Abaye was a rabbi of the
Jewish Talmud who lived in
Babylonia [בבל], known as an amora [אמורא] born about the close of the third century; died 339 CE (see
Talmudic Academies in Babylonia). His father, Kaylil, was the brother of
Rabbah bar Nachmani, a teacher at the Academy of
Pumbedita. Abaye's real name was
Nachmani, after his grandfather. Left an orphan at an early age, he was adopted by his uncle,
Rabbah bar Nachmani, who nicknamed him Abaye ("Little Father"), to avoid confusion (perhaps respect for his father) with his grandfather of the same name; thenceforth he was known as Abaye, without any other title. It is a curious fact that he perpetuated the memory of his foster-mother by mentioning her name in many popular recipes and dietetic precepts, some of which seem to be based on superstitious notions. He introduced each recipe with the phrase, "My mother told me." Abaye's teachers were his uncle Rabbah and Joseph bar Chama, both of whom successively became presidents of the Pumbedita Academy. When Joseph died (324 CE), this dignity was conferred upon Abaye, who retained it until his death some five years later. Rabbah trained him in the application of the dialectic method to
halakhic problems, and Joseph, with his stores of traditional lore, taught him to appreciate the value of positive knowledge.