Bevai bar Abaye () was a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

ist who lived in

Babylonia Babylonia (; , ) was an Ancient history, ancient Akkadian language, Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Kuwait, Syria and Iran). It emerged as a ...

, known as an amora of the fourth and fifth amoraic generations (fourth century CE).

Biography

He was the son of the celebrated

Abaye Abaye () was an amora of the fourth generation of the Talmudic academies in Babylonia. He was born about the close of the third century and died in 337. Biography Abaye, according to Talmudic tradition, was the head of the Pumbedita Academy unt ...

, and presiding judge in

Pumbedita Pumbedita ( ''Pūm Bəḏīṯāʾ'', "Mouth of the Bedita"See The river "Bedita" has not been identified.) was an ancient city located in modern-day Iraq. It is known for having hosted the Pumbedita Academy. History The city of Pumbedita was s ...

, where his father had directed the Talmudic Academy. Some

rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

nic chronologists suggest his identity with Bebai II ( Bevai bar Abin), which, however, is chronologically incorrect, the latter having been a fellow-pupil of

Rav Yosef Rav Yosef bar Hiyya (), or simply Rav Yosef, was a Babylonian rabbi of the third generation of amoraim. Biography Yosef was a student of Judah bar Ezekiel and was Abaye's teacher, and a scholarly disputant (''bar plugata'') of Rabbah bar Nahm ...

, whereas Bebai ben Abaye was a contemporary of Nahman ben Isaac, Kahana III,

Pappi In Asteraceae, the pappus is the modified calyx_(botany), calyx, the part of an individual floret, that surrounds the base of the petal, corolla tube in flower. It functions as a dispersal mechanism for the achenes that contain the seeds. In ...

, and Huna ben Joshua. As Abaye was a scion of the priestly house of

Eli Eli most commonly refers to: * Eli (name), a given name, nickname and surname * Eli (biblical figure) Eli or ELI may also refer to: Film * ''Eli'' (2015 film), a Tamil film * ''Eli'' (2019 film), an American horror film Music * ''Eli'' (Jan ...

, which was doomed to premature death, both Pappi and Huna ben Joshua frequently taunted Bebai with being descended from frail (short-lived) stock, and therefore with uttering frail, untenable arguments. Bebai bar Abaye seems to have led a contemplative life; and legend relates some curious stories about him.''Hagigah'' 4b; ''Berakhot'' 6a and 8b; ''Eruvin'' 8a; ''Shabbat'' 3b, 4a; ''Hullin'' 43b; ''Keritot'' 3b; ''Zevachim'' 107a.

References

Talmud rabbis of Babylonia 4th-century rabbis {{MEast-rabbi-stub