ZUṬRA, MAR, BAR MAR ZUṬRA:
Palestinian scholar. On the day of his birth his father was crucified, and his mother fled with him to Palestine, where he was later appointed archipherecite (see Archipherecites). According to Brüll, he was active in causing the scientific material collected in Palestine to be gathered together and examined; and the Palestinian Talmud is said to have been completed in his lifetime. During his term of office the order of Justinian in relation to reading from Holy Scripture was promulgated; and the first opposing utterance is said to have been made by Mar Zuṭra. His place of residence was probably Tiberias, and by virtue of his title he was the official leader of the Palestinian Jews.
Bibliography:
- Brüll's Jahrb. v. 94-96;
- Heilprin, Seder ha-Dorot, i. 173;
- Yuḥasin, ed. Filipowski, p. 93;
- Weiss, Dor, iv. 2, 304;
- Grätz, Gesch. iii. 386.
