Elisha ben Abuyah

Elisha ben Abuyah (Hebrew: אלישע בן אבויה) (spelled variously, including Elisha ben Avuya) was a rabbi and Jewish religious authority born in Jerusalem sometime before 70 CE. After he adopted a worldview considered heretical by his fellow Tannaim, the rabbis of the Talmud refrained from relating teachings in his name and referred to him as the "Other One" (אחר, Acher).^[1] In the writings of the Geonim this name appears as "Achor" ("backwards"), because Elisha was considered to have "turned backwards" by embracing heresy.^[2]

^ "At one time the Rabbis were proud to recognize him as of their number; but later their opposition to him grew so intense that they even refrained from pronouncing his name, and referred to him in terms used to designate some vile object ("dabar aḥer," lit. "another thing")." (Louis Ginzberg, "Elisha ben Abuyah", Jewish Encyclopedia, 1901-1906)
^ Saul Lieberman, Tosefta Kifshuta on Tosefta Hagiga 2:2

[1] "At one time the Rabbis were proud to recognize him as of their number; but later their opposition to him grew so intense that they even refrained from pronouncing his name, and referred to him in terms used to designate some vile object ("dabar aḥer," lit. "another thing")." (Louis Ginzberg, "Elisha ben Abuyah", Jewish Encyclopedia, 1901-1906)

[2] Saul Lieberman, Tosefta Kifshuta on Tosefta Hagiga 2:2

[1]

[2]