Abba Arika

Abba Arika

Abba Arikka (175–247) (Talmudic Aramaic: אבא אריכא; born: Abba bar Aybo, Hebrew: רבי אבא בר איבו) was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Sassanid Babylonia, known as an amora (commentator on the Oral Law) of the 3rd century who established at Sura the systematic study of the rabbinic traditions, which, using the Mishnah as text, led to the compilation of the Talmud. With him began the long period of ascendancy of the great academies of Babylonia (Oesterley & Box 1920), around the year 220. He is commonly known simply as Rav (or Rab, Hebrew: רב).