of Babylonian Judaism through Amemar's activity, though this was overshadowed by that of Rav Ashi, the director of the Academy of Sura. It was Rav Ashi who had the seat of the exilarchate, which belonged as an ancient privilege to Nehardea, transferred to Sura. Amemar attempted in Nehardea to introduce the recitation of the Ten Commandments into the daily prayer ritual, but was dissuaded from doing so by Ashi. Another of Amemar's liturgical innovations is mentioned in Sukkot 55a (on the relation of Ashi to Amemar see Halevy, Dorot ha-Rishonim, ii. 515 et seq., iii. 68 et seq.). Other scholars of the 4th and 5th centuries who are mentioned in the Talmud as natives of Nehardea include Dimi (who subsequently presided at Pumbedita as second successor to Ḥama), Zebid, Rav Nachman, Ḥanan and Simai. Adda b. Minyomi was called the "judge of Nehardea". A few scattered data concerning Nehardea may be added. It was an ancient liturgical custom there to read pericopes from the Hagiographa on Shabbat afternoons. The surrounding country was said to be unsafe because of Bedouin robbers. An ancient rule of procedure of the court of Nehardea is mentioned in Ket. 87a. Lod in Palestine, and Nehardea are mentioned in the 3rd century as cities whose inhabitants were proud and ignorant. Nehardea is famous in the history of the Masorah because of an ancient tradition relating to the number of verses in the Bible; it is here said that Hamnuna brought this tradition from Nehardea, where he had received it from Naḳḳai. Certain readings of the Biblical text are characterized by tradition—especially by the Masorah to the Pentateuch Targum (Onkelos)—as being those of Sura, and certain others as of Nehardea. Geonic period Aḥa of Be-Ḥatim from the vicinity of Nehardea is mentioned by Sherira Gaon as one of the saboraic authorities of the 6th century. Mar R. Ḥanina is mentioned, among the earliest geonim of Pumbedita, as residing at Nehardea at the time of Muhammad. This is the last reference in Jewish history to Nehardea. Benjamin of Tudela, however, mentions the ruins of the synagogue Shaf-Yatib, two days' journey from Sura, and one and one-half from Pumbedita. Bibliography Barak S. Cohen, "‘In Nehardea Where There Are No Heretics’: The Purported Jewish Response to Christianity in Nehardea (A Re-examination of the Talmudic Evidence)," in Dan Jaffé (ed), Studies in Rabbinic Judaism and Early Christianity: Text and Context (Leiden: