place · L0252
Mata Mechasya מתא מחסיא
The town adjacent to Sura where Rav Ashi fixed his seat — the place where, in tradition's phrase, "Torah and greatness in one place" returned, and where the Talmud Bavli was arranged. In geonic usage "Mata Mechasya" and "Sura" name the same academy; the atlas keeps the town distinct because the sources do.
I. Who
- Hebrew
- מתא מחסיא
- Also known as
- Mata Mehasya, Matha Mehasia
III. Where
- Modern location
- Adjacent to ancient Sura, near al-Hilla, southern Iraq (exact site unidentified)
V. How do we know
| Claim | Evidence | Confidence | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| All the scholars of Rav Ashi's day "set their feet at Mata Mechasya," where Rav Acha's dictum was applied: "from the days of Rebbi until Rav Ashi we do not find Torah and greatness in one place." | tradition | ★★★★☆ | |
| Mata Mechasya was a town in southern Babylonia by Sura, home of the Sura academy in Rav Ashi's era; like Sura itself it has not been securely identified on the ground, so the coordinates follow the Sura area.
Coordinates approximate, tied to the Sura area (see Sura). |
external reconstruction | ★★★☆☆ |