Sura Academy (Hebrew: ישיבת סורא) was a Jewish yeshiva in Babylonia, with Pumbedita Academy one of the two major Jewish academies from the year 225 AD at the beginning of the era of the Amora sages until 1033 AD at the end of the era of the Gaonim. Sura Yeshiva Academy was founded by the Amora Abba Arika ("Rav"), a disciple of Judah ha-Nasi. Among the well-known sages that headed the yeshiva were Rav Huna, Rav Chisda, Rav Ashi, Yehudai Gaon, Natronai Gaon, Saadia Gaon, and others.
Abba Arika ("Rav"), arrived at Sura city to find no lively religious public life, and since he was worried about the continuity of the Jewish community in Babylonia, he left his colleague Samuel of Nehardea in Nehardea and began working to establish the yeshiva that would become Sura Academy. Upon Abba Arika's arrival, teachers from surrounding cities and towns descended upon Sura. The Academy of Sura was formally founded in the year 225 AD, several years after Abba Arika's arrival.
The academy's classes were occasionally held at Matha-Mehasia (מתא מחסיא), a suburb of Sura city, and after a while a Torah center was founded there as well. Abba Arika's Sura Academy would eventually grow to include a faculty of 1200 members and included the following features:
- Ek-sed-rah (אכסדרא, a covered walkway leading from the street up to the house of learning
- Kee-taw-een (קיטון, offices for the rabbis and deans and classrooms for teachers
- Gih-nah-tah (גינתא, garden whose produce fed the academy's teachers and students
- Sip-pee (ציפי, flat mats placed on the floor, where teachers and students could rest between classes
Sura Academy soon became the most influential yeshiva in its region, besting the Nehardea Academy.
Abba Arika ("Rav") (founder of the academy)
Rav Huna (Rosh yeshiva, after Abba Arika, for about 40 year)
Rav Chisda
Rav Ashi
Maremar
Idi ben Abin (II)
Nachman ben R. Huna
Mar ben R. Ashi (Tabyomi)
Rabbah Tosafa'ah
Ravina II
Rav Ena
Mar ben R. Huna - 591
R. Hanina (Hananiah, Hinenai) - around 610
Rav Hunai (Huna) - around 650
Rav Sheshna (Sheshua, Mesharsheya b. Tahlifa) - around 670
Hanina of Nehar Pekkod (Hananiah, Hinenai, Ha-Kohen, of Nhr[River] Paqod) - 689-694
Hillai of Naresh (Nehilai, Ha-Levi) - 694-712
Jacob of nehar Pekod (Ha-Kohen, Nhr Paqod) - 712-730
Rav Samuel Gaon (of Pumbedita) (Rabba's grandson, descendant of Amemar) - 730-748
Mari ha-Kohen of Nehar Pekod (Nahr Paqod)- 748-756
Rav Aha Gaon - 756
Yehudai ben Nahman (Yehudai Gaon, Judah) (Author of Halakhot Pessoukot) - 757-761
Ahhunai Kahana ben Papa (Ahunai, Huna, ha-Kohen) - 761-769
Haninai Kahana ben R. Huna (Hanina, ha-Kohen, Ahunai) - 769-774
Mari ha-Levi ben R. Mesharsheya - 774-778
Bebai ha-Levi ben R. Abba of Nehar Pekod (Biboi, Nahr Paqod) - 778-789
Hilai ben R. Mari (Hillai) - 789-798
Jacob ha-Kohen ben Mordecai (Mordechai) - 798
Rav Abimai (Abumai, Ikhomai, ha-Kohen) (brother of R. Mordecai) - 815
Zadok ben R. Ashi (Issac Sadoq, ben Jesse) - 810-812
Hilai ben R. Hananiah (Hillai) - 812-816
Kimoi ben R. Ashi (Qimoi) - 816-820
Mesharsheya Kahana ben Jacob Gaon (Moses, ha-Kohen) -820-830
Two years of an absence of a Gaon(843-844)
Kohen Tzedek ben Abimai Gaon (Sedeq, Ikhomai, Abumai) - 832-843
Sar Shalom ben R. Boaz - 843-853
Natronai ben R. Hilai ben R. Mari Gaon (Natronai ben Hilai)- 853-861
Amram bar Sheshna (Amram Gaon, Amram ben R. Sheshna) (Author of the Siddur) - 861-872
Nahshon ben R. Zadok - 872-879
Zemah ben R. Hayyim - (Semah) 879-886
Rav Malka - 886
Hai ben R. Nahshon ben Tzadok (ben Issac Sadoq) - 886-896
Hilai ben Natronai ben Hilai Gaon (Hillai, Natrunai) - 896-804
Shalom ben R. Mishael - 904
Jacob ben R. Natronai (ha-Kohen, Natrunai) - 911-924
Yom-Tob Kahana ben R. Jacob (Yom Tov, ha-Kohen) - 924
Saadia ben Joseph of Faym (Al-Fayyumi, Saadia Gaon) - 928-942
Joseph ben R. Jacob bar Satya (ben Satya) - around 930
The academy was closed for about 45 years
Zemah Tzedek ben Paltoi ben Issac (Semah, Sedeq) - around 990 and around 998
Samuel ben Hofni (Hophni, ha-Kohen) (father-in-law of Hai Gaon) - around 998 and around 1012
Dosa ben Saadia Gaon (Son of Saadia Gaon) - 1012-1018
Israel ha-Kohen ben Samuel ben Hofni (Hophni) - 1018-1033