Kiddushin 143

והאידנא הוא דליוה פרסאי אמר ליה אביי לרב יוסף להא גיסא דפרת עד היכא אמר ליה מאי דעתיך משום בירם מייחסי דפומבדיתא מבירם נסבי

but now the Persians have set it higher.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Above Fort Tulbakene; hence Abaye and R. Joseph were not opposed to this.');">¹</span> Abaye said to R'Joseph: How far does it extend on this [sc. the west] side of the Euphrates? Said he to him: What is your motive [in asking]: on account of Biram?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which lay on the west of the Euphrates, some miles N.W. of Pumbeditha.');">²</span> The most distinguished [families] of Pumbeditha took [wives] from Biram! R'Papa said: Just as they differ over family purity, so they differ over divorce.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If one brings a divorce from any country except Palestine and Babylon, he must declare that it was written and attested in his presence. R. Papa maintains that the controversies on the boundaries of Babylon apply to this too.');">³</span>

אמר רב פפא כמחלוקת ליוחסין כך מחלוקת לענין גיטין ורב יוסף אמר מחלוקת ליוחסין אבל לגיטין דברי הכל עד ארבא תניינא דגישרא

But R'Joseph said: They differ only in respect to genealogy, but as for divorce, all agree that it is as far as the second willow clump beyond the bridge.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or, to the second boat of the (floating) bridge (Jast.) .');">⁴</span> Rami B'Abba said: Habil Yamma<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'district of the sea: the entire region of Babylon which is traversed by river and canals. Obermeyer, pp. 118f.');">⁵</span> is the glory<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the adornment in purple.'');">⁶</span> of Babylon.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi: its inhabitants are of the purest birth in Babylon. It may also mean in general that it is the finest and most fertile district, as it actually was.');">⁷</span> Shunya<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A canal district in the vicinity of Pumbeditha; Obermeyer, pp. 122ff.');">⁸</span>

אמר רמי בר אבא חביל ימא תכילתא דבבל שוניא וגוביא תכילתא דחביל ימא רבינא אמר אף ציצורא תניא נמי הכי חנן בן פנחס אומר חביל ימא תכילתא דבבל שוניא וגוביא וציצורא תכילתא דחביל ימא אמר רב פפא והאידנא איערבי בהו כותאי ולא היא איתתא הוא דבעא מינייהו ולא יהבו ליה מאי חביל ימא אמר רב פפא זו פרת דבורסי

and Gubya<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A region behind Babylonia as one travels eastwards from the Tigris; Obermeyer p. 127.');">⁹</span> are the glory of Habil Yamma. Rabina said: Zizura<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A district not far from the Tigris, the waters of whose canal debouched into the Tigris between Bagdad and Madain, ibid p. 125.');">¹⁰</span> too. It was taught likewise: Hanan B'Pinhas said: Habil Yamma is the glory of Babylon: Shunya and Gubya and Zizura are the glory of Habil Yamma.

ההוא גברא דאמר להו אנא מן שוט מישוט עמד רבי יצחק נפחא על רגליו ואמר שוט מישוט בין הנהרות עומדת וכי בין הנהרות עומדת מאי הוי אמר אביי אמר ר' חמא בר עוקבא אמר רבי יוסי בר' חנינא בין הנהרות הרי היא כגולה ליוחסין והיכא קיימא אמר ר' יוחנן מאיהי דקירא ולעיל והא אמר רבי יוחנן עד מעברתא דגיזמא אמר אביי רצועה נפקא

Said R'Papa: But nowadays Cutheans<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 207, n. 9. [According to Obermeyer (p. 120) the reference is to the Christians that emigrated during the third and fourth centuries from Syria and Mesopotamia into Babylon.]');">¹¹</span> have become mixed up with them. That [however] is not so: one [a Cuthean] sought a wife from them, but they did not give him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the rumour arose. Others explain: he (R. Papa) sought a wife etc., and in his spleen declared them impure! This is not very plausible');">¹²</span> What is Habil Yamma? - Said R'Papa: The Euphrates land near Borsif.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The region traversed by the right arm of the Euphrates, which flows before Borsif (Babel) . Ibid. p. 315. V. Sanh. (Sonc. ed.) p. 748, n. 7.');">¹³</span> A certain man said: 'I come from Shot-Mishot.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He wished to marry a Babylonian woman; Shot-Mishot, or Samosata, is one of the fords of the Euphrates.');">¹⁴</span>

