Amora

Amora (Aramaic: אמורא; plural אמוראים, Amora'im; "those who say" or "those who tell over"), 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. The Amoraim followed the Tannaim in the sequence of ancient Jewish scholars.

The Amoraic Era

In the Talmud itself, the singular amora generally refers to a lecturer's assistant: the lecturer would state his points briefly, and the amora would then repeat them aloud for the public's benefit, adding translation and clarification where needed.

 id:turkiz    value:rgb(0,0.76,0.76)

 id:treaty    value:rgb(0.6,0.8,0.6)

 id:lightgrey value:rgb(0.6,0.8,0.4)

 id:darkgrey  value:rgb(0.6,0.8,0)

 id:Celadon  value:rgb(0.67,1,0.68)

 id:TeaGreen  value:rgb(0.81,0.94,0.75)

 bar:Leaders color:blue width:20 align:left fontsize:s

 from:-250 till:0 color:treaty shift:(-10,$hx) text:Zugot

  from:0 till:220 color:turkiz shift:(-15,$hx) text:Tannaim

  from:220 till:500 color:TeaGreen  shift:(-20,$hx) text:Amoraim

  from:500 till:625 color:darkgrey shift:(-20,$hx) text:Savoraim

  from:625 till:1050 color:turkiz shift:(-15,$hx) text:Geonim

  from:1050 till:1500 color:TeaGreen shift:(-20,$hx) text:Rishonim

 from:1500 till:2000 color:treaty shift:(-20,$hx) text:Acharonim

 layer:front  # all lines in front of bars unless stated otherwise

 from:220 till:500 atpos:65  color:red    width:2

id:aaa value:red   legend:Amoraim

Prominent Amoraim

First generation (approx. 230–250 CE)

• Abba Arika (d. 247, known as Rav, last Tanna, first Amora. Disciple of Judah ha-Nasi. Moved from Israel to Babylonia (219). Founder and Dean of the Yeshiva at Sura.
• Shmuel (d. 254), disciple of Judah ha-Nasi and others. Dean of the Yeshiva at Pumbedita.
• Joshua ben Levi (early 3rd century), headed the school of Lydda.
• Abba the Surgeon

Second generation (approx. 250–290 CE)

• Rav Huna (d. 297), disciple of Rav and Shmuel. Dean of the Yeshiva at Sura.
• Rav Yehudah (d. 299), disciple of Rav and Shmuel. Dean of the Yeshiva at Pumbedita.
• Adda bar Ahavah, (3d and 4th centuries), disciple of Rav.
• Hillel, son of Gamaliel III (fl. early 3rd century), disciple and grandson of Judah ha-Nasi, and younger brother of Judah II (Judah Nesiah).
• Judah II (fl. early 3rd century), disciple and grandson of Judah ha-Nasi, and son and successor of Gamaliel III as Nasi. Sometimes called Rabbi Judah Nesi'ah, and occasionally Rebbi like his grandfather.
• Resh Lakish (d. late 3rd century), disciple of Rabbi Yannai and others, and colleague of Rabbi Johanan.
• Yochanan bar Nafcha (d. 279 or 289), disciple of Judah ha-Nasi and Rabbi Yannai. Dean of the Yeshiva at Tiberias. Primary author of the Jerusalem Talmud.
• Samuel ben Nahman
• Shila of Kefar Tamarta
• Isaac Nappaḥa

Third generation (approx. 290–320 CE)

• Rabbah (d. 320, disciple of Rav Huna and Rav 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 Ze'era (Palestine)
• Rav Chisda (d. 309), disciple of Rav, Shmuel, and Rav Huna. Dean of the Yeshiva at Sura.
• Simon (Shimeon) b. Pazzi
• Rav Sheshes
• Rav Nachman bar Yaakov (d. 320), disciple of Rav, Shmuel, and Rabbah bar Avuha. Did not head his own Yeshiva, but was a regular participant in the discussions at the Yeshivot of Sura and Mahuza.
• Rabbi Abbahu (d. early 4th century), disciple of Johanan bar Nappaha. Dean of the Yeshiva in Caesarea.
• Hamnuna - Several rabbis in the Talmud bore this name, the most well-known being a disciple of Shmuel (fl. late 3rd century).
• Judah III (d. early 4th century), disciple of Johanan bar Nappaha. Son and successor of Gamaliel IV as Nasi, and grandson of Judah II.
• Rav Ammi
• Rav Assi
• Hanina ben Pappa
• Rabbah bar R'Huna
• Rami bar Hama

Fourth generation (approx. 320–350 CE)

• Abaye (d. 339), disciple of Rabbah, Rav Yosef, and Rav Nachman bar Yaakov. Dean of the Yeshiva in Pumbedita.
• Rava (d. 352), disciple of Rabbah, Rav Yosef, and Rav Nachman bar Yaakov. Dean of the Yeshiva at Mahuza.
• Hillel II (fl. c. 360). Creator of the present-day Hebrew calendar. Son and successor as Nasi of Judah Nesiah, grandson of Gamaliel IV.

Fifth generation (approx. 350–371 CE)

• Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak (d. 356), disciple of Abaye and Rava. Dean of the Yeshiva at Pumbedita.
• Rav Papa (d. 371 or 375), disciple of Abaye and Rava. Dean of the Yeshiva at Naresh.
• Rav Kahana
• Rav Hama
• Rav Huna berai d'Rav Yehoshua

Sixth generation (approx. 371–427 CE)

• Rav Ashi (d. 427, disciple of Abaye, Rava, and Rav Kahana. Dean of the Yeshiva in Mata Mehasia. Primary redactor of the Babylonian 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)

• name
• name

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.

Other

The "Stammaim" is a term that has been coined by some modern scholars for the rabbis who submitted anonymous comments on the Talmud, some of whom contributed during the period of the Amoraim, but mostly made their contributions after the amoraic period.

External links

• Gemara in the Talmud Map – University of Calgary
• Jewish Encyclopedia article for AMORA
• Biographies of the Amoraim

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 Wikipedia contributors (Disclaimer)
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Tuesday March 04, 2008 at 12:44:59 PST (GMT -0800)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation