Judah II was a famous Jewish sage who lived in Tiberias in the middle of the third century CE. He is mentioned in the classical works of Judaism's oral law, the Mishnah and Talmud. The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... Tiberias in 1862, the ruins reminiscent of its ancient heritage. ... An oral law is a code of conduct in use in a given culture, religion or other regroupement, by which a body of rules of human behaviour is transmitted by oral tradition and effectively respected, or the single rule that is verbally transmitted. ... The Mishnah (Hebrew משנה, Repetition) is a major source of rabbinic Judaisms religious texts. ... The first page of the Talmud, in the standard Vilna edition. ...

There he is variously called "Judah," "Judah Nesi'ah" (= "ha-Nasi"), and occasionally "Rabbi" like his grandfather. As Judah III is also designated as "Judah Nesi'ah," it is often difficult, sometimes impossible, to determine which one of these patriarchs is referred to.

In rabbinic Jewish tradition Judah II was especially known by three ordinances decreed by him and his academy; one of these ordinances referred to a reform of the divorce laws. Judaism considers marriage to be the ideal state of existence; a man without a wife, or a woman without a husband, are considered incomplete. ...

Especially famous was the decree permitting the use of oil prepared by pagans, incorporated in the Mishnah with the same formula used in connection with decrees of Judah I, "Rabbi and his court permitted" (Avodah Zarah ii. 9; comp. Tosefta Avodah Zarah iv. 11). This ordinance, which abrogated an old law, was recognized as authoritative in Babylonia by Samuel and, subsequently, by Rab, who at first hesitated to accept it (see Yer. 'Ab. Zarah 41d; 'Ab. Zarah 37a).

Simlai, the famous haggadist, endeavored to induce Judah II to also abrogate the prohibition against using bread prepared by pagans. Judah, however, refused to do so, alleging that he did not wish his academy to be called the "loosing court" (Avodah Zarah 37a).

Judah could not carry out his intention of omitting the fast-day of the Ninth of Av when it fell on the Sabbath (Talmud Yerushalmi, Meg. 70b; Talmud Bavli Meg. 2b). For the observance of a seventh day of rest in religions other than Judaism see Sabbath. ...

He was not regarded by his contemporaries as their equal in scholarship, as appears from a curious meeting between Yannai and Judah II. (see Babylonian Talmud B. B. 111a, b; another version occurs in Talmud Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 16a, where Johanan accompanies Yannai).