אמר רב איקא בר אבין אמר רב חננאל אמר רב חלזון ניהוונד הרי היא כגולה ליוחסין א"ל אביי לא תציתו ליה יבמה היא דנפלה ליה התם א"ל אטו דידי היא דרב חננאל היא אזיל שיילוה לרב חננאל אמר להו הכי אמר רב חלזון ניהוונד הרי היא כגולה ליוחסין

R'Isaac Nappaha<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or, the smith.');">¹⁵</span> stood up on his feet and declared: Shot-Mishot lies between the rivers.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jast. observes: between the Euphrates and the Tigris. Obermeyer. pp. 100-1, thinks this altogether unlikely. 'Between the rivers' is the Talmudic idiom for a region of island formation, and here applies to the Euphrates region from Hit (Ihi de Kira) to Anah.');">¹⁶</span> And what if it is situated between the rivers? - Said Abaye in the name of R'Hama B''Ukba in the name of R'Jose son of R'Hanina: Between the rivers is as the Exile [sc. Babylon] in respect of genealogy. And where is that situated? - Said R'Johanan: From Ihi de Kira and upwards. But R'Johanan said: [The upper limit of Babylon is] as far as the ford of Gidama?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is below Ihi de Kira.');">¹⁷</span>

ופליגא דר' אבא בר כהנא דאמר ר' אבא בר כהנא מאי דכתיב (מלכים ב יח, יא) וינחם בחלח ובחבור נהר גוזן וערי מדי חלח זו חלזון חבור זו הדייב נהר גוזן זו גינזק ערי מדי זו חמדן וחברותיה ואמרי לה זו נהוונד וחברותיה

- Said Abaye: A strip issues [beyond that limit].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which includes Shot-Mishot.');">¹⁸</span> R'Ika B'Abin said in the name of R'Hananel in Rab's name: Halwan and Nahawand are as the Exile in respect to genealogy.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though these are in Media, Halwan lay on the great historic route from Babylon to Media, some forty-one parasangs from Bagdad. Nahawand was situated in the middle of Media, about fourteen parasangs from Hamadan in a southerly direction. Its Jewish community may have consisted then of Babylonian colonists, and hence the genealogical purity here ascribed to it. Obermeyer, pp. 106-8.');">¹⁹</span> Said Abaye to them [his disciples]: Disregard him: a yebamah has fallen to him there.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And he asserts their pure birth because he wishes to marry her.');">²⁰</span> Is it then my [dictum]? he replied; it is R'Hananel's! So they went and enquired of R'Hananel, who said to them: Thus did Rab say: Halwan and Nahawand are as the Exile in respect to genealogy.

מאי חברותיה אמר שמואל כרך מושכי חוסקי ורומקי אמר רבי יוחנן וכולם לפסול קסלקא דעתא מושכי היינו מושכני והאמר ר' חייא בר אבין אמר שמואל מושכני הרי היא כגולה ליוחסין אלא מושכי לחוד ומושכני לחוד

Now, he differs from R'Abba B'Kahana, who said: What is meant by, [and the king of Assyria carried Israel away into Assyria,] and put them in Halah, and in Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Kings XVIII, 11.');">²¹</span> Halah is Hulwan; Habor is Adiabene;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A district of Assyria between the rivers Lycus and Caprus (fast.) ; v. also Obermeyer, p. 10.');">²²</span> the river of Gozan is Ginzak;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rawlinson identifies this with Shiz, near the present-day town of Maragha, south-east of Urmiasee; ibid.');">²³</span> the cities of the Medes are Hamadan<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ektabana, capital of Media.');">²⁴</span> and its environs; others state, Nahawand and its environs.

