[Avodah] Shabur Malka v Caesar

[Zev Sero]

Doron Beckerman wrote:
> RZS writes:

>> So how did Rava know that the pasuk applied in his own day, and 
>> proved that Caesar was a greater king than Shabur?
 
> I think all of your questions provide the answer to the problem. Since 
> there was no clear contemporary ruler who was undisputedly greater than 
> the other, Rav Papa asked the question. Rava, however, was referring to 
> the overall picture of widespread fame and might throughout history,  in 
> which Rome was surely the greater as evidenced by the Passuk in Daniel 
> and R' Yochanan's Memra - that Passuk is the ultimate in defintion of 
> influence, and RY applied it to Rome. Rav Papa should surely have known 
> that the overall greater power is Rome - they are surely the more 
> influential and famous,

But Rava didn't contrast Rome to Persia, nor did he contrast the Roman
Emperor to Persian kings in general, but to one specific king, Shapur II,
who actually did quite well against Rome.

-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas