place · L0202
Nehardea נהרדעא
The oldest seat of Torah in Bavel, at the junction of the Euphrates and the Nahr Malka canal — by its own tradition dating back to the first exile. Shmuel headed its court in the first amoraic generation. It was destroyed by Papa ben Netzer (Odaenathus' forces) in 259 CE, scattering its scholars to Pumbedita and elsewhere.
I. Who
- Hebrew
- נהרדעא
III. Where
- Modern location
- Near Anbar/Fallujah on the Euphrates, Iraq (site not securely identified)
V. How do we know
| Claim | Evidence | Confidence | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bavel had two great courts, "one at Nehardea, which was there already, and one at Sura, which Rav fixed"; Rav left Nehardea to Shmuel because "it was his place, and it was the place of Torah." | tradition | ★★★★☆ | |
| In the Seleucid year 570 (259 CE) "Papa ben Netzer came and destroyed Nehardea," and its scholars dispersed.
Papa ben Netzer is generally identified with the Palmyrene campaigns of Odaenathus; the exact agency is a historical reconstruction.
|
tradition external | ★★★★☆ |
Referenced by: Rav, Shmuel, Rav Nachman, Rabbi Shila, Academy of Nehardea