1) (fl. 5th cent, BCE)
Israelite false prophet. During the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, Shemaiah was hired by Tobiah and Sanballat to persuade Nehemiah to hide from his enemies in the Temple; their plan was to expose him as an irreligious coward (Nehemiah 6:10), but Nehemiah saw through Shemaiah and refused to follow his advice.
2) (fl. 1st cent BCE)
Palestinian rabbi. He was head of the Sanhedrin in Palestine. He and Avtalyon were the fourth of the zugot.
Dictionary of Jewish Biography. Dan Cohn-Sherbok.