Amram ben Scheschna

views updated

Amram ben Scheschna (ăm´răm, shĕsh´nä) or Amram Gaon (gä´ōn), d. c.875, Hebrew scholar, head of the Jewish academy at Sura in Persia. He is chiefly known as the author of the Seder Rab Amram, a compilation of the order of prayers for the whole year and the liturgical laws governing the ceremonial observances of all the holidays. This book is the oldest surviving Jewish prayer book, serving as a basis for later compilations.