GE'ONIM (sing. Ga'on). — Title of the heads (cf. Ps. 47:5, “the pride of the house of Jacob”) of the Talmudic academies of Sūrā and Pumbedītā in the period 589–1040 A.D., and in the 10th and 11th centuries also of the heads of the Palestinian schools; in the 12th and 13th centuries also of those of Baghdad, Damascus, and Egypt.
The gaonic dignity was conferred by the exilarchs, who sometimes preferred candidates devoted to them. From 825 A.D. the power of the exilarchate declined, and thus the learned themselves carried out the election of the geonim. They applied the Talmud to juridical practice for all Judaism in the form of “responsa” to questions. The communities of the entire Diaspora, in turn, offered the academies their economic support. In the months of ’elāl and ’ādāh thousands of extraordinary auditors flocked to the academies. The geonim, in terms of authority and competence, were the successors of the president of the Sanhedrin in the preceding era. Preference in conferring the dignity was given to descendants of ancient families distinguished for piety and learning. Reference was made to the ga’on “currently reigning.” The geonim enjoyed great prestige with the caliphs. Among the most celebrated geonim are to be numbered: Sa'ādhājān (who began his tenure in 928 A.D.) and Sērīrāh (968).
The institution of the gaonate came to an end around 1040 A.D. following the fall of the caliphate of Baghdad and the spread of Talmudic culture in the communities of the Diaspora. In time the title of ga’on came to signify “eminent scholar” in general.