Assi II (Assa, Issi, Jesa, Josah, Jose, Hebrew: רבי אסי) was a Jewish Talmudist of the 3rd and 4th centuries (third generation of amoraim) who lived in the Land of Israel.
[2] Assi was born in Babylonia, where he attended the college of Samuel of Nehardea,[3] but later emigrated in consequence of domestic trouble.
It so happened that an archon was at that very hour trying a thief, and the scoffer, still laughing at the adventure with Assi, came to witness the trial just when the judge interrogated the culprit as to accomplices.
His assailant on seeing him exclaimed, "The neck-band which was loose will soon be tightened", to which Assi replied, "Your fate has long since been foretold, for the Bible says,[4] 'Be you not scorners, lest your bands be made strong'.
[6] Assi became a disciple of R. Johanan, and so distinguished himself that R. Eleazar called him "the prodigy of the age" ("mofet ha-dor"),[7] and legend pictures him accordingly.
Finally Hiyya's spirit appeared, but the sight so affected R. Jose that his hands became palsied and his eyes dim.
"[8] Another adventure, which, however, bears the impress of fact, is related of him, wherein he was once abducted in a riot and given up as lost, but R. Shimon ben Lakish, the former gladiator, rescued him at the risk of his own life.