Amoraim

Amoraim (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: אמוראים [ʔamoraˈʔim], singular Amora אמורא [ʔamoˈra]; "those who say" or "those who speak over the people", or "spokesmen")[1] refers to Jewish scholars of the period from about 200 to 500 CE, who "said" or "told over" the teachings of the Oral Torah.

The first Babylonian Amoraim were Abba Arikha, respectfully referred to as Rav, and his contemporary and frequent debate partner, Shmuel.

Among the earliest Amoraim in Israel were Johanan bar Nappaha and Shimon ben Lakish.

[2] In the Talmud itself, the singular amora generally refers to a lecturer's assistant; the lecturer would state his thoughts briefly, and the amora would then repeat them aloud for the public's benefit, adding translation and clarification where needed.

[3] Stammaim is a term used by some modern scholars, such as David Weiss Halivni, for the rabbis who composed the anonymous (stam) statements and arguments in the Talmud, some of whom may have worked during the period of the Amoraim, but who mostly made their contributions after the amoraic period.