Sura Academy
Encyclopedia
Sura Academy was a Jewish Yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...

 Academy in Babylon
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...

, one of the two major Jewish academies, along with the Pumbedita Yeshiva Academy
Pumbedita Academy
Pumbedita Academy was a Jewish Yeshiva academy in Babylon, during the era of the Jewish Amora and Geonim sages. The academy was founded at the beginning of the second generation of the Amora era, by R...

, from the beginning of the era of the Amora
Amora
Amoraim , were renowned Jewish scholars who "said" or "told over" the teachings of the Oral law, from about 200 to 500 CE in Babylonia and the Land of Israel. Their legal discussions and debates were eventually codified in the Gemara...

 sages and up till the end of the era of the Geonim
Geonim
Geonim were the presidents of the two great Babylonian, Talmudic Academies of Sura and Pumbedita, in the Abbasid Caliphate, and were the generally accepted spiritual leaders of the Jewish community world wide in the early medieval era, in contrast to the Resh Galuta who wielded secular authority...

. The Yeshiva Academy was founded by the Amora
Amora
Amoraim , were renowned Jewish scholars who "said" or "told over" the teachings of the Oral law, from about 200 to 500 CE in Babylonia and the Land of Israel. Their legal discussions and debates were eventually codified in the Gemara...

 Abba Arika
Abba Arika
Abba Arika was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the 3rd century who established at Sura the systematic study of the rabbinic traditions, which, using the Mishnah as text, led to the compilation of the Talmud...

 ("Rav"), a disciple of Judah haNasi
Judah haNasi
Judah the Prince, or Judah I, also known as Rebbi or Rabbeinu HaKadosh , was a 2nd-century CE rabbi and chief redactor and editor of the Mishnah. He was a key leader of the Jewish community during the Roman occupation of Judea . He was of the Davidic line, the royal line of King David, hence the...

. Among the well-known sages, who headed the Yeshiva one can note: Rav Huna
Rav Huna
Rav Huna , a Kohen, was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the second generation and head of the Academy of Sura; He was born about 216, died in 296-297 ).-Youth:...

, Rav Chisda
Rav Chisda
Rav Chisda was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the third generation , mentioned frequently in the Talmud.-Youth:...

, Rav Ashi, Yehudai Gaon
Yehudai Gaon
Yehudai ben Nahman was the head of the yeshiva in Sura from 757 to 761, during the Gaonic period of Judaism...

, Natronai Gaon, Saadia Gaon
Saadia Gaon
Saʻadiah ben Yosef Gaon was a prominent rabbi, Jewish philosopher, and exegete of the Geonic period.The first important rabbinic figure to write extensively in Arabic, he is considered the founder of Judeo-Arabic literature...

, and more.

History

Abba Arika
Abba Arika
Abba Arika was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the 3rd century who established at Sura the systematic study of the rabbinic traditions, which, using the Mishnah as text, led to the compilation of the Talmud...

 ("Rav"), arrived at Sura city
Sura (city)
Sura was a city in the southern part of ancient Babylonia, located west of the Euphrates River. It was well-known for its agricultural produce, which included grapes, wheat, and barley...

 to find no lively religious public life, and since he was worried about the continuity of the Jewish community in Babylon
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...

, he left Nehardea
Nehardea
Nehardea or Nehardeah was a city of Babylonia, situated at or near the junction of the Euphrates with the Nahr Malka , one of the earliest centers of Babylonian Judaism. As the seat of the exilarch it traced its origin back to King Jehoiachin...

 and his colleague Samuel of Nehardea
Samuel of Nehardea
Samuel of Nehardea or Samuel bar Abba was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an Amora of the first generation; son of Abba bar Abba and head of the Yeshiva at Nehardea. He was a teacher of halakha, judge, physician, and astronomer. He was born about 165 at Nehardea, in Babylonia...

, and began to establish the foundation for the Yeshiva Academy of Sura. Upon the arrival of Abba Arika at Sura city, many disciples began thronging the academy (Not necessarily from Sura city, but also from other places). The establishment of the Academy of Sura was in year 225 A.D., and around 6–7 years after Abba Arika's arrival at Babylon
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...

