In his days, Rav Amram reigned as Gaon in Sura [(Berakhot Sheshanah and Kami, for there was Poliah to him, Rav Amram, and they called him Gaon, and he died peacefully, and afterwards he went and passed away. Rash"b Yuchsin)] who sent a prayer book to Spain from the year 4606, eighteen years until 4624 [(Tzed"h) (and Sheda"k 35 section b wrote he died in 4308, took for himself another way).

Furthermore, Sheda"k wrote there that Rav Hilai was head of yeshiva in Mata Mechasia in 4490. Rav Yosef passed away in Pumbedita in 4496, and after him Rav Yitzchak who died in 4602, and after him Rav Yosef, and after him Rav Paltoi who died in 4610, and after him Rav Achai, and after him Rav Mattisyahu who died in 4620, and after him Rav Tzemach son of Rav Paltoi who died in 4632, and after him Rav Hai son of David who died in 4652, and after Rav Hilai mentioned above, Rav Yaakov, and after him Rav Issuchai who died in 4632 (this is not mentioned in Tzed"h and Rash"b did not write it, and what he wrote 4632 perhaps should read 4692, and according to Tzed"h, Rav Hilai was in 4649; there was another one in 4437 and another in 4456, and in general I cannot reconcile his words, and certainly there are many errors in his words, examine and you will find).

And after him Rav Amram. And Sheda"k wrote there: I saw in Kontres Ofen the grave of Rav Amram and I do not know if this is the one from Mata Mechasia who sent the prayer book or if he is another Gaon. And now I have chosen to present the matter before you.] Rav Amram was in Magentza, a great city on the Rhine River, and the Rav went to establish a yeshiva in the city of Cologne. And when he became very old, he commanded his students that after his death they should bury him near his ancestors in Magentza.

His students answered him that this would be very dangerous for them. He replied: Purify me and place me in a coffin and afterwards in a small boat on the river, and leave the boat to go by itself. And so his students did after his death, and the boat immediately went following the current of the water until it reached near the city of Magentza. The people of the city were amazed and said there is a coffin with a dead person in it, then they said: He is holy, for he came to be buried in our land.

They stretched out their hands to hold the boat, and it recoiled backwards. The people were astonished and brought the matter before the governor of the city. They all returned to the riverbank, and when Jews stood there, the boat approached the Jews. They stretched out their hands to hold the boat but could not, for it fled from them.

They did this many times until they saw a wonder that it approached Jews but not them. They called the Jews and said to them: Enter the boat and see what this is. The boat approached them, and they entered and opened the coffin, and there was a letter written saying: My brothers and friends, members of the holy community of Magentza, behold I have come to you, for I passed away in the holy community of Cologne, and I ask that you bury me in the grave of my ancestors.

And for all of you, life and peace forever. Amram. When they saw the letter, they began to mourn over him. They removed the coffin from it, and the people of the city dared and strengthened themselves against the Jews and beat them, but they could not move the coffin from its place.

Immediately they commanded to guard it there, and built upon it a very great synagogue. The Jews tried with supplications and expenses to restore the coffin but could not. Every night, Rav Amram appeared in a dream to many young men and said to them: Bury me in the grave of my fathers. The young men took counsel and went at night outside the city and took a hanged man who was on the trees and dressed him in white garments and stole Rav Amram and placed the hanged man in his place and buried the Gaon in the grave of his ancestors.

And HaShem was with them so that it was not known and the matter was not revealed [end of summary].