AVIA

AVIA (fourth century), Babylonian amora. Avia studied in Pumbedita under R. Joseph b. Ḥiyya (Ber. 28b). He appears to have been a colleague as well as a disciple for R. Joseph addressed a problem to him (Shab. 63a). He married the sister of Rami b. Ḥama (Ket. 56b–57a) and was a colleague of Rabbah b. Rav Hanan (Kid. 39a). Avia once visited rava who wished to trap him with difficult halakhic problems, but Avia avoided the pitfalls, whereupon R. Naḥman b. Isaac remarked, "Blessed be the All-merciful that Rava did not put Avia to shame" (Shab. 46a–b). Avia settled in Ereẓ Israel and studied under R. ammi in Caesarea, later transmitting his teachings (Ḥul. 50a). Avia's teachings in halakhah are recorded in many passages in the Talmud (e.g., Shab. 23a; BK 35a). The amoraim, R. Adda, R. Aḥa, and R. Hilkiah, were apparently his sons. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Hyman, Toledot, 107; Margalioth, Ḥakhmei, 1 (1964), 61f. (Zvi Kaplan)