AWIA SABA (THE ELDER), RAB:
Babylonian halakist of the third amoraic generation (third and fourth centuries), a contemporary of Rab Pappa (the Elder) and of Rabbah b. Ḥanan (M. Ḳ. 24b; Ḳid. 39a). He was a Pumbeditan by birth, but often sat at the feet of Rab Huna I. who considered him a great scholar. The Talmud (Beẓah 21a; Ḥul. 124b) records two instances in which Awia, by his profundity of reasoning, became troublesome to his teacher, who, being exhausted by lecturing, broke up all further discussion by the evasive remark, "A raven has flown past." Awia was probably the father of AḤa b. Awya.
