Huna bar Nathan

RavHuna bar Natan(Hebrew:הונא בר נתן,read asRav Huna bereih deRav Natan(רב הונא בריה דרב נתן) was aBabylonianrabbi andexilarch,of the fifth and sixth generations ofamoraim.

Biography

Huna's father was also a known scholar, mentioned occasionally in the Talmud as "Rav Natan father of Rav Huna".

In Huna's youth he was able to learn withRava.His main rabbis wereRav PapaandAmemar,and once Rav Papa visited him in his house.Amemar permitted him to marry a woman fromMahoza,even though the lineage of people from there was not clearly known.

Huna served as anExilarch,or political leader, to the Jewish community inBabylonia.His term overlapping withRav Ashi's term as Dean of the academy ofSura.He had access to theSassanid Empire,and especially to the kingYazdegerd I,who ruled over Babylonia at the time, and was known for his kindness towards the Jewish community there. Huna was one of the close associates ofYazdegerd I(called אזגור מלכא or איזגדר מלכא in the Talmud). Huna - together with his colleaguesRav Ashi,Amemar,andMar Zutra- would often go to visit the royal court.

However, while Huna was the official political leader of the Jews, Rav Ashi was recognized as the greater halachic authority, and even Huna was regarded as "subject to" Rav Ashi.

External links

• HUNA B. NATHAN,Jewish Encyclopedia