The school of Shammai the Elder, Hillel’s great opponent in the pairs (zugot). Shammai’s rulings were stricter, more nationalist, and more protective of Jewish distinctiveness from Gentile culture. In the period leading up to the revolt of 66–70 AD, the Shammaite faction was politically dominant and pushed stricter separation from Rome. After 70 AD, the Shammaite school loses ground rapidly at Yavneh, and by the end of the Tannaitic period the House of Shammai is effectively defunct. The Talmud preserves the Shammaite positions as minority opinions — the losing side of the great Pharisaic debate.