Nehardea Academy (

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

: ישיבת נהרדעא; Previously also named: Beth Hamidrashחיי היהודים בזמן התלמוד - יודילוביץ, מרדכי דוב בן שלמה
/ref>/The College /The House of Study Aramic: ''בי מדרשא'' ">Aramic.html" ;"title="Aramic">Aramic: ''בי מדרשא'' or The Boundary Aramic: ''תחומא'']) was one of the major rabbinical academies in Babylon, active intermittently from the early Amoraim period and until the end of the Geonim period. It was established by the Amoraim, Amora

Samuel of Nehardea Samuel of Nehardea or Samuel bar Abba, often simply called Samuel (Hebrew: שמואל) and occasionally Mar Samuel, was a Jewish Amora of the first generation; son of Abba bar Abba and head of the Yeshiva at Nehardea, Babylonia. He was a teache ...

, one of the great sages of Babylon.

History

Samuel founded the academy at

Nehardea Nehardea or Nehardeah ( arc, נהרדעא, ''nəhardəʿā'' "river of knowledge") was a city from the area called by ancient Jewish sources Babylonia, situated at or near the junction of the Euphrates with the Nahr Malka (the Royal Canal), one ...

, which in time attracted thousands of students. Along with

Sura Academy Sura Academy (Hebrew: ישיבת סורא) was a Jewish yeshiva located in Sura, Babylonia. With Pumbedita Academy, it was one of the two major Jewish academies from the year 225 CE at the beginning of the era of the Amora sages until 1033 CE a ...

founded by

Abba Arika Abba Arikha (175–247 CE; Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: ; born: ''Rav Abba bar Aybo'', ), commonly known as Rav (), was a Jewish amora of the 3rd century. He was born and lived in Kafri, Asoristan, in the Sasanian Empire. Abba Arikha establi ...

("Rav"), it opened a new era in which Babylon became the center of Judaism. After Rav's death, many students from Sura moved to Nehardea. Despite the fact that Rav Kahana III's Pum-Nahara Academy was subordinated to Sura Academy, from the time Rav died the heads of the Nehardea Academy came to visit Rav Kahana in Pum-Nahara with the intention of strengthening the ties between the two academies. This reinforcement of ties is attested by the fact that Kahana III gave his funeral oration to Rav Zevid of Nehardea at Pum-Nahara, a funeral oration, most probably in conjunction with the fact that Rav Kahana III was a disciple of Rav Zevid of Nehardea. R. Nahman of Nehardea visited Rav Kahana III in Pum-Nahara on the eve of

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day' ...

; it is possible he came in order to participate with them in the prayers of the holy day. The academy had a special custom to show respect for the sages of The Land of Israel: When a guest came from the Land of Israel, he taught in the presence of the dean and all students. After the class ended, a long and lively debate was conducted in which the students would inundate the guest with academic questions. Among the scholars who attended the Nehardea Academy, there were known Amoraim sages cited in the

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

, such as R. Shimi of Nehardea, R. Dimi of Nehardea, Rav Zevid of Nehardea, and

Amemar Amemar ( he, אמימר) was a Babylonian rabbi, of the fifth and sixth generation of amoraim. His name is a compound word, formed of the personal name "Ami" and the title "Mar" ("master"). Biography Amemar was one of the leading sages of his g ...

. In many Talmud citations, there is a mention of Nehardea's academy methods, however Amemar states that despite the fact that he is a Nehardean, he thinks otherwise. It is unclear whether he meant that Nehardea's academy thinks otherwise and not as what is known to be the methods, or was he an independent in his thinking. After the death of Samuel, the academy split. The academy itself, headed by

Rav Huna Rav Huna (Hebrew: רב הונא) was a Jewish Talmudist and Exilarch who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the second generation and head of the Academy of Sura; he was born about 216 (212 according to Gratz) and died in 296-297 (608 of ...

, a disciple of Samuel, moved to

Sura A ''surah'' (; ar, سورة, sūrah, , ), is the equivalent of "chapter" in the Qur'an. There are 114 ''surahs'' in the Quran, each divided into '' ayats'' (verses). The chapters or ''surahs'' are of unequal length; the shortest surah ('' Al-K ...

, while another student of Rav and Shmuel,

Judah ben Ezekiel Judah bar Ezekiel (220–299 CE) (Hebrew: יהודה בן יחזקאל); often known as Rav Yehudah, was a Babylonian amora of the 2nd generation. Biography Judah was the most prominent disciple of Rav, in whose house he often stayed, and whose ...

, founded the

Pumbedita Academy Pumbedita Academy or Pumbedita Yeshiva ( he, ישיבת פומבדיתא; sometimes ''Pumbeditha'', ''Pumpedita'', ''Pumbedisa'') was a yeshiva in Babylon during the era of the Amoraim and Geonim sages. It was founded by Judah bar Ezekiel (220� ...

. However, Judah ben Ezekiel and his followers regarded Rav Huna as ''Gedol haDor'', until upon his death in 297 (

Hebrew calendar The Hebrew calendar ( he, הַלּוּחַ הָעִבְרִי, translit=HaLuah HaIvri), also called the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today for Jewish religious observance, and as an official calendar of the state of Israel. I ...

: ד"א נ"ח or ד'נ"ח ). In some cases, where there is disagreement among scholars, the Nehardea academy practiced Raba bar Rav Huna view,B.

, Tractate Hullin, 50b and it may have to do with the fact that his son was the head of the academy and one of its leaders.

References

{{reflist, 2 Talmudic Academies in Babylonia Religious academies in Babylon Jewish Babylonian history Jewish educational organizations Talmud Chazal

History

See also

References