The Geonic Era
Clue: This era of Jewish leadership lasted until about 1040 CE.
Answer: What is the Geonic Era?
Clue: In 968, this rabbi became Gaon of Pumbedisa.
Answer: Who is Rav Sherira?
Clue: The Hebrew name for the story of the Four Captives.
Answer: What is Arba’ah Shevuyim?
200
Clue: Jewish migration to Italy began even before the destruction of this holy place.
Answer: What is the Beit HaMikdash?
Clue: Jews from Spain became known by this name.
Answer: Who are the Sephardim?
Clue: This Roman emperor made Christianity the state religion.
Answer: Who is Emperor Constantine?
Clue: Travel to this region became dangerous, causing fewer students to attend the great yeshivot.
Answer: What is Babylonia?
Clue: Rav Sherira strengthened the yeshiva by encouraging gatherings during this yearly learning assembly.
Answer: What is the Yarchai Kallah?
Clue: The four scholars were captured by this type of ship.
Answer: What is a Muslim pirate ship?
Clue: Many Jews settled in this important Italian city.
Answer: What is Rome?
Clue: The Jewish name for Spain and Portugal.
Answer: What is Sephard?
Clue: In 589, this Spanish king converted to Catholicism.
Answer: Who is King Reccared?
Clue: Political rivalry in Babylonia occurred between these two leaders.
Answer: Who are the Reish Galusa and the Rosh Yeshiva?
Clue: Rav Sherira’s famous historical responsum describing the transmission of Torah.
Answer: What is the Iggeret Rav Sherira Gaon?
Clue: This rabbi was redeemed in Cordova, Spain.
Answer: Who is Rav Moshe ben Chanoch?
Clue: After being captured by the Romans, Jewish prisoners were forced to march in this type of celebration parade.
Answer: What is a triumphal procession?
Clue: Spain and Portugal are located on this European peninsula.
Answer: What is the Iberian Peninsula?
Clue: Because of persecution, some Jews were forced to accept this religious ritual or leave Spain.
Answer: What is baptism?
Clue: Because of internal conflict and fewer students, this famous yeshiva nearly closed.
Answer: What is the Yeshiva of Pumbedisa?
Clue: Rav Sherira’s son who later became Gaon and was fluent in five languages.
Answer: Who is Rav Hai Gaon?
Clue: This scholar was redeemed in Alexandria, Egypt.
Answer: Who is Rav Shmariah?
Clue: This volcano erupted in 79 CE and destroyed nearby Roman cities.
Answer: What is Mount Vesuvius?
Clue: Jewish tradition says Jews may have lived in Spain since the time of this king.
Answer: Who is King Shlomo (Solomon)?
Clue: Jews turned to this international economic activity as a new source of income.
Answer: What is international finance (or banking)?
Clue: After the Geonic Era ended, students returned home and established these types of learning institutions.
Answer: What are Torah centers (or yeshivot)?
Clue: Rav Sherira and Rav Hai were falsely accused of this crime against the government and imprisoned.
Answer: What is disloyalty (or treason) to the government?
Clue: This rabbi was believed to have been ransomed in Narbonne, France.
Answer: Who is Rav Natan ben Yitzchak?
Clue: This Italian city became an important center of Torah learning.
Answer: What is Lucca?
Clue: Many early Spanish Jews felt proud of their ancestry and remained loyal to these commandments.
Answer: What are Torah and mitzvot?
Clue: When this group invaded Spain in 711, many Jews supported them.
Answer: Who are the Muslims?