Sherira Gaon bar Hanina was a scholar and the penultimate member of the Geonim. He descended on both sides from prominent families, counting among his ancestors Rabba ben Abuha of the family of the exilarch, as well as several Geonim. He served as av beit din of Pumbedita before being elected as head of the academy, where he served for 30 years before appointing his son, Hai Gaon, in his place. In response to the challenges of the Karaites he wrote a famous iggeret (epistle) providing the first comprehensive explication of the development of Oral law. Though including historical records already contained in the Talmud, the Iggeret relies mainly on the written and oral records of the Babylonian academies, providing almost the only source for the history of the chain of tradition for almost 500 years.
Works on Sefaria
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Epistle of Rav Sherira Gaon
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