Sixth Generation of Amoraim

Rav Ashi became head of the academy in Sura in the days of Rav Pappa in the year 4127. [The Semag wrote in the introduction to Negative Commandment 2 that Rav Ashi arose 308 years after the destruction, as Rav Sherira Gaon wrote. And this requires examination, for according to this it would be the year 4176, and if he reigned 60 years, then he died in the year 4246, which requires examination. (And in Shir HaShirim, chapter 8, section 2, Rav Ashi in Sura and Rav Zevid in Pumbedita received [authority] around the year 4127, see above year 4112).] And according to the Raavad, he was born when Rava died in the year 4112, thus Rav Ashi was 14 years old at the beginning of his academy leadership, and he reigned for 60 years and died in 4187 [(Tzemach David).

And Rashbag wrote in Yuchsin:] and Mereimar and Mar Zutra and Huna the son of Natan, who was the Exilarch, were subordinate to him. [The Rambam wrote:] Rav Ashi compiled the Babylonian Talmud in the land of Shinar approximately 100 years after Rabbi Yochanan compiled the Jerusalem Talmud [and this requires examination (see above year 4028 and year 4128).] Julius the Caesar, nephew of Constantine, commanded to rebuild the Temple for honor and glory and gave the Jews help from his treasury, but it was delayed from Heaven so that the building was not completed, for the Caesar was killed in battle. And this was in the days of Ravina and Rav Ashi in the year 4127 [(Tzemach David, part 2.

See below year 4160).] In the days of Rav Ashi and his colleagues, which was around the year 4127, that is 359 years after the destruction (should say 369), many people from Italy fled from the wrath of Attila king of the Goths, who was extremely cruel, destroying cities and killing people with a spear - there was none like him for evil - and they went by sea and sailed in the midst of the sea and began to build a city and called it Venice, and some say that from the destruction of Tyre that was near Jerusalem it was built and filled, and Venice was built in around 30 days, and in those days the city of Ferrara was built. Homer the great philosopher was the first to invent ropes that strike from bows made of tendons, and I saw in the chronicles that the Satan dressed in the form of a man and lay with a nun and she conceived and gave birth to a man and they called him Merlin, and he was a great sage [(Shir HaShirim, page 119, section 1).

And in Yuchsin, section 5, time 7:] In the days of Leon there was the great sage Merlin in England, and they said there was a demon in him, and his mother was a princess separated [i.e., a nun], and he made many books, and Leon died in the year 476 [end of quote.

Thus this was at a different time].