The Babylonian Talmud (Ber. 7a) records a remarkable recollection of Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha in which he has a dialogue with G-d in the holy of holies. The dialogue concludes with an enigmatic nod of the head by G-d. The purpose of this paper is to highlight just how rare and strange this divine nod is in rabbinic literature. We then argue that this nod is to be understood in terms of a renowned episode in the Iliad where Zeus nods his head as a vow and a commitment to Thetis. This Homeric episode is associated with Pheidias’ statue of Zeus – One of the seven wonders of the ancient world and is oft mentioned in Greek and Roman literature, thus establishing it as a well-known episode which the rabbis most probably also recognized. We end with tracing this nod all the way into late medieval Ashkenazic Hassidic poetry.