(דניאל ז, ה) ותלת עלעין בפומה בין שיניה אמר רבי יוחנן זו חלזון הדייב ונציבין שפעמים בולעתן ופעמים פולטתן

What are its environs? - Said Samuel: Karag, Moschi,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So Obermeyer, p. 11. who treats this as two names. Jast. translates: the Fort of Moschi.');">²⁵</span> Hidki and Rumki. Said R'Johanan: And all these are unfit.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., of impure descent. Thus this identification disagrees with Rab.');">²⁶</span> Now, it was assumed that Moschi is identical with Moxoene [so the difficulty arises]: Surely R'Hiyya B'Abin said in Samuel's name, Moxoene is as the Exile in respect to genealogy? - Hence Moschi is distinct from Moxoene. And three ribs were in his mouth between his teeth:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Dan. VII, 5.');">²⁷</span>

(דניאל ז, ה) וארו חיוא אחרי תנינא דמיה לדוב תני רב יוסף אלו פרסיים שאוכלין ושותין כדוב ומסורבלין כדוב ומגדלין שער כדוב ואין להם מנוחה כדוב ר' אמי כי הוה חזי פרסא דרכיב אמר היינו דובא ניידא

Said R'Johanan: This refers to Hulwan, Adiabene and Nesibin,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or Nesibis, as it was generally called. A town in Mesopotamia, not included in the 'Exile' proper, which possessed an important Jewish community; ibid. p. 129.');">²⁸</span> which it [Persia] sometimes swallowed and sometimes spat out.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., sometimes it ruled over them, sometimes not; v. ibid.');">²⁹</span> And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid.');">³⁰</span> R'Joseph recited: This refers to the Persians, who eat and drink like a bear, are fleshy like a bear, overgrown with hair like a bear, and have no rest like a bear. When R'Ammi saw a Persian riding he would say: 'There is a wandering bear!'

א"ל רבי ללוי הראני פרסיים אמר ליה דומים לחיילות של בית דוד הראני חברין דומין למלאכי חבלה הראני ישמעאלים דומין לשעירים של בית הכסא הראני תלמידי חכמים שבבבל דומים למלאכי השרת

Rabbi said to Levi:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Levi b. Sisi visited Babylonia, his original home, on his return to Palestine. Rabbi his teacher asked him for some information about the people of that country.]');">³¹</span> 'Shew me the persians.' - 'They are like the armies of the House of David,' he replied.' Shew me the Guebers.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [The fanatical sect of Persian fireworshippers, v. Git. (Sonc. ed.) p. 63. n. 2.]');">³²</span> - 'They are like the destroying angels.'

כי הוה ניחא נפשיה דרבי אמר הומניא איכא בבבל כולה עמונאי היא מסגריא איכא בבבל כולה דממזירא היא בירקא איכא בבבל שני אחים יש שמחליפים נשותיהם זה לזה בירתא דסטיא איכא בבבל היום סרו מאחרי המקום דאקפי פירא בכוורי בשבתא ואזיל וצדו בהו בשבתא ושמתינהו ר' אחי ברבי יאשיה ואישתמוד אקרא דאגמא איכא בבבל אדא בר אהבה יש בה

'Shew me the Ishmaelites.' - 'They are like the demons of the privy.' 'Shew me the scholars of Babylon.' - 'They are like the Ministering Angels.' When Rabbi was dying he said: 'There is [a town] Humania<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the right bank of the Tigris, below Shekanzib; Obermeyer, p. 192.');">³³</span> in Babylon, which consists entirely of Ammonites; there is Misgaria<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Unidentified.');">³⁴</span> in Babylon, consisting entirely of mamzerim; there is Birka<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Identified with Baratha by the river al-Melik: v. ibid. p. 73, n. 2.');">³⁵</span> in Babylon, which contains two brothers who interchange their wives; there is a Birtha di Satya<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. ibid. where it is identified with Baratha, which belongs to Greater Bagdad.');">³⁶</span> in Babylon: to-day they have turned away from the Almighty: a fishpond overflowed on the Sabbath, and they went and caught the fish on the Sabbath, whereat R'Ahi son of R'Josiah declared the ban against them, and they renounced Judaism.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [So Jast. Aliter: 'they were destroyed'.]');">³⁷</span> There is a Fort Agama<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Probably in the vicinity of Pumbeditha; ibid. p. 237, n. 3.');">³⁸</span> in Babylon wherein dwells Adda B'Ahabah: