We have already met Shim'on ben-Shataĥ in the story of Yehoshu'a ben-Peraĥyah (see Avot032, explanation #9). Without doubt he was one of the most prominent of the scholars of the Second Temple period - certainly the most prominent until the advent of Hillel. The Gemara [Berakhot 48a] tells us that he was the brother of Salomé Alexandra. You will recall that she had been the childless widow of Yehudah Aristobulos, and upon the latter's death she was married in a levirate union with her brother-in-law, Alexander Yannai (see Avot032, explanation #6 & #7). According to the general rule indicated in the mishnah Ĥagigah 2:2, Shim'on ben-Shataĥ was more aristocratic than his companion Yehudah ben-Tabbai (see Avot027, in the discussion). However, we have also seen that this was questioned (see Avot039, explanation #3); certainly, everything that is known about him seems to point to him having been the President of the Sanhedrin, a very authoritative - and somewhat authoritarian - figure.
2:
Throughout his reign Alexander Yannai had been a staunch supporter of the Sadducees; however, towards the end of his reign it seems that he had a change of heart. This change of heart may have been caused by political necessity (which need not concern us here) and it may have been genuine. At any rate, as he lay on his death bed in the year 76 BCE he did a most extraordinary thing for the times: he appointed his wife, Salomé Alexandra, as his successor in power. Certainly, for many a long year thereafter 28th Tevet, which was the date of the death of Alexander Yannai (January 2nd 75 BCE) and the (temporary) eclipse of Sadducean power, were celebrated as a day of thanksgiving.
3:
Salomé Alexandra thus became queen and ruling monarch. She was to be the first and last woman - so far - in history to hold in her hands the political destinies of the Jewish people until her only counterpart, Golda Meir, 2045 years later. The nine years of her reign were a period of peace and progress - certainly compared with the reign of terror that epitomized the rule of her late husband. Without wishing to denigrate in any way her unique contribution to Jewish history I think it would only be fair to see behind the extraordinary social developments of her reign the guiding hand of her brother, Shim'on ben-Shataĥ. His connection with the royal house, his extensive knowledge, and his status in the Sanhedrin all served to consolidate the standing of the Pharisees among the people.
4:
Throughout Yannai's reign Shim'on ben-Shataĥ had been a stout opponent of the king's tyrannical leanings. When we studied Tractate Sanhedrin [Sanhedrin033, explanation #4] we described one such encounter with the king. This encounter led to the decision that kings not of the house of David could not be prosecuted in court. Another judicial development under Shim'on ben-Shataĥ was concerned with the acceptability of evidence [see Sanhedrin 070, explanation #5]. And yet a third time that we encountered Shim'on ben-Shataĥ in his judicial capacity was when we learned [Sanhedrin 6:1] that he executed as witches eighty (!) women in one day in Ashkelon.
To be continued.