Nehardea or Nehardeah ( "river of knowledge") was a city from the area called by ancient Jewish sources Babylonia, situated at or near the junction of the Euphrates with the Nahr Malka (the Royal Canal), one of the earliest and most prominent centers of Babylonian Judaism. It hosted the Nehardea Academy, one of the most prominent Talmudic academies in Babylonia, and was home to great scholars such as Samuel of Nehardea, Rav Nachman, and Amemar. Location Nehardea was adjacent or identical to Anbar, a short distance from the modern city of Fallujah (formerly the site of Pumbedita). History Before the amoraic period As the seat of the exilarch, Nehardea traced its origin back to King Jehoiachin. According to Sherira Gaon, Jehoiachin and his coexilarchs built a synagogue at Nehardea, for the foundation of which they used earth and stones which they had brought (in accordance with the words of Psalms 102:15) from Jerusalem. For this reason it was called 'The Synagogue that Slid and Settled' ("Shaf we-Yatib") to which there are several references dating from the third and fourth centuries, and which Abaye asserts was the seat of the Shekhinah in Babylonia. The priestly portion of the Jewish population of Nehardea was said to be descended from the slaves of Pashur ben Immer, the contemporary of King Jehoiachin. There are also other allusions in the Talmud casting doubt upon the purity of blood of the Nehardean Jews. The fact that Hyrcanus II, the high priest, lived for a time in that city as a captive of the Parthians may explain the circumstance that as late as the third century certain of its inhabitants traced their descent back to the Hasmoneans. The importance of the city during the last century of the existence of the Second Temple appears from the following statement by Josephus: Reference to the extent of the territory of Nehardea is made in the Talmud also. In addition to the Euphrates, Nehar Malka (the King's Canal) formed one of the natural defenses of the city; the ferry over the river (or perhaps over the canal) is likewise mentioned. "Nehardea and Nisibis," says Josephus further (ib.), "were the treasuries of the Eastern Jews, for the Temple taxes were kept there until the stated days for forwarding them to Jerusalem." Nehardea was the native city of the two Jewish brothers Anilai and Asinai, who in the first third of the