Abaye was a Rabbi of the Jewish Talmud who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora; born about the close of the third century; died 339 (see Talmudic Academies in Babylonia). His father, Kaylil, was the brother of Rabbah bar Nachmani, a teacher at the Academy of Pumbedita. Abaye's real name was Nachmani, after his grandfather. Left an orphan at an early age, he was adopted by his uncle, Rabbah bar Nachmani, who nicknamed him Abaye ("Little Father"), … Wikipedia