Chapter XVI: From the Completion of the Talmud to the End of the Gaonate

(550-1038 C. E.)

Samuel ben Adiya (500-560), Jewish poet in Arabia.

553. Justinian I decrees that the Scriptural portions in
the Synagogue liturgy be read in translation, and
orders the omission of alleged anti-Trinitarian
sentences from the liturgy.

581. Hormisdas IV, king of Persia, persecutes his Jewish
subjects; the teachers of the Law flee from the
Babylonian academies.

Chilperic, Merovingian king, forces baptism on the
Jews.

589. Reccared, Visigothic king, imposes irksome
restraints upon the Jews, and _completely isolates
them from Christians_.

Bahram Tshubin, usurper of the Persian throne,
friendly to the Jews; Pumbeditha re-opened by
Chanan of Iskia.

590. Pope Gregory I discountenances the forced conversion
of Jews.

612. Sisebut, Visigothic king, forces the Jews to accept
baptism or to emigrate.

614. The Jews of Palestine join the Persians in a war
against Emperor Heraclius.

624. The Benu-Kainukaa, a Jewish-Arabic tribe, driven
from Arabia by Mahomet.

625. The Benu-Nadhir, a Jewish-Arabic tribe, driven from
Arabia by Mahomet.

627. Extermination of the Benu-Kuraiza, a Jewish-Arabic
tribe.

Emperor Heraclius _forbids Jews to enter Jerusalem_,
and in other ways harasses the Palestinian Jews.

629. Dagobert orders the Jews of the Frankish empire to
accept baptism or to emigrate.

633. The Council of Toledo under Sisenand, Visigothic
king, and Isidore of Seville, forces backsliding
converts back into Christianity.

638. Chintila enacts that only professing Catholics shall
remain in Visigothic Spain; Jews emigrate.

640. Omar, the second Caliph, _banishes all Jews from
holy Arabia_. The “_Covenant of Omar_” imposes
restrictions upon Jews in the whole Mahometan,
world.

642(about). BOSTANAÏ, Exilarch, acknowledged by Omar.

654. Judaizing Christians of Toledo under Receswinth,
Visigothic king, swear loyalty to the Catholic
Church.

658. BEGINNING OF THE GAONATE; Mar-Isaac, head of the
Sora academy, takes the title GAON.

670. Hunaï, Gaon of Sora, and Mar-Raba, principal of
Pumbeditha, _reform the divorce laws_.

681. Judaizing Christians re-affirm their adherence to
Christianity under Erwig, Visigothic king.

693. Egica, Visigothic king, _forbids Jews to hold real
estate_.

700(about). RISE OF THE MASSORA AND OF NEO-HEBRAIC LITURGIC
POETRY. José bar José Hayathom the first Poetan.

712. Jews open the gates of Toledo to Tarik, the
Mahometan general.

719. Natronaï ben Nehemiah (Mar-Yanka), principal of
Pumbeditha.

720. Serene, the Syrian Messiah.

Omar II, Ommiyyade Caliph of Damascus, re-enacts
the “_Covenant of Omar_.”

723. Persecution of the Jews of the Byzantine Empire
under Leo the Isaurian.

745(about). ELEAZAR BEN KALIR (KALIRI), poetan.

_The Chazars under Bulan accept Judaism._

749. Obaiah Abu-Isa ben Ishak, precursor of the Messiah
in Ispahan.

759. _Jehuda the Blind_, Gaon of Sora, author of a
Talmudic compendium, _Halachoth Ketuoth_.

761. Dudaï principal of Pumbeditha.

=The Karaite schism led by Anan ben David.=

787. Charlemagne removes the Kalonymos family from Lucca
to Mayence to encourage Jewish learning in the
Frankish Empire. He introduces a _Jewish oath_.

797. Isaac sent by Charlemagne on an embassy to Haroun
Alrashid.

800(about). Judah Judghan, founder of a sect, introduces
Mutazilist philosophy into Judaism.

Benjamin ben Moses of Nahavend, founder of the
Maghariyites, spreads the Mutazilist philosophy
among the Karaites.

807. Haroun Alrashid introduces THE JEW BADGE into the
Abbasside Caliphate.

825. Contest for the Exilarchate between David ben Judah
and Daniel.

Rise of Karaite sects: Akbarites, Tiflisites, and
the followers of Moses of Baalbek.

827(about). Eberard, _Magister Judæorum_, under Louis I the
Pious, king of the Franks, protects the Jews
against Agobard, bishop of Lyons.

