Shmuel Safrai (1919–2003) was ordained as a rabbi at the age of 20 and later received his M.A. and Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the fields of Jewish History, Talmud and Bible. Safrai was recipient of the Jerusalem Prize (1986) and the Israel Prize (2002), Israel’s most prestigious honor. He wrote over 80 articles and 12 books including Rabbi Akiva ben Yosef: His Life and Teachings.
