Rav Sama was a seventh generation Amora and the son of Rava. He was also a student of Rav Ashi. After the passing of Rav Ruchami, Rav Sama became the Rosh Yeshiva of Pumpedisa, a position once held by his father Rava.

Rav Sama is buried in the cliffs outside Achbara in the ruins of Chakuv based on the testimony of Rabbi Chaim Vital in the name of the Arizal. He is buried in a cave along with Rabbi Zerika‎ and Rav Rabbi Oshiya Zeira Dman Chevraya. In two nearby caves are the kivarim of Mar Ukva‎ and Rabbi Levitas ish Yavneh.

A story told about Rav Sama is that he once noticed how the hole holding the strings of Ravina’s tzitzis had ripped, leaving the loop of the strings very close to the edge of the garment. He asked him why he did not follow the ruling of Rabbi Yaakov that one must keep the loop away from the edge at least the length of a large knot. Ravina responded that Rabbi Yaakov’s ruling only applied to the time of the tzitzis’s creation. Rav Sama was embarrassed by his own lack of knowledge. Rav Ashi comforted him, saying that each Sage from Eretz Yisroel like Ravina was equivalent to two sages from Bavel.