III. THE AMORAIM (n.rnnt:), or LATER DOC TORS OF THE LAW.
i. Name and date. — The name Amoraim (O'N.111-N, sing. til)Cti, from -inx, to say, to hold forth, to expound), like the appellation Tanainz, is Aramaic ; it literally denotes Recorders, Expositors, and was given, after the redaction of the Mishna, to those wise men' and doctors of the law,' who alone constituted the authorised recorders and ex positors of the received Halacha. The period of the Anzorainz begins with the immediate disciples of R. Jehudah the Holy (A.D. 220), and terminates with the completion of the Babylonian Talmud (circa A.D. 500), embracing nearly 270 years.
ii. The work of the Amoraim. —As the title im plies, these Amorainz bad to examine, decide, and expound the import of the Mishna for general practice. After the redaction of the Mishna by Jehudah the Holy (A.D. 163-193), this Corpus "uris became the canonical code, and constituted the source of study and the rule of practice, both. in Babylon, whither it was imported immediately after its appearance by the celebrated Rab [RAE], and in Palestine. These commentaries and dis
cussions on the Mishna in the two countries are embodied in the two 7almuds, or more properly Gemaras, which are named after them—viz. Jeru salem and Babylon. The Jerusalem Talmud was made up in Tiberias about A.D. 400, because the Christian government took away from the doctors of the law the right of ordination, thus causing the extinction of the patriarchate and the declension of the Palestinian school ; whilst the Babylonian Talmud was not closed finally till the period of the Saboraim, as the schools were still greatly flourishing in Babylon under the presidency of Resh Methibtha Nrinnin er1), or Heads of Schools, and the Resh Galutha urn), or the Princes of the Exiles, as they were called [EDucAnoN ; MIDRASH ; TALMUD]. For the distinguished doc tors of the law who occupied the patriarchate, and were the presidents and vice-presidents of colleges during this period, we must refer to the article EDUCATION, where they are enumerated in chrono logical order.