Solomon ben Ḥasdai

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SOLOMON BEN ḤASDAI

SOLOMON BEN ḤASDAI , exilarch in Babylonia, 733–c. 759, grandson of the *exilarch*Bustanai. Solomon was a scholar and leader. During his period of office he appointed three geonim to the academies of *Sura and *Pumbedita; one of these was his brother-in-law, Natronai Kahana of Pumbedita, who was also a member of the Bustanai family. When the academy of Sura lost its leader and a suitable rosh yeshivah could not be found, he appointed R. Yehudai b. *Naḥman of Pumbedita as Gaon of Sura. His brother David was the father of *Anan, the founder of the *Karaite sect. His son Isaac Iskoi succeeded him as exilarch.

bibliography:

Tykocinski, in: Devir, 1 (1923), 174–9; Goode, in: jqr, 31 (1940/41), 156–7.

[Abraham David]