.

At times the academy was moved to Matha-Mehasia , a suburb of Sura city, and after a while a Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...

 center was founded there as well. Abba Arika's Yeshiva academy included 1,200 disciples, and since it addressed a large community, the Yeshiva academy was divided into sections:
  1. Exedra .
  2. Kittun .
  3. Ginata ' onMouseout='HidePop("9786")' href="/topics/Orchard">Orchard
    Orchard
    An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...

     green garden, which its produces served as a support for the academy and its disciples).
  4. Tzipi ' onMouseout='HidePop("85728")' href="/topics/Mat">mat
    Mat
    A mat is a generic term for a piece of fabric or flat material, generally placed on a floor or other flat surface, and serving a range of purposes including:* providing a regular or flat surface, such as a mousepad....

    s serving as a resting place for the Yeshiva academy, and for vacations). Only a short time after the foundation of the Yeshiva academy of Sura, it became more influential than the Nehardea Academy.

Amora era

  • Abba Arika
    Abba Arika
    Abba Arika was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the 3rd century who established at Sura the systematic study of the rabbinic traditions, which, using the Mishnah as text, led to the compilation of the Talmud...

     ("Rav") (founder of the academy)
  • Rav Huna
    Rav Huna
    Rav Huna , a Kohen, was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the second generation and head of the Academy of Sura; He was born about 216, died in 296-297 ).-Youth:...

     (Rosh yeshiva
    Rosh yeshiva
    Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...

    , after Abba Arika, for about 40 year)
  • Rav Chisda
    Rav Chisda
    Rav Chisda was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the third generation , mentioned frequently in the Talmud.-Youth:...

  • Rav Ashi
  • Maremar
  • Idi ben Abin (II)
  • Nachman ben R. Huna
  • Mar ben R. Ashi
    Mar b. Rav Ashi
    Mar b. Rav Ashi was a Jewish Amora sage of Babylon, of the seventh generation of the Amora era. He was the son of Rav Ashi, headed the academy of Sura city in its suburb of Matha-Mehasia, and would sign his name as Tabyomi , which was either his first name or his nickname...

     (Tabyomi)
  • Rabbah Tosafa'ah
    Rabbah Tosafa'ah
    Rabbah Tosafa'ah was a jewish Amora sage of Babylon of the eighth generation of the Amora era, during the latter part of that era. According to the Iggeret Rav Sherira Gaon, he headed the academy of Sura, following Mar b. Rav Ashi, for six years, between 467-474 . He was one of the Talmud's...

  • Ravina II
    Ravina II
    Ravina II was a Jewish Talmudist and rabbi, accounted as an Amora sage of the 8th generation of the Amora era. In 475 AD, he finished editing the Gemara portion of the Talmud Bavli, completing the work of his teacher Rav Ashi. He was also a nephew of Ravina I. He was a leader for 22 years....


Geonim
Geonim
Geonim were the presidents of the two great Babylonian, Talmudic Academies of Sura and Pumbedita, in the Abbasid Caliphate, and were the generally accepted spiritual leaders of the Jewish community world wide in the early medieval era, in contrast to the Resh Galuta who wielded secular authority...

 era

  • Mar ben R. Huna
    Mar ben Huna
    Mar ben R. Huna was one of the first Gaons, and head of the Sura Academy in Babylon at the end of the rule of the Sassanid Empire...

     - 591
  • R. Hanina (Hananiah, Hinenai) - around 610
  • Rav Hunai (Huna) - around 650
  • Rav Sheshna (Sheshua, Mesharsheya b. Tahlifa) - around 670
  • Hanina of Nehar Pekkod (Hananiah, Hinenai, Ha-Kohen, of Nhr[River] Paqod) - 689-694
  • Hillai of Naresh (Nehilai, Ha-Levi) - 694-712
  • Jacob of nehar Pekod (Ha-Kohen, Nhr Paqod) - 712-730
  • Rav Samuel Gaon (of Pumbedita) (Rabba's grandson, descendant of Amemar) - 730-748
  • Mari ha-Kohen of Nehar Pekod (Nahr Paqod)- 748-756
  • Rav Aha Gaon - 756
  • Yehudai ben Nahman (Yehudai Gaon
    Yehudai Gaon
    Yehudai ben Nahman was the head of the yeshiva in Sura from 757 to 761, during the Gaonic period of Judaism...