842. The title GAON assumed also by the Pumbeditha
principals; Paltoi ben Abayi _the first Gaon of
Pumbeditha_.

845. The Council of Meaux under Amolo, bishop of Lyons,
enacts anti-Jewish decrees, renewing those of
Constantine and Theodosius II.

853. The Abbasside Caliph Al-Mutavakkil _introduces Jew
badges_, and re-enacts the “_Covenant of Omar_.”

869. Mar-Amram ben Sheshna, Gaon of Sora, at the request
of a Spanish community, arranges the =order of
prayers= in use among European Jews.

872. Mar-Zemach I ben Paltoi, Gaon of Pumbeditha, author
of the _first Talmudic Dictionary_.

880(about). ELDAD HA-DANI.

881. _Nachshon ben Zadok_, Gaon of Sora, _discovers the
key to the Jewish calendar_.

900(about). Simon of Cairo writes the _Halachoth Gedoloth_, a
polemic against Karaism.

JOSIPPON compiled.

_Isaac ben Israeli I Suleiman_ (845-940), physician
and philologist at Kairuan.

913. SAADIAH BEN JOSEPH (892-942) attacks Karaism.

917. Mar-Kohen-Zedek II ben Joseph, Gaon of Pumbeditha,
tries to bring about the fall of the Exilarchate
and the academy of Sora. Hostilities against
Mar-Ukba.

921. _David ben Zaccaï_ made Exilarch.

928. _Saadiah installed as Gaon of Sora._ His
controversies with the Karaite _Solomon ben
Yerucham_, and his _translation of the Scriptures
into Arabic_.

930. Hostilities between Saadiah and David ben Zaccaï.

934. Saadiah writes his religious-philosophical work
EMUNOTH WE-DEOTH.

940. Death of David ben Zaccaï, the last Exilarch of
influence. END OF THE EXILARCHATE a few years
later.

940(about). MOSES AND AARON BEN ASHER, Massorets.

942. Death of Saadiah.

945(about). _Four scholars are sent from Sora to gather
contributions for the academy_: Shemarya ben
Elchanan settles in Cairo; CHUSHIEL, in Kairuan;
Nathan ben Isaac Kohen, in Narbonne; and MOSES BEN
CHANOCH, IN CORDOVA.

Abusahal Dunash ben Tamim (900-960), physician in
Kairuan.

946. _Sabbataï Donnolo_ (913-970), physician in Italy.

CHASDAÏ BEN ISAAC IBN-SHAPRUT (915-970), diplomat
under Abdul-Rahman III, Nagid of the Jews of the
Cordova Caliphate, patron of Jewish learning.

950(about). The Karaite controversialists Abulsari Sahal ben
Mazliach Kohen and Jephet Ibn-Ali Halevi.

_Menachem ben Saruk_ (910-970) and _Dunash ben
Labrat_ (Adonim, 920-970), the first Hebrew
grammarians. NEO-HEBRAIC POETRY FLOURISHES.

980. SHERIRA (920-1000), Gaon of Pumbeditha; his “LETTER”
a chronicle of Jewish events from the conclusion
of the Talmud to his time.

985. Chanoch ben Moses (940-1014) and Joseph Ibn-Abitur,
Cordova Talmudists.

Jacob Ibn-Jau, prince of the Jews of the Cordova
Caliphate.

990. JEHUDA IBN-DAUD (CHAYUJ), Hebrew grammarian.

998. HAÏ (969-1038), Gaon of Pumbeditha.

1000(about). GERSHOM BEN JEHUDA (960-1028), promoter of Talmud
study at Mayence, INTERDICTS POLYGAMY.

Simon ben Isaac ben Abun poetan.

1002. NATHAN BEN YECHIEL COMPILES THE ARUCH, A
TALMUDIC LEXICON.

1008. The Fatimide Caliph Hakim _decrees a Jew badge_, and
persecutes the Jews in various ways.

1012. Jews driven from Mayence by Emperor Henry II.

1020. ABULVALID MERVAN IBN-JANACH (995-1050), Hebrew
grammarian.

1027. SAMUEL HALEVI IBN-NAGRELA (993-1055), minister to
King Habus of Granada, Nagid of the Jews, patron
of Jewish learning, and Talmudic author.

1034. Death of Samuel Chofni, _last of the Sora Geonim_.

1038. The death of HAÏ, Gaon of Pumbeditha, marks the
END OF THE GAONATE.