His name indicates that he was the son of Rava. Some believe this was the famous
Rava who argued with
Abaye; others say it was a different Rava. His teachers included
Rav Kahana III,
Rav Ashi,
Amemar, and
Mar Zutra. His colleagues included
Ravina I. After Mar Zutra's death, he took Mar Zutra's place as head of the
Pumbedita yeshiva. He is recorded as debating the behavior of
ants, criticizing the methodology of an experiment which R'
Shimon ben Halafta had performed to determine their social patterns. ==References==