For the Geonim

Geonim

Geonim were the presidents of the two great Babylonian, Talmudic Academies of Sura and Pumbedita, in the Abbasid Caliphate, and were the generally accepted spiritual leaders of the Jewish community world wide in the early medieval era, in contrast to the Resh Galuta who wielded secular authority...

 sage, also an Exilarch

Exilarch

Exilarch refers to the leaders of the Diaspora Jewish community in Babylon following the deportation of King Jeconiah and his court into Babylonian exile after the first fall of Jerusalem in 597 BCE and augmented after the further deportations following the destruction...

, see: Mar Ukba

Mar Ukba

Mar Ukba, an exilarch at Baghdad in the first half of the tenth century; the second exilarch to die in banishment. When Kohen Ẓedeḳ II was appointed gaon of Pumbedita he became involved in a controversy with Mar 'Uḳba over the revenues from Khorasan; and the calif Al-Muḳtadir was induced by...

.

Nathan de-Zuzita, Jewish Amora

Amora

Amoraim , were renowned Jewish scholars who "said" or "told over" the teachings of the Oral law, from about 200 to 500 CE in Babylonia and the Land of Israel. Their legal discussions and debates were eventually codified in the Gemara...

 sage of the 3d generation, whom according to Joseph ben Ḥama (Shab. 56b), is to be identified with the exilarch 'Uḳban ben Nehemiah, Joseph's contemporary (first half of the 4th century), who was a contrite sinner.

The Seder 'Olam Zuṭa, too, in the list of the exilarchs, mentions an exilarch called "Nathan 'Uḳban (Nathan de-Ẓuẓita). Rashi

Rashi

Shlomo Yitzhaki , or in Latin Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the acronym Rashi , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh...

 gives two explanations for the surname "Ẓuẓita," which means literally either "sparks" or "hair". Rashi explains that in touching the angel who received his repentance Nathan 'Uḳban either emitted sparks, or the angel took him by the hair. In Sanh. 31b Rashi explains the nature of Nathan's sin and says that after Nathan's repentance a radiance was seen about his head: hence the name "de-Ẓuẓita." According to the geonim Ẓemaḥ and Saadia

Saadia

Saadia is a Jewish name and Arabic name. it can refer to several people:*Saadia Gaon - Ninth century rabbi, philosopher, and exegete of the Geonic period.*Saadia Afzaal - Pakistani journalist and television news anchor....

, Nathan 'Uḳban, when he was young, was wont to curl his hair, his surname "de-Ẓuẓita" being derived from that habit. Another interpretation is that fire would flash out from his ẓiẓit, so that nobody could stand near him.

As to the nature of Nathan 'Uḳban's sins and repentance see Rashi to Sanh. l.c. Rabbi Aḥai of Shabḥa, in his "She'eltot" (sections "Wa'era" and "Ki Tissa"), tells almost the same story as Rashi, of a man who was called "Nathan de-Ẓuẓita," but without mentioning either that he was likewise called "'Uḳban" or that he was an exilarch. Further, this story is related by Nissim ben Jacob

Nissim Ben Jacob

Nissim ben Jacob , was a rabbi best known today for his Talmudic commentary ha-Mafteach, by which title he is also known.-Biography:Rav Nissim studied at the Kairouan yeshiva, initially under his father - Jacob ben Nissim who...

 in his "Ma'aseh Nissim," at great length, Nathan being placed in the time of Akiba—that is, not later than the first third of the 2nd century.

It may therefore be assumed either that there were two Nathan de-Ẓuẓitas, the second being identical with the exilarch 'Uḳban b. Nehemiah, or that Joseph b. Ḥama must be understood as comparing 'Uḳban, in his repentance, to Nathan de-Ẓuẓita, who was much earlier and, perhaps, was not an exilarch. It is true that in the Seder 'Olam Zuṭa it is clearly affirmed that Nathan I was called also "'Uḳban"; but in other details the three recensions of that work disagree with Joseph ben Hama, in that they leave it to be supposed that Nathan de-Ẓuẓita was the son of Anan and not of Nehemiah, and that they represent him as the father of Huna

Huna

For other uses, see HunaHuna is a Hawaiian word adopted by Max Freedom Long in 1936 to describe his theory of metaphysics which he linked to ancient Hawaiian kahuna...

 the exilarch, who lived in the time of Judah ha-Nasi I. The Seder 'Olam Zuṭa has in its list three exilarchs called "Nathan," the second being the grandson of the first, and the third the son of Abba ben Huna and father of Mar Zuṭra

Mar Zutra

Mar Zutra was a Jewish Amora sage of Babylon, of the sixth generation of the Amora era. He was a colleague of Amemar and Rav Ashi. He headed the Yeshiva of Pumbedita, and according to the book "Seder Tannaim ve-Amoraim", previous to Rav Aha b. Rava...

; it is the chronology of Nathan III that coincides with that of 'Utḳban of Shab. 56b.

It may be added that Rashi (to Sanh. l.c.) confuses Nathan de-Ẓuẓita 'Uḳban with Mar 'Uḳba, "ab bet din" in the time of Samuel, which time coincides with that of Nathan II. Lazarus (in the list of exilarchs in Brüll

Brüll

Brüll is a surname, and may refer to:*Ignaz Brüll, composer*Nehemiah Brüll, rabbi and scholarSee also* Brull...

's "Jahrb." vol. x.) supposes that Nathan I reigned from about 260 to about 270, and Nathan II from 370 to about 400.

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