AKIBA, Ben Joseph, a famous rabbi who flourished about the close of the first and the beginning of the second centuries. It is almost impossible to separate the true from the false in the numerous traditions respecting his life. He became the chief teacher in the rabbinical school of Jaffa, where, it is said, he had 24,000 scholars. Whatever their number, it seems certain that among them was the celebrated Rabbi Meir, and that through him and others Akiba exerted a great influence on the development of the doctrines embodied in the Talmud. He sided with Barchochebas in his revolt, recognised him as the Messiah, and acted as his sword-bearer. Being taken prisoner by the Romans under Julius Severus, he was flayed alive with circumstances of great cruelty, and met his fate, according to tradition, with marvellous steadfastness and composure. He is said to have been a hundred and twenty years old at the time of his death. The Jews were long accustomed to pay visits to his tomb, and he is one of the ten Jewish martyrs whose names occur in a penitential prayer still used once a year in the synagogue service. A number of works commonly attributed to Akiba are of later origin; but the one entitled משנח ררבי צקיבא (Doctrine of Rabbi Akiba) is probably genuine.