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Nehardea or Nehardeah ( arc, נהרדעא, ''nəhardəʿā'' "river of knowledge") was a
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
from the area called by ancient Jewish sources
Babylonia Babylonia (; Akkadian: , ''māt Akkadī'') was an ancient Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Syria). It emerged as an Amorite-ruled state c ...
, situated at or near the junction of the
Euphrates The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers'') ...
with the Nahr Malka (the Royal Canal), one of the earliest and most prominent centers of Babylonian Judaism. It hosted the Nehardea Academy, one of the most prominent Talmudic academies in Babylonia, and was home to great scholars such as Samuel of Nehardea,
Rav Nachman Rav Nachman bar Yaakov ( he, רב נחמן בר יעקב; died 320) was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an Amora of the third generation. It is generally accepted that references to Rav Nachman in the Talmud refer to Rav Nach ...
, and
Amemar Amemar ( he, אמימר) was a Babylonian rabbi, of the fifth and sixth generation of amoraim. His name is a compound word, formed of the personal name "Ami" and the title "Mar" ("master"). Biography Amemar was one of the leading sages of his g ...
.


Location

Nehardea was adjacent or identical to Anbar, a short distance from the modern city of
Fallujah Fallujah ( ar, ٱلْفَلُّوجَة, al-Fallūjah, Iraqi pronunciation: ) 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 Je ...
(formerly the site of
Pumbedita Pumbedita (sometimes Pumbeditha, Pumpedita, or Pumbedisa; arc, פוּמְבְּדִיתָא ''Pūmbəḏīṯāʾ'', "The Mouth of the River,") was an ancient city located near the modern-day city of Fallujah, Iraq. It is known for having hosted t ...
).


History


Before the amoraic period

As the seat of the exilarch, Nehardea traced its origin back to King Jehoiachin. According to Sherira Gaon, Jehoiachin and his coexilarchs built a
synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of wor ...
at Nehardea, for the foundation of which they used earth and stones which they had brought (in accordance with the words of
Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...
102:15) from
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. For this reason it was called 'The Synagogue that Slid and Settled' ("Shaf we-Yatib") to which there are several references dating from the third and fourth centuries, and which Abaye asserts was the seat of the Shekhinah in Babylonia. The priestly portion of the
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
population of Nehardea was said to be descended from the slaves of Pashur ben Immer, the contemporary of King Jehoiachin. Kiddushin 70b There are also other allusions in the
Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...
casting doubt upon the purity of blood of the Nehardean Jews. The fact that Hyrcanus II, the
high priest The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious caste. Ancient Egypt In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many gods rev ...
, lived for a time in that city as a captive of the
Parthians Parthian may be: Historical * A demonym "of Parthia", a region of north-eastern of Greater Iran * Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD) * Parthian language, a now-extinct Middle Iranian language * Parthian shot, an archery skill famously employed by ...
may explain the circumstance that as late as the third century certain of its inhabitants traced their descent back to the Hasmoneans. The importance of the city during the last century of the existence of the Second Temple appears from the following statement by Josephus: Reference to the extent of the territory of Nehardea is made in the Talmud also. In addition to the Euphrates, Nehar Malka (the King's Canal) formed one of the natural defenses of the city; the ferry over the river (or perhaps over the canal) is likewise mentioned. "Nehardea and
Nisibis Nusaybin (; '; ar, نُصَيْبِيْن, translit=Nuṣaybīn; syr, ܢܨܝܒܝܢ, translit=Nṣībīn), historically known as Nisibis () or Nesbin, is a city in Mardin Province, Turkey. The population of the city is 83,832 as of 2009 and is ...
," says Josephus further (ib.), "were the treasuries of the Eastern Jews, for the Temple taxes were kept there until the stated days for forwarding them to Jerusalem." Nehardea was the native city of the two Jewish brothers Anilai and Asinai, who in the first third of the 1st century C.E. founded a semi-autonomous state on the Euphrates, under the Parthian government, and caused much trouble to the
Babylonian Jews The history of the Jews in Iraq ( he, יְהוּדִים בָּבְלִים, ', ; ar, اليهود العراقيون, ) is documented from the time of the Babylonian captivity c. 586 BC. Iraqi Jews constitute one of the world's oldest and mos ...
because of their marauder-like escapades. After the destruction of Jerusalem, Nehardea is first mentioned in connection with Rabbi Akiva's sojourn there. From the post-
Hadrian Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania ...
ic tannaitic period there is the anecdote referring to the debt which Aḥai ben Josiah had to collect at Nehardea.


