person · P0289
Rav Yosef bar Yaakov רב יוסף בר יעקב
The last gaon of Sura at Mata Mechasya — raised as counter-gaon by David ben Zakkai against Saadia, restored alongside him, and left alone after Saadia's death, until he abandoned Mechasya for Basra "and after that there was no metivta at Mata Mechasya."
I. Who
- Hebrew
- רב יוסף בר יעקב
- Also known as
- bar Satya
- Era
- geonim
II. When
- Traditional
- counter-gaon at Mata Mechasya from c. 4690 AM; sole after Saadia's death (4702)
- Academic
- counter-gaon from c. 930 CE; left for Basra after 942
- Lifespan (traditional)
- ≈80 years
- Precision
- approximate
III. Where
- Places
- Sura
V. How do we know
| Claim | Evidence | Confidence | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| "David the nasi called Rav Yosef son of Rabbi Yaakov, known as bar Satya, to be gaon at Mata Mechasya... and afterward Rav Yosef was left alone at Mata Mechasya, and his matter diminished utterly; he left Mechasya and all Bavel, settled in the city of Basra and died there, and after that there was no metivta at Mata Mechasya."
The role's start (c. 4690 = 930 CE) follows from Saadia's ordination in Iyar 4688 plus the two years the Iggeret gives before the schism; no end year is recorded, so none is given.
|
tradition | ★★★★☆ | |
| No source names his teacher. Per this atlas's succession roster, Rav Hai bar Nachshon and Rav Hilai bar Natronai held the headship of his academy during his formative window (c. 4645–4665 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 | ★☆☆☆☆ |