David ben Zakkay

David ben Zakkay lived in Baghdad, where he held the position of exilarch from approximately 915 until his death. He is primarily remembered for his involvement in a bitter feud with Se‘adya Ga’on. Although David was responsible for Se‘adya’s appointment as the head of the Sura academy, two years into Se‘adya’s tenure, around 930, a battle broke out between the two figures. Nathan ha-Bavli pointed to a single judicial disagreement as the cause, but it is likely that other political and institutional factors played a role. Both David and Se‘adya attempted to appoint replacements for the other’s position, but the two figures eventually reconciled.