Samuel of Nehardea or
Samuel bar Abba (
Hebrew: שמואל or שמואל ירחינאה) was a
Jewish Talmudist who lived in
Babylonia, known as an
Amora of the first generation; son of
Abba bar Abba and head of the
Yeshiva at
Nehardea. He was a teacher of
halakha,
judge,
physician, and
astronomer. He was born about 165 CE at Nehardea, in Babylonia and died there about 257 CE. As in the case of many other great men, a number of legendary stories are connected with his birth (comp.
Halakot Gedolot, Giṭṭin, end; Tos. Ḳid. 73a s.v. Mai Ikka). In
Talmudic texts, Samuel is frequently associated with
Abba Arika, with whom he debated on many major issues. He was the teacher of Rabbi
Judah ben Ezekiel. From the little biographical information gleaned from the Talmud, we know that Samuel was never ordained as a Tanna, that he was very precise with his words (
Kidd. 70), and that he had a special affinity for
astronomy: one of his best known sayings was that "The paths of heaven are as clear to me as the pathways of Nehardea."