Amoraim

Amoraim(Jewish Babylonian Aramaic:אמוראים[ʔamoraˈʔim],singularAmoraאמורא[ʔamoˈra];"those who say" or "those who speak over the people", or "spokesmen" )refers toJewishscholars of the period from about 200 to 500CE,who "said" or "told over" the teachings of theOral Torah.They were primarily located inBabyloniaand theLand of Israel.Their legal discussions and debates were eventuallycodifiedin theGemara.TheAmoraimfollowed theTannaimin the sequence of ancient Jewish scholars. TheTannaimwere direct transmitters of uncodified oral tradition; theAmoraimexpounded upon and clarified the oral law after its initial codification.

The Amoraic era

The first BabylonianAmoraimwereAbba Arikha,respectfully referred to asRav,and his contemporary and frequent debate partner,Shmuel.Among the earliestAmoraimin Israel wereJohanan bar NappahaandShimon ben Lakish.Traditionally, the Amoraic period is reckoned as seven or eight generations (depending on where one begins and ends). The lastAmoraimare generally considered to beRavina IandRav Ashi,andRavina II,nephew of Ravina I, who codified theBabylonian Talmudaround 500 CE. In total, 761 amoraim are mentioned by name in the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds. 367 of them were active in the land of Israel from around 200–350 CE, while the other 394 lived in Babylonia during 200–500 CE.

In the Talmud itself, the singularamoragenerally refers to a lecturer's assistant; the lecturer would state his thoughts briefly, and theamorawould then repeat them aloud for the public's benefit, adding translation and clarification where needed.

Prominent Amoraim

The following is an abbreviated listing of the most prominent of the (hundreds of)Amoraimmentioned in the Talmud. More complete listings may be provided by some of the external links below.See alsoList of rabbis.

First generation (approx. 230–250 CE)

• Abba Arikha(d. 247), known asRav,lastTanna,firstAmora.Disciple ofJudah haNasi.Moved from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia (219). Founder and Dean of theYeshivaatSura.
• Shmuel(d. 254), disciple of Judah haNasi's students and others. Dean of the Yeshiva atNehardea.
• Joshua ben Levi(early 3rd century), headed the school ofLod.
• Bar Kappara

Second generation (approx. 250–290 CE)

Tomb of the Amoraim inTiberias

• Rav Huna(d. 297), disciple of Abba Arikha andSamuel of Nehardea.Dean of the Yeshiva at Sura.
• Judah ben Ezekiel(d. 299), disciple of Abba Arikha and Samuel of Nehardea. Dean of thePumbedita Academy.
• Adda bar Ahavah,(3rd and 4th centuries), disciple of Abba Arikha.
• Hanan bar Rava,disciple of Abba Arikha.
• Hillel, son of Gamaliel III(fl. early 3rd century), disciple and grandson of Judah haNasi, and younger brother ofJudah II.
• Judah II(fl. early 3rd century), disciple and grandson of Judah haNasi, and son and successor of Gamaliel III asNasi.Sometimes calledRabbi Judah Nesi'ah,and occasionallyRebbilike his grandfather.
• Shimon ben Lakish(d. late 3rd century), student ofYohanan ben Zakkai,Rabbi Yannaiand others, and colleague ofJohanan bar Nappaha.
• Johanan bar Nappaha(d. 279 or 289), disciple of Judah haNasi and Rabbi Yannai. Dean of theTiberian Academy.Primary author of theJerusalem Talmud.
• Samuel ben Nahman
• Shila of Kefar Tamarta
• Rabbi Isaac Nappaha
• Anani ben Sason

Third generation (approx. 290–320 CE)

• Rabbah(d. 320), disciple ofRav HunaandRav Yehudah.Dean of the Yeshiva at Pumbedita.
• Rav Yosef(d. 323), disciple of Rav Huna and Rav Yehudah. Dean of the Yeshiva at Pumbedita.
• Rav Zeira(Israel)
• Rav Chisda(d. 309), disciple of Rav, Shmuel, and Rav Huna. Dean of the Yeshiva at Sura.
• Shimon ben Pazi
• Rav Sheshet
• Rav Nachman(d. 320), disciple of Rav, Shmuel, andRabbah bar Avuha.Did not head his own yeshiva, but was a regular participant in the discussions at the Yeshivot of Sura andMahuza.
• Rabbi Abbahu(d. early 4th century), disciple ofRabbi Yochanan.Dean of the Yeshiva inCaesarea.
• Hamnuna— Several rabbis in the Talmud bore this name, the most well-known being a disciple ofShmuel(fl. late 3rd century).
• Judah III(d. early 4th century), disciple of Rabbi Johanan bar Nappaha. Son and successor of Gamaliel IV as NASI, and grandson of Judah II.
• Rabbi Ammi
• Rabbi Assi
• Hanina ben Pappa
• Raba bar Rav Huna
• Rami bar Hama
• Rav Shmuel bar Yehudah
• Rav Kruspedai(כרוספדאי; referred to in the Jerusalem Talmud as קריספא), student of Rabbi Yochanan.

Fourth generation (approx. 320–350 CE)

• Abaye(d. 339), disciple ofRabbah,Rav Yosef,andRav Nachman.Dean of the Yeshiva in Pumbedita.
• Abba b. Bizna,haggadist
• Rava(d. 352), disciple of Rabbah, Rav Yosef, and Rav Nachman, and possibly Rabbi Yochanan. Dean of the Yeshiva at Mahuza.
• Hillel II(fl. c. 360). Creator of the present-dayHebrew calendar.Son and successor as Nasi of Judah Nesiah, grandson of Gamaliel IV.
• Abba the Surgeon
• Bebai ben Abaye(fl. c. 4th century)

Fifth generation (approx. 350–371 CE)

• Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak(d. 356), disciple ofAbayeandRava.Dean of the Yeshiva at Pumbedita.
• Rav Papa(d. 371 or 375), disciple of Abaye and Rava. Dean of the Yeshiva atNaresh.
• Rav Kahana,teacher ofRav Ashi
• Rav Mesharshiya,student of Rava, son-in-law of Rav Kahana; colleague of Rav Papa.
• Rav Hama
• Rav Huna berai d'Rav Yehoshua

Sixth generation (approx. 371–427 CE)

• Rav Ashi(d. 427), disciple ofRav Kahana.Dean of the Yeshiva inMata Mehasia.Primary redactor of theBabylonian Talmud.
• Ravina I(d. 421), disciple of Abaye and Rava. Colleague of Rav Ashi in the Yeshiva at Mata Mehasia, where he assisted in the redaction of the Babylonian Talmud.

Seventh generation (approx. 425–460 CE)

• Mar bar Rav Ashi.

Eighth generation (approx. 460–500 CE)

• Ravina II(d. 475 or 500), disciple of Ravina I and Rav Ashi. Dean of the Yeshiva at Sura. Completed the redaction of the Babylonian Talmud.

Stammaim

Stammaimis a term used by some modern scholars, such asDavid Weiss Halivni,for the rabbis who composed the anonymous (stam) statements and arguments in the Talmud, some of whom may have worked during the period of theAmoraim,but who mostly made their contributions after the amoraic period.See alsoSavoraim.

External links

• Gemara in the Talmud Map– University of Calgary
• Jewish Encyclopedia article for Amora