person · P0284

Rav Nachshon bar Tzadok רב נחשון בר צדוק

Gaon of Sura after Amram, eight years per the Iggeret; the calendrical cycle bearing his name — the iggul of Rav Nachshon — kept his memory alive in every Jewish almanac.

I. Who

Hebrew
רב נחשון בר צדוק
Also known as
Nachshon Gaon
Era
geonim
Children
Rav Hai bar Nachshon

II. When

Traditional
gaon of Sura c. 4632–4639 AM
Academic
gaon c. 872–879 CE
Lifespan (traditional)
≈59 years
Precision
approximate

III. Where

Places
Sura

V. How do we know

ClaimEvidenceConfidenceSources
"After him Mar Rav Nachshon the gaon bar Mar Rav Tzadok the gaon, eight years" — placed c. 872–879 CE in the standard rosters.
The rosters' years overlap the end of Amram's tenure; the sources' figures for these decades disagree by a few years, and the overlap is left visible rather than harmonized.
tradition external ★★★☆☆
No source names his teacher. Per this atlas's succession roster, Rav Sar Shalom bar Boaz and Rav Kohen Tzedek bar Ivumi held the headship of his academy during his formative window (c. 4595–4615 AM), making reception from them the likeliest reconstruction.
Derived by era-and-institution inference, not attested. The formative window is computed from this entry's schematic dates, hence the low confidence.
reconstruction ★☆☆☆☆