Amoraic period

Nehardea emerges clearly into the light of history at the end of the tannaitic period. Rav Shela's school was then prominent, and served to pave the way for the activity of the Babylonian academies. Samuel of Nehardea (whose father, Abba ben Abba, was an authority in Nehardea) established the reputation of its academy, while
Rav ''Rav'' (or ''Rab,'' Modern Hebrew: ) is the Hebrew generic term for a person who teaches Torah; a Jewish spiritual guide; or a rabbi. For example, Pirkei Avot (1:6) states that: The term ''rav'' is also Hebrew for ''rabbi''. (For a more nuan ...
, who likewise taught there for a time, made
Sura A ''surah'' (; ar, سورة, sūrah, , ), is the equivalent of "chapter" in the Qur'an. There are 114 ''surahs'' in the Quran, each divided into '' ayats'' (verses). The chapters or ''surahs'' are of unequal length; the shortest surah ('' Al-K ...
(situated on the Euphrates about twenty parasangs from Nehardea) the seat of an academy destined to achieve a still greater reputation. The history of Nehardea is summed up in that of Samuel's activity. Soon after Samuel's death, Nehardea was destroyed by Papa ben Neser (either another name for Odenathus, or one of his generals) in 259 CE, and its place as seat of the second academy was taken by
Pumbedita Pumbedita (sometimes Pumbeditha, Pumpedita, or Pumbedisa; arc, פוּמְבְּדִיתָא ''Pūmbəḏīṯāʾ'', "The Mouth of the River,") was an ancient city located near the modern-day city of Fallujah, Iraq. It is known for having hosted t ...
. Nehardea, however, soon regained its importance, for the eminent
Rav Nachman Rav Nachman bar Yaakov ( he, רב נחמן בר יעקב; died 320) was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an Amora of the third generation. It is generally accepted that references to Rav Nachman in the Talmud refer to Rav Nach ...
dwelt there. There are several references to his activity. Rava tells of a walk which he took with Nachman through the "Shoemaker street," or, according to another version, through the "Scholars' street". Certain gates of Nehardea, which even in the time of Samuel were so far covered with earth that they could not be closed, were uncovered by Nachman. Two teachings in which Nachman designates Nehardea as "
Babel Babel is a name used in the Hebrew Bible for the city of Babylon and may refer to: Arts and media Written works Books * ''Babel'' (book), by Patti Smith * ''Babel'' (2012 manga), by Narumi Shigematsu * ''Babel'' (2017 manga), by Yūgo Ishika ...
" have been handed down. Sheshet also dwelt there temporarily. According to a teaching dating from the 4th century, an amora heard in Nehardea certain tannaitic teachings which had until then been unknown to scholars. Nehardea always remained the residence of a certain number of learned men, some of whom belonged to the school of
Mahuza Al-Mada'in ( ar, المدائن, , ; ) was an ancient metropolis situated on the Tigris River in modern-day Iraq. It was located between the ancient royal centers of Ctesiphon and Seleucia, and was founded by the Sassanid Empire. The city's name ...
, which was of considerable prominence at that time, and some to that of
Pumbedita Pumbedita (sometimes Pumbeditha, Pumpedita, or Pumbedisa; arc, פוּמְבְּדִיתָא ''Pūmbəḏīṯāʾ'', "The Mouth of the River,") was an ancient city located near the modern-day city of Fallujah, Iraq. It is known for having hosted t ...
. About the middle of the 4th century the famous scholar Ḥama was living at Nehardea; the maxim "By the 'amoraim of Nehardea' Ḥama is meant" became a canon in the Babylonian schools. Toward the end of the 4th and at the beginning of the 5th century Nehardea again became a center of Babylonian Judaism through
Amemar Amemar ( he, אמימר) was a Babylonian rabbi, of the fifth and sixth generation of amoraim. His name is a compound word, formed of the personal name "Ami" and the title "Mar" ("master"). Biography Amemar was one of the leading sages of his g ...
's activity, though this was overshadowed by that of Rav Ashi, the director of the Academy of Sura. It was Rav Ashi who had the seat of the exilarchate, which belonged as an ancient privilege to Nehardea, transferred to Sura. Amemar attempted in Nehardea to introduce the recitation of the Ten Commandments into the daily prayer ritual, but was dissuaded from doing so by Ashi. Another of Amemar's liturgical innovations is mentioned in
Sukkot or ("Booths, Tabernacles") , observedby = Jews, Samaritans, a few Protestant denominations, Messianic Jews, Semitic Neopagans , type = Jewish, Samaritan , begins = 15th day of Tishrei , ends = 21st day of Tis ...
55a (on the relation of Ashi to Amemar see Halevy, ''Dorot ha-Rishonim,'' ii. 515 et seq., iii. 68 et seq.). Other scholars of the 4th and 5th centuries who are mentioned in the Talmud as natives of Nehardea include Dimi (who subsequently presided at Pumbedita as second successor to Ḥama), Zebid,
Rav Nachman Rav Nachman bar Yaakov ( he, רב נחמן בר יעקב; died 320) was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an Amora of the third generation. It is generally accepted that references to Rav Nachman in the Talmud refer to Rav Nach ...
, Ḥanan and Simai. Adda b. Minyomi was called the "judge of Nehardea". A few scattered data concerning Nehardea may be added. It was an ancient liturgical custom there to read pericopes from the Hagiographa on
Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; he, שַׁבָּת, Šabbāṯ, , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical stori ...
afternoons. The surrounding country was said to be unsafe because of
Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (; , singular ) are nomadic Arabs, Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The Bedouin originated in the Syrian Desert ...
robbers. An ancient rule of procedure of the court of Nehardea is mentioned in Ket. 87a. Lod in Palestine, and Nehardea are mentioned in the 3rd century as cities whose inhabitants were proud and ignorant. Nehardea is famous in the history of the Masorah because of an ancient tradition relating to the number of verses in the Bible; it is here said that
Hamnuna Hamnuna (Hebrew: המנונא) is the name of several rabbis from the period of the Talmud, among them: * Hamnuna Saba ("the elder"). Second generation Babylonian amora (mid third century CE). A pupil of Rav. After Rav, he became the head of ...
brought this tradition from Nehardea, where he had received it from Naḳḳai. Certain readings of the
Biblical The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of ...
text are characterized by tradition—especially by the Masorah to the
Pentateuch The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...
Targum ( Onkelos)—as being those of Sura, and certain others as of Nehardea.


