▁one ▁of ▁the ▁zug got ▁(" cou ples " ): ▁Sh ema iah ▁and ▁Ab t alion ; ▁Sh ema iah ▁holding ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁n asi , ▁whilst ▁Ab t alion ▁holding ▁the ▁office ▁of ▁Av ▁Beit ▁Din . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Ab t alion ▁and ▁Sh ema iah ▁were ▁converts ▁to ▁J uda ism ▁or ▁the ▁descend ants ▁of ▁converts ; ▁by ▁tradition ▁they ▁were ▁desc ended ▁from ▁King ▁S enn acher ib ▁of ▁Ass y ria . ▁Despite ▁this , ▁they ▁were ▁influ ential ▁and ▁bel oved . ▁The ▁Tal m ud ▁rel ates ▁that ▁once , ▁when ▁the ▁high ▁priest ▁was ▁being ▁esc orted ▁home ▁from ▁the ▁Temple ▁by ▁the ▁people , ▁at ▁the ▁close ▁of ▁a ▁Day ▁of ▁A ton ement , ▁the ▁crowd ▁desert ed ▁him ▁upon ▁the ▁approach ▁of ▁Ab t alion ▁and ▁Sh ema iah ▁and ▁followed ▁them . ▁However , ▁Gra etz ▁has ▁argued ▁that ▁neither ▁Sh ema iah ▁nor ▁Ab t alion ▁was ▁of ▁Gent ile ▁descent , ▁although ▁both ▁were ▁Alexand ri ans . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁M ish nah , ▁both ▁Sh ema iah ▁and ▁Ab t alion ▁studied ▁Tor ah ▁under ▁S ime on ▁ben ▁Sh et ach . ▁▁ ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Ph ar ise es ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁century ▁B CE ▁and ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁San hed rin ▁before ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Her od ▁the ▁Great . ▁He ▁and ▁his ▁colle ague ▁Ab t alion ▁are ▁term ed ▁the ▁ged ole i ▁ha