Pumbaditha
Pumbaditha (מומבדיתא), a name celebrated in Jewish literature as the home of one of the great schools of Judaism, was located in Babylonia, and derived its name from its situation at the (pum) mouth of the Baditha, a canal between the Tigris and Euphrates. Its academy, except only that of Sora (q.v.), was the most enduring and influential of all the Rabbinic institutions in Babylonia. Founded towards the end of the 3d century by R. Jehudah ben- Jecheskel, one of the most distinguished disciples of Abba Areka, also called Rab (q.v.), it flourished until towvards the beginning of the 11th century, thus moulding, shaping, and influencing the life and literature of the Jews. Many of the rectors of this academy acquired a great renown for their Rabbinic lore, some of whom have already been mentioned in this Cyclopaedia, or will be treated in the succeeding volumes. The following list, giving the names of the famous teachers at that acalderny, prepared after a carefull and diligent perusal of the best authorities, we hope will aid the student of Jewish literature, since it is not easy to bring the membra disjecta into a chronological order out of the rudis indigestaque moles of the different sources:
1. R. Jehndah ben-Jecheskel 297-299 2. Chalsda of Kafri 299-309 3. Rabba ben-Nachmlan 309-330 4. Joseph ben-Chija, the Blind (q.v) 330-333 5. Abji ben-Cajlil 333-338 6. Rabba bai-Joseph bar-Chaina 338-352 7. Nachmanl ben-Isaac 352-356 8. Chanma of Nahardea 356-377 9. Zebid ben-Ushaja 377-385 10. Dimi ben-Chinena 385-388
11. Rafem ben-Papa 388-400 12. R. Kahana 400-411 13. Mar Suntra 411-414 14. Acha ben-Rabba 414-419 15. Gebiha of Be-Katil 419-433 16. Rafem II 433-443 17. Rachumai, or Nachumai 443-456 18. Sauna 'en-Rabba 456-471 19. R. Jose 471-520
At this time the final redaction of the Babylonian Talmud (q.v.) was made, and, according to Jewish tradition, to R. Jose, who forms the end of the Amoraim (Soph Haraah), the honor is assigned of "completing to write and of sealing the Gemara of Babylon, in the twenty-fourth year of his rectoral and magisterial dignity, in the year from the creation 4260, and 311 years from the sealing of the Mishna." After the death of R. Jose, the chronological chain is interrupted, and, with the exception of a few names which have come down to us, it is difficult to say who filled the space up to the year 670, for the probability is that, in the vicissitudes and persecutions of those times, the names of those famous teachers have been forgotten. With Mar Rlbba, who belonged to the so-called Gaonastic period, the chlronological order can again be followed down to the last of the heads of the academy of Pumbadithla. whose death sealed the closing of that famous academy forever. The following are the names:
CIRCA A.D.
1. Mar Rabba 670- 680 2. Mar Bussai, or Bostanai 680- 689 3. Hunai Mani ben-Joseph 689- 700 4. R. Chija of Mesene 700- 710 5. Mar-Rabjah 710- 719 6. Natronaei ben-Neihemia, surnamed Mar Janka 719- 730 7. Mar Jehndah 730- 739 8. Mar Joseph ben-Chutanai 9. Samuel ben-Mari. 10. Mar Natroi Kahinia ben-Emuna 739-761 11. Abraham Kahana 12. R. Dadai ben-Nachman 761- 764 13. Chananja ben-Mesharshaja 764- 771
14. Malka ben-Acha 771- 773 15. Rabba ben-Dudai 773- 782 16. R. Shinui a few months 17. Chaninai ben-Abraham Kahan 782- 786 18. Huna Mar Halevi ben-Isaac 786- 788 19. Manasseh ben-Joseph 788- 796 20. Isaiah ben-Ala 796- 798 21. Joseph d bel-Shila 798- 804 22. Mar Kahanaa ben-Chaninai 804- 810 23. Abunmari bel-Abraham 810- 814 24. Joseph ben-Abba 814- 816 25. Mar Abraham ben-Sherira 816- 828 R. Joseph ben-Chija anti-Gaon. 26. R. Joseph ben-Chija sole Gaon. 828- 833 27. R. Joseph ben-Rabbi 833- 842 28. Paltoj ben-Abaji 842- 858 29. Menachem ben-Joseph ben-Chija 858- 860 Mala Mattathias anti-Gaon. 30. Mar attathias sole Gaon 860- 869 31. Rabba ben-Ami 869- 872 32. Mar Zemach i. beni-Paltoj 872- 890 33. Hai ben-David 890- 897 34. Kimoj ben-Achai 897- 906 35. Mar Jehudai ben-Samuel 906- 917 36. Mar Kohen Zedek ii. ben-Joseph 917- 936 37. Zemach ben-Kafiai 936- 938 38. Chninlai ben-Jehudal 938- 943 39. Aaron Ibn Sarada 943- 960 40. Nehemia bei-Koheii Zedek 960- 968 41. Sherira ben-Chanania 968- 998 42. Hai ben-Sherira 998-1038
Literature. — Pinner, Compendium des hierosolymitanischen u. babylonischen Talmud (Berlin, 1832), p. 117 sq.; Monatsschrif fur Gesch. u. Wissenschaft d. Judenthums, i, 203 sq., 403 sq.; 7:336 sq., 381 sq.; Griitz, Gesch. der Juden, vols. 4:v; Ginsburg, in Kitto's Cyclopoedia, arts. "Education" and "Scribes;" Jost, Gesch. der Judenth. u. s. Secten, vol. ii (see Index in vol. iii); Cassel, Leitfaden zulr jud. Gesch. u. Literantua (Berlin, 1872), p). 48, 55; Etheridge, Ints od. to Hebrew Literature, p.
161-220 (where names and dates are, however, very often incorrect); Liber Juchasi sive Lexicon Biographicum et Historicum (ed. H. Filipowski, Lond. 1857), p. 199 sq.; Worman, in Kiddle and Schem's Cyclop. of Education, art. "Hebrews, Education of." (B. P.)
