoid turning away Rabbis Eliezer, Joshua, and Akiba, who were collecting donations for education. The blessings from these rabbis seemed to bring him luck, and soon afterward he found a treasure by chance. Over the centuries, the name Abba Judan became a label in Palestine for especially benevolent men, similar to Maecenas, the famous patron of the arts.