    , Judah) (Author of Halakhot Pessoukot) - 757-761
  • Ahhunai Kahana ben Papa (Ahunai, Huna, ha-Kohen) - 761-769
  • Haninai Kahana ben R. Huna (Hanina, ha-Kohen, Ahunai) - 769-774
  • Mari ha-Levi ben R. Mesharsheya - 774-778
  • Bebai ha-Levi ben R. Abba of Nehar Pekod (Biboi, Nahr Paqod) - 778-789
  • Hilai ben R. Mari (Hillai) - 789-798
  • Jacob ha-Kohen ben Mordecai (Mordechai) - 798
  • Rav Abimai (Abumai, Ikhomai, ha-Kohen) (brother of R. Mordecai) - 815
  • Zadok ben R. Ashi (Issac Sadoq, ben Jesse) - 810-812
  • Hilai ben R. Hananiah (Hillai) - 812-816
  • Kimoi ben R. Ashi (Qimoi) - 816-820
  • Mesharsheya Kahana ben Jacob Gaon (Moses, ha-Kohen) -820-830
  • Two years of an absence of a Gaon
    Geonim
    Geonim were the presidents of the two great Babylonian, Talmudic Academies of Sura and Pumbedita, in the Abbasid Caliphate, and were the generally accepted spiritual leaders of the Jewish community world wide in the early medieval era, in contrast to the Resh Galuta who wielded secular authority...

    (843-844)
  • Kohen Tzedek ben Abimai Gaon (Sedeq, Ikhomai, Abumai) - 832-843
  • Sar Shalom ben R. Boaz - 843-853
  • Natronai ben R. Hilai ben R. Mari
    Natronai ben Hilai
    Natronai ben Hilai was Gaon of the academy at Sura early in the second half of the 9th century; he succeeded Sar Shalom. His father had occupied the position about thirty years before...

     Gaon (Natronai ben Hilai
    Natronai ben Hilai
    Natronai ben Hilai was Gaon of the academy at Sura early in the second half of the 9th century; he succeeded Sar Shalom. His father had occupied the position about thirty years before...

    )- 853-861
  • Amram bar Sheshna
    Amram Gaon
    Amram Gaon was a famous Gaon or head of the Jewish Talmud Academy of Sura in the 9th century. He was the author of many Responsa, but his chief work was liturgical.He was the first to arrange a complete liturgy for the synagogue...

     (Amram Gaon
    Amram Gaon
    Amram Gaon was a famous Gaon or head of the Jewish Talmud Academy of Sura in the 9th century. He was the author of many Responsa, but his chief work was liturgical.He was the first to arrange a complete liturgy for the synagogue...

    , Amram ben R. Sheshna) (Author of the Siddur
    Siddur
    A siddur is a Jewish prayer book, containing a set order of daily prayers. This article discusses how some of these prayers evolved, and how the siddur, as it is known today has developed...

    ) - 861-872
  • Nahshon ben R. Zadok
    Nahshon ben Zadok
    Nahshon ben Zadok Gaon was head of the Academy of Sura from 874 to 882, in succession to Mar Amram ben Sheshna. He wrote explanations to difficult words in the Talmud, not in alphabetical order, as did his contemporary Gaon Ẓemaḥ ben Paltoi of Pumbedita, but in the order of the tractates...

     - 872-879
  • Zemah ben R. Hayyim
    Zemah ben Hayyim
    Zemah ben Hayyim was Gaon of Sura from 889 to 895. He was the stepbrother and successor of Nahshon ben Zadok, and has become known especially through the reply which he made to the inquiry of the Kairwanites regarding Eldad ha-Dani...

