A title for an exceptionally wise or learned Jewish scholar, especially from the heads of the great Talmudic academies in medieval Iraq and Persia.
From Hebrew 'gaon' meaning excellence, eminence, or glory. The word derives from Biblical Hebrew and was used as a formal title for the most prestigious Jewish religious leaders from approximately the 6th to 13th centuries.
The Gaonim were like medieval Jewish universities unto themselves—they answered questions submitted from Jewish communities across three continents, creating a system of long-distance legal and religious guidance that predates modern internet advice columns.
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