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 ChisdaRav AshiMaremarIdi ben Abin (II)Nachman ben R. HunaMar ben R. Ashi (Tabyomi)Rabbah Tosafa'ahRavina IIRav EnaMar ben R. Huna - 591R. Hanina (Hananiah, Hinenai) - around 610Rav Hunai (Huna) - around 650Rav Sheshna (Sheshua, Mesharsheya b. Tahlifa) - around 670Hanina of Nehar Pekkod (Hananiah, Hinenai, Ha-Kohen, of Nhr[River] Paqod) - 689-694Hillai of Naresh (Nehilai, Ha-Levi) - 694-712Jacob of nehar Pekod (Ha-Kohen, Nhr Paqod) - 712-730Rav Samuel Gaon (of Pumbedita) (Rabba's grandson, descendant of Amemar) - 730-748Mari ha-Kohen of Nehar Pekod (Nahr Paqod)- 748-756Rav Aha Gaon - 756Yehudai ben Nahman (Yehudai Gaon, Judah) (Author of Halakhot Pessoukot) - 757-761Ahhunai Kahana ben Papa (Ahunai, Huna, ha-Kohen) - 761-769Haninai Kahana ben R. Huna (Hanina, ha-Kohen, Ahunai) - 769-774Mari ha-Levi ben R. Mesharsheya - 774-778Bebai ha-Levi ben R. Abba of Nehar Pekod (Biboi, Nahr Paqod) - 778-789Hilai ben R. Mari (Hillai) - 789-798Jacob ha-Kohen ben Mordecai (Mordechai) - 798Rav Abimai (Abumai, Ikhomai, ha-Kohen) (brother of R. Mordecai) - 815Zadok ben R. Ashi (Issac Sadoq, ben Jesse) - 810-812Hilai ben R. Hananiah (Hillai) - 812-816Kimoi ben R. Ashi (Qimoi) - 816-820Mesharsheya Kahana ben Jacob Gaon (Moses, ha-Kohen) -820-830Two years of an absence of a Gaon(843-844)Kohen Tzedek ben Abimai Gaon (Sedeq, Ikhomai, Abumai) - 832-843Sar Shalom ben R. Boaz - 843-853Natronai ben R. Hilai ben R. Mari Gaon (Natronai ben Hilai)- 853-861Amram bar Sheshna (Amram Gaon, Amram ben R. Sheshna) (Author of the Siddur) - 861-872Nahshon ben R. Zadok - 872-879Zemah ben R. Hayyim - (Semah) 879-886Rav Malka - 886Hai ben R. Nahshon ben Tzadok (ben Issac Sadoq) - 886-896Hilai ben Natronai ben Hilai Gaon (Hillai, Natrunai) - 896-804Shalom ben R. Mishael - 904Jacob ben R. Natronai (ha-Kohen, Natrunai) - 911-924Yom-Tob Kahana ben R. Jacob (Yom Tov, ha-Kohen) - 924Saadia ben Joseph of Faym (Al-Fayyumi, Saadia Gaon) - 928-942Joseph ben R. Jacob bar Satya (ben Satya) - around 930The academy was closed for about 45 yearsZemah Tzedek ben Paltoi ben Issac (Semah, Sedeq) - around 990 and around 998Samuel ben Hofni (Hophni, ha-Kohen) (father-in-law of Hai Gaon) - around 998 and around 1012Dosa ben Saadia Gaon (Son of Saadia Gaon) - 1012-1018Israel ha-Kohen ben Samuel ben Hofni (Hophni) - 1018-1033
