Yavne

Yavne

The birthplace of Rabbinic Judaism

Yavne, on the coastal plain south of Tel Aviv, became a center of Jewish learning after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. According to the Talmud, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, who had left besieged Jerusalem, asked the Roman commander Vespasian for permission to found a school here, and the Sanhedrin met in Yavne. Rabbinic Judaism, centered on study and prayer, took shape in this period. Excavations have found a large Byzantine-era winemaking complex and other ancient remains, and Yavne is today a growing modern city.

Glossary: Yavne