[3] The following story is told: "Bannaah was in the habit of marking tombs, in order that persons might guard themselves against ritual impurity.
Regarding Bannaah's relation to Judah haNasi, the following utterance is characteristic: "Man should ever penetrate deep into the study of the Mishnah; for if he knock it will be opened to him, be it the Talmud [= halakhah] or the aggadah".
[5] Bannaah therefore belongs to the few of the semi-tannaim who fully acknowledged the value in Judah's collection of the Mishnah, regarding it as a progressive step in the development of the tannaitic literature.
In a story similar to the Judgment of Solomon, it is recorded that he was called to decide on the inheritance of a man who died with one legitimate and nine mamzer sons.
[10] He said that the Biblical Joshua acted "in accordance with the spirit of the Law as revealed by God to Moses, also in instances when not directly instructed by the latter",[11] which may also reflect his attitude towards halacha in general.
For instance, he thinks that God demanded gold for the Tabernacle, in order that Israel might in this way do penance for the sin committed in worshiping the golden calf.