Rabbah bar Nahmani (c. 270-c. 330) was a prominent amora in Babylonia, known throughout the Talmud simply as Rabbah. Events Quintillus briefly holds power over the Roman Empire, and is succeeded by Aurelian Vandals and Sarmatians driven out of Roman territory Romans leave Utrecht after regular invasions of Germanic people. ... Events May 11 - Constantine I refounds Byzantium, renames it New Rome, and moves the capital of the Roman Empire there from Rome. ... Amora, plural Amoraim, (from the Hebrew root amar to say or tell over), were renowned Jewish scholars who said or told over the teachings of the Oral law, from about 200 to 500 in Babylonia and Palestine. ... Babylonia was an ancient state in Mesopotamia (in modern Iraq), combining the territories of Sumer and Akkad. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Talmud (תלמוד) is considered an authoritative record of rabbinic discussions on Jewish law, Jewish ethics, customs, legends and stories. ...

Rabbah was born into a priestly family, and studied at both the academies in Sura and Pumbedita. He was a great scholar, renowned for his abilities to argue texts, resolve contradictions, and find applications, which gave him the nickname of "oker harim" or 'uprooter of mountains', as the Talmud says that when he was in argument, he got so worked up that he appeared to pick up mountains and grind them against each other. His specialty was the laws of ritual purity, and he was also an exceptional teacher. He used to start every lecture with a joke or funny anecdote to get his students in a good mood. Sura was the name of a city in ancient Babylonia that was a major center of Talmud scholarship, that together with the city of Pumbeditha, gave rise to the Babylonian Talmud. ... ... Ritual purification is a feature of many religions. ... An anecdote is a very brief tale narrating an interesting or amusing biographical incident. ...

Rabbah succeeded Judah ben Ezekiel as head of the academy of Pumbedita and held the post until his death. The academy acheived its height under his leadership and he attracted many new students to the academy. During the kallah months he is said to have attracted as many as 12,000 students. Geonim (also Gaonim) (גאונים) (Singular: Gaon [גאון] meaning Genius in Hebrew) were the rabbis who were the Jewish Talmudic sages who were the generally accepted leaders of the Jewish community in the early medieval era. ...

He is also said to have lived in poverty, but little else is known about his private life. He died when the Persian king sent bailiffs to seize him for his failure to pay taxes. He fled from city to city and finally into a forest where his body was found in a thicket. Persia and Persian can refer to: the Western name for Iran. ... A Bailiff in a United States courtroom Bailiff (from Late Latin bajulivus, adjectival form of bajulus) is a governor or custodian; cf. ...

Rabbah was hated by the scholars of Pumbedita for his outspokenness, but loved by his students. The Talmud records that after his death, he was eulogized for seven days. His nephew was the great scholar Abaye, who was raised by Rabbah as Abaye was an orphan. He was succeeded by his son as well, also called Rabbah. Jump to: navigation, search A eulogy is a funeral oration given in tribute to a person or people who have recently died. ... Abaye, the name of a Babylonian amora (q. ...

References

• Encyclopaedia Judaica, 1972, Keter Publishing House, Jerusalem, Israel.
• Sefer Ha-Aggadah (Book of Legends), 1992, Schocken, New York.