A Chronicle of Baghdad: Kohen Tsedek and Mar ‘Uqba

. . . [T]he Exilarch ‘Uqba of Davidic origin came to Northern Africa. [He had occupied?] the supremacy for many years, the number of which he [R. Nathan] could not make out. Kohen Tsedek ben Joseph had been in charge of the academy in Pumbedita [i.e., Anbar] in his [‘Uqba’s] days for about four years, when a difference of opinion and quarrels broke out between them, on account of the jurisdiction of Khorasan. For the jurisdiction of Khorasan had in olden times belonged to Pumbedita, whence the dayyānim used to be sent thither, and all the tax on her revenues used to go to Pumbedita. ‘Uqba, however, wished the dayyānim to be sent to her [Khorasan] by himself, in order to take possession of her and get hold of her revenues for himself alone, to the exclusion of Pumbedita. But Kohen Tsedek, the head of the academy of Pumbedita, protested against it. Among those who assisted Kohen Tsedek against him [‘Uqba] were Joseph ben Phineas and his son-in-law, the husband of his daughter, Netira, the father of Sahl and Isḥāq, together with some of the most prominent men of the land. At last ‘Uqba was banished to a place called Karmīsīn beyond Bagdad about five days’ journey to the East, on the way leading to Khorasan, while Amram ben Shelomoh was the head of the academy of Sura. ‘Uqba had been in Karmīsīn for several months when the sultan left Baghdad to take a pleasure trip to Karmīsīn, because there were old monuments . . . and springs and trees, and all the saffron of Baghdad used to come from there. Outside of it [Karmīsīn], [at a distance of] nearly half a mile, there was a place called Shafaran, which had a hanging hall of two men’s height in excavated form, containing the statue of Kisra and the statue of Sīrīn, his concubine, and under him [the king] on the ground the statue of a horse, also excavated and hollow, the water which came from the mountain entering through its mouth and flowing out through its tail. And the sultan used to ride to this place every day on horseback. Then ‘Uqba made up his mind to place himself before him and to salute him. The first salutation he addressed to him was considered elegant by the secretary of the sultan, and he wrote it down for himself. On the following day he delivered another salutation, which did not resemble the preceding. The secretary of the sultan wrote down this [salutation] too. In this way he went on [for a whole year], delivering every day a salutation that did not resemble the others, and the secretary writing down a[ll of] them. After the lapse of a year, the secretary told his story to the sultan, and that he had not duplicated any salutation during the year, and he asked him . . . and the sultan looked at him and considered his words . . . and he granted him this, and he returned. This, however, was a heavy [blow] for Netira . . . effort to banish him, and did not stop intriguing until he was banished a second time and [decrees?] were issued publicly against him that he might never enter Baghdad, and in case he entered it, Islam should be more appropriate for him. But no city of the cities of the East could offer him a foothold, and he made up his mind to emigrate to Maghreb. And the supremacy remained unoccupied for about three or four years, until it became hard for the nation, and they spoke to David ben Zakkai, who was the cousin of ‘Uqba on their father’s side, in order to appoint him. But Kohen Tsedek did not like his appointment, being jealous of his supremacy, and being afraid on account of what had been done to ‘Uqba. So the academy of Sura appointed him in Baghdad. Thereupon he wrote to Sura, to the ordained scholars and to the students regarding this matter, and commanding them to bless him and to acknowledge his supremacy. And the ordained scholars and the “tannāim,” together with all the students, went down from Sura to a place by the name of al-Ḳaṣr, a beautiful town to the south of Baghdad, there being between itself and Sura six miles, this [al-Ḳaṣr] being the town of David ben Zakkai and [the place of] his origin. Then they blesse[d him] and acknowledged his supremacy. Despite all this Kohen Tsedek contested his supremacy, and [did not] grant him the least thing thereof, remaining in this attitude for about three years. And Nissi, the head of the “Kallah” assembly, [known] as the Nahrawānite, was blind, and he used to mediate between them in order to settle the quarrel during those [three] years, until he once came to him in the night. He used to open every lock by a word [of his?] and he had opened that night fourteen locks closing gates, some of them [on] the doors of Kohen Tsedek, until he stood before him and found him studying in the middle of the night. And Kohen Tsedek was frightened by him and strongly impressed by his coming and the reason of his visiting him. And he said unto him: O head of the Academy! I unfastened no less than fourteen locks before I reached you. And he said to him: What do you mean by this? He said to him: I beseech you to bless the exilarch and acknowledge him. And he conceded this to him, and he confirmed his hope and did not disappoint him.

Source: CUL T-S Misc. 35.48.