Geonic period

Aḥa of Be-Ḥatim from the vicinity of Nehardea is mentioned by Sherira Gaon as one of the saboraic authorities of the 6th century. Mar R. Ḥanina is mentioned, among the earliest geonim of Pumbedita, as residing at Nehardea at the time of
Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد;  570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mon ...
. This is the last reference in Jewish history to Nehardea.
Benjamin of Tudela Benjamin of Tudela ( he, בִּנְיָמִין מִטּוּדֶלָה, ; ar, بنيامين التطيلي ''Binyamin al-Tutayli'';‎ Tudela, Kingdom of Navarre, 1130 Castile, 1173) was a medieval Jewish traveler who visited Europe, Asia, an ...
, however, mentions the ruins of the synagogue Shaf-Yatib, two days' journey from Sura, and one and one-half from Pumbedita.''Itinerary,'' ed. Grünhut, p. 64


Bibliography

* Barak S. Cohen, "‘In Nehardea Where There Are No Heretics’: The Purported Jewish Response to Christianity in Nehardea (A Re-examination of the Talmudic Evidence)," in Dan Jaffé (ed), ''Studies in Rabbinic Judaism and Early Christianity: Text and Context'' (Leiden: Brill, 2010) (Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity/Arbeiten zur Geschichte des antiken Judentums und des Urchristentums, 74)


See also

* Talmudic Academies in Babylonia *
Talmudic Academies in the Land of Israel The Talmudic Academies in Syria Palaestina were ''yeshivot'' that served as centers for Jewish scholarship and the development of Jewish law in Syria Palaestina (and later Palaestina Prima and Palaestina Secunda) between the destruction of the Se ...


References

;Attribution Its bibliography: * Neubauer, G. T. pp. 230, 350; * Hirschensohn, Sheba Ḥokmot, p. 164, Lemberg, 1885. {{coord, 33, 22, 43, N, 43, 42, 57, E, display=title, source:frwiki Talmud places Babylonia Jewish Babylonian history Former populated places in Iraq Sasanian cities