Simeon ben Shetach, or Shimon ben Shetach or Shatach (), circa 140-60 BCE, was a Pharisee scholar and Nasi of the Sanhedrin during the reigns of Alexander Jannæus (c. 103-76 BCE) and his successor, Queen Salome Alexandra (c. 76-67 BCE), who was Simeon's sister. He was therefore closely connected with the court, enjoying, at least initially, the favor of Alexander. Although a rabbi by profession, the omission of such an epithet when referred to in rabbinic literature is said to attest to his greatness as a rabbinic Sage, ranking with Hillel. The Shim'on ben Shatah Street in the center of Jerusalem carries his name. Under Alexander Jannaeus During the reign of Alexander the Sanhedrin consisted almost entirely of Sadducees; nevertheless Simeon succeeded in ousting some of the Sadducean members and in replacing them with Pharisees. Having accomplished this, Simeon recalled from Alexandria, Egypt the Pharisees who had been compelled to seek refuge there during the reign of Alexander Jannæus, among these fugitives being Joshua ben Perachya, the former Nasi. Joshua was elected president anew, and Simeon assumed the office of vice-president. Upon the death of Joshua, Simeon became president and Judah ben Tabbai vice-president. The attitude of Alexander Jannæus toward the Pharisees, however, soon underwent a change; and they were again compelled to flee, even Simeon himself being obliged to go into hiding. About this time certain Parthian envoys came to Alexander's court and were invited to the king's table, where they noticed the absence of Simeon, by whose wisdom they had profited at previous visits. Upon the king's assurance that he would do the fugitive no harm, the queen caused her brother to return to the court. Upon his reappearance Simeon took his place between the royal couple with a show of self-consciousness which surprised the king; whereupon Simeon remarked, "The wisdom which I serve grants me equal rank with kings." During Simeon ben Shetach's tenure as head of the Sanhedrin, the court ceased to exact fines in monetary suits (Hebrew: dinei mamonot) as prescribed in the Law of Moses. It was also during his tenure that he enacted the rule of conduct that an [Israelite] king is not to judge, neither are men to judge him, because of an incident that occurred with one of King Janneus' servants who had committed murder. Activity under Alexandra After Simeon returned, he enjoyed the king's favor (in large part due to