PAPI

PAPI, name of two amoraim. PAPI I, Babylonian amora of the fourth century. A disciple of Rava, the greatest amora of his time, he became the son-in-law of R. Isaac Nappaḥa (Ḥul. 110a) and the head of an academy attended, among others, by Rav ashi (Ḥul. 77a; 82a; RH 29b) and mar zutra (Suk. 46a). He was apparently a well-to-do landowner, and, after reciting the sanctification of the Sabbath for his family and students, he would repeat the ceremony for the benefit of his tenants who arrived later from the field (RH 29b). Papi was on friendly terms with the exilarch Mar Samuel, at whose home he would sometimes dine (Beẓah 14b). When the exilarch ordered the case of a certain Bar Ḥama who was charged with murder to be investigated, Papi successfully defended the accused, whereupon the latter "kissed his (Papi's) feet and undertook to pay his poll tax for him for the rest of his life" (Sanh. 27a–b). PAPI II, Palestinian amora of the fourth century, somewhat later than the above. His teacher was Joshua of Sikhnin, and his few recorded sayings are for the most part aggadic traditions in the name of his teacher or in the name of R. Levi, whose traditions were chiefly transmitted by Joshua of Sikhnin. Among the statements cited by him is a prediction that the future rebuilt Jerusalem would be three times or even 30 times as large as the old city (BB 75b). -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Hyman, Toledot, S.V.; Ḥ. Albeck, Mavo la-Talmudim (1969), 418–19. (Moses Aberbach)