Rav Ashi ("Rabbi Ashi") (352-427) was a celebrated Jewish religious scholar, a Babylonian amora, who reestablished the academy at Sura and was first editor of the Babylonian Talmud. According to a tradition preserved in the academies, Rav Ashi was born in the same year that Rava, the great teacher of Mahuza, died, and he was the first teacher of any importance in the Talmudic Academies in Babylonia after Raba's death. Simai, Ashi's father, was a rich and learned man, …

Amram Gaon (Hebrew: עמרם גאון was a famous "Gaon" or head of the Jewish Talmud Academy of Sura (Persia) 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. His Prayer-Book ("Siddur Rab Amram" or "Seder Rav Amram"), which took the form of a long responsum to the Jews of Spain, …

Hezekiah Gaon was gaon of the Talmudic academy at Pumbedita from 1038-40. Hezekiah was a member of the exilarchal family. He was elected to the office of principal after the murder of Hai Gaon, but was denounced to the fanatical government of the Buyyids, imprisoned, and tortured to death. With him ended his family, with the exception of two sons who escaped to Spain, where they found a home with Joseph ben Samuel, the son of Samuel ha-Nagid.

Dodai ben Nahman was a Babylonian-Jewish scholar of the eighth century CE and gaon of the Talmudic academy at Pumbedita (761-764). Little is known of his life. He was a brother of the famous Judah ben Nahman, gaon at Sura (759-762), and with him was instrumental in preventing the eventual founder of Karaism, Anan ben David from succeeding to the exilarchate made vacant by the death of Solomon ben Hasdai and Isaac Iskoy ben Solomon, Anan's kinsmen.

Rav Papa was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia. Known as an Amora, he was a student of both Rava and Abaye. He led the Talmudical academy in Nehardea. Rav Papa was a wealthy man and it is said that whenever he completed a tractate he held a large party at which he invited his ten sons and many other people. At many modern siyums, a short prayer is said which mentions Rav Papa and his ten sons.

Rav Huna 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, passed away in 296-297 (608 of the Seleucidan era)).

Raba bar Rav Huna was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the third generation (d. 322). He was the son of Rav Huna, the head of the Academy of Sura

Bebai ben Abaye was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the fourth and fifth amoraic generations (fourth century CE), son of the celebrated Abaye Nahmani, and presiding judge in Pumbedita, where his father had directed the academy. Some rabbinic chronologists suggest his identity with Bebai II (Bebai ben Abin), which, however, is chronologically incorrect, the latter having been a fellow-pupil of Rab Joseph, …

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"), …

Moses ben Hanoch or Moses ben Enoch (in Hebrew language, "Moshe ben Hanoch") was a medieval rabbi who inadvertently became the preeminent Talmudic scholar of Spain. He died about 965. Moses was one of the four scholars who went from Sura, the seat of a once flourishing but then declining Talmudic academy, in order to collect contributions for that school. During a voyage from Bari, on the coast of Italy, …

Moses of Kiev was a Russian-Jewish Talmudist who lived in the first half of the twelfth century. Moses seems to have been in western Europe in consequence of the expulsion of the Jews from Kiev in 1124 (comp. Firkowitz in "Ha-Karmel," ii.407). It is not impossible that he was a pupil of Jacob b. Meïr Tam, whom he seems to have known (see Tam's "Sefer ha-Yashar," No. 522, p. 29a). From Russia Moses carried on a correspondence with Samuel ben Ali, …

Rava (רבא) was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora, born in 270, and one of the most often-cited Rabbis in the Talmud. He studied at the yeshiva (Torah Academy) of Pumbedita: see Talmudic Academies in Babylonia. There he became famous for his debates with his study-partner Abaye. The debates between Rava and Abaye are considered classic examples of Talmudic discourse.