     - (Semah) 879-886
  • Rav Malka - 886
  • Hai ben R. Nahshon ben Tzadok (ben Issac Sadoq) - 886-896
  • Hilai ben Natronai ben Hilai Gaon (Hillai, Natrunai) - 896-804
  • Shalom ben R. Mishael - 904
  • Jacob ben R. Natronai (ha-Kohen, Natrunai) - 911-924
  • Yom-Tob Kahana ben R. Jacob (Yom Tov, ha-Kohen) - 924
  • Saadia ben Joseph of Faym (Al-Fayyumi, Saadia Gaon
    Saadia Gaon
    Saʻadiah ben Yosef Gaon was a prominent rabbi, Jewish philosopher, and exegete of the Geonic period.The first important rabbinic figure to write extensively in Arabic, he is considered the founder of Judeo-Arabic literature...

    ) - 928-942
  • Joseph ben R. Jacob bar Satya (ben Satya) - around 930
  • The academy was closed for about 45 years
  • Zemah Tzedek ben Paltoi ben Issac (Semah, Sedeq) - around 990 and around 998
  • Samuel ben Hofni
    Samuel ben Hofni
    Samuel ben Hofni was the last gaon of Sura...

     (Hophni, ha-Kohen) (father-in-law of Hai Gaon
    Hai Gaon
    Hai ben Sherira , was a medieval Jewish theologian, rabbi and scholar who served as Gaon of the Talmudic academy of Pumbedita during the early 11th century. He was born in 939 and died on March 28, 1038...

    ) - around 998 and around 1012
  • Dosa ben Saadia Gaon (Son of Saadia Gaon
    Saadia Gaon
    Saʻadiah ben Yosef Gaon was a prominent rabbi, Jewish philosopher, and exegete of the Geonic period.The first important rabbinic figure to write extensively in Arabic, he is considered the founder of Judeo-Arabic literature...

    ) - 1012-1018
  • Israel ha-Kohen ben Samuel ben Hofni (Hophni) - 1018-1033

See also

  • Sura (city)
    Sura (city)
    Sura was a city in the southern part of ancient Babylonia, located west of the Euphrates River. It was well-known for its agricultural produce, which included grapes, wheat, and barley...

  • Talmudic Academies in Babylonia
    Talmudic Academies in Babylonia
    The Talmudic Academies in Babylonia, also known as the Geonic Academies, were the center for Jewish scholarship and the development of Jewish law in Mesopotamia from roughly 589 CE to 1038 CE...

  • Fallujah
    Fallujah
    Fallujah is a city in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, located roughly west of Baghdad on the Euphrates. Fallujah dates from Babylonian times and was host to important Jewish academies for many centuries....

  • Pumbedita
    Pumbedita
    Pumbedita was the name of a city in ancient Babylonia close to the modern-day city of Fallujah....

     (City)
  • Pumbedita Academy
    Pumbedita Academy
    Pumbedita Academy was a Jewish Yeshiva academy in Babylon, during the era of the Jewish Amora and Geonim sages. The academy was founded at the beginning of the second generation of the Amora era, by R...

  • Mahuza
  • Nehardea
    Nehardea
    Nehardea or Nehardeah was a city of Babylonia, situated at or near the junction of the Euphrates with the Nahr Malka , one of the earliest centers of Babylonian Judaism. As the seat of the exilarch it traced its origin back to King Jehoiachin...

  • Firuz Shapur
  • Pum-Nahara Academy
    Pum-Nahara Academy
    Pum-Nahara Academy was a Jewish Yeshiva academy in Babylon, during the era of the Jewish Amora sages, in the town of Pum-Nahara, Babylonia, that was within the area of jurisdiction of Sura city, and was situated on the east bank of the "Sura" river, nearby the Sura river's estuary to the Tigris...

  • Talmudic Academies in the Land of Israel
    Talmudic Academies in the Land of Israel
    The Talmudic Academies in the Land of Israel were yeshivot that served as centers for Jewish scholarship and the development of Jewish law in the Levant and had a great and lasting impact on the development of world Jewry....

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