Mar ben Huna

Mar ben R. Huna (Hebrew: מר בר רב הונא or Mar b. Huna or Mar bar Huna); (died 614 [ד'שע"ד, Hebrew calendar] or 620 [ד'ש"פ, Hebrew calendar]^[1]) was one of the first Gaons, and head of the Sura Academy in Babylon at the end of the rule of the Sassanid Empire.

He led the re-opening of the Sura Academy (year 591; ד'שנ"א, Hebrew calendar;^[2] or some believe year 609; ד'שס"ט, Hebrew calendar^[3]). After some 50 years it became inactive due to Anti-Jewish decrees and pogroms during the Jewish Savora sages era. Mar ben Huna was, according to one opinion based on Iggeret Rav Sherira Gaon, the first Gaon of the Sura Academy; and according to another opinion - one of the Savora sages and their era.

References

1. Year 614 (ד'שע"ד, Hebrew calendar): see Prof. Shlomo Zalman Havlin & Isaac Iodlub "The Geonic teachings" ("תורתם של הגאונים"); or Rafael Halperin , "Tree of life", vol. 3, appendix "The Geonic years of tenure" ("שנות כהונת הגאונים"), and in the articles on Savora and Geonim in the latter part of vol. 4; Year 620 (ד'ש"פ, Hebrew calendar) was noted by Rabbi Naftali Jacob Cohen in his book "Sefer Otsar ha-gedolim, alufe Yaʻaḳov" ("ספר אוצר הגדולים אלופי יעקב"), vol. 1 "Otzar opening" ("פתח אוצר"), page 19.
2. Iggeret Rav Sherira Gaon
3. See:"Sherira Gaon, Igeret Rav Shrira Gaon - ed. Binyamin Menashe Levin, p. 100 and notes on the formula swap. Formula 'תתק"כ' influenced the scholer Rabbi Yitzhak Isaac Halevy Rabinowitz in his book the Dorot Harishonim, part 3, p. 172; Rabbi Naftali Jacob Cohen in his book "Sefer Otsar ha-gedolim, alufe Yaʻaḳov" ("ספר אוצר הגדולים אלופי יעקב"), vol. 1 "Otzar opening" ("פתח אוצר"), page 19.