Rav Yaakov bar Rav Natronai, the Rosh Yeshiva of Sura mentioned above, died in year 4677, and David ben Zakkai, the Reish Galuta, established as Rosh Yeshiva in Sura Mar Rav Yom Tov Kahana bar Mar Rav Yaakov, even though he was a student, since there was no one in the entire academy after Rav Yaakov bar Rav Natronai mentioned above, and he reigned for twelve years from 4677 until 4687. [And the Rashbash wrote in Yuchsin that in year 4610 the Rabbanan wanted to abolish the Metivta of Machsaya and the remaining Metivta to Pumbedita, and in the end they agreed to ordain Mar Rav Natan Aluf, the brother of his father, son of Mar Yehuda Gaon his father, for the Gaonut of Machsaya, because how could the name be abolished, and after that it was quiet, and then David was appointed as Nasi to Mar Rav Saadia, etc.]

It is written [in Yuchsin after the letter of Rashbash] concerning the Galut of Ukva who was from the seed of David who came from Africa and led the authority in Babylon for many years, and the Rosh Yeshiva in his days was Mar Rav Kohen Tzedek in Pumbedita for forty years [(what is written "forty years" is perhaps a scribal error)] until a quarrel fell between them regarding the authority of Khurasan, because originally they would take the authority of Khurasan from Pumbedita, and all the benefit that came from there to Pumbedita arrived. And Rav Ukva sought to return this benefit to himself, but Rav Kohen Tzedek prevented him, and his helpers were Yosef ben Pinchas and his son-in-law Netira with some leaders of the generation, until they expelled Ukva from Babylon, and he was exiled to a place called Karmisin, five days journey east of Babylon.

At that time Amram ben Shlomo was Rosh Yeshiva of Sura, and Ukva dwelt in Karmisin until the king of Babylon went out to stroll in Karmisin because it has pleasant gardens and orchards and every metropolis in Babylon derives benefit from it. About half a mile away was a place called Shafdan with a beautiful building, and when the king came to stay there he would stroll, and there was a building two stories high with two figures, one of the king and one of his concubine, and beneath it was a hollow horse figure from which water would come from the mountain and enter it and come out of its mouth.

The king would go out every day to that place to stroll, and Ukva would time that hour and stand before him and bless him with pleasant words and beautiful poems, and so he did every day until a full year passed. The king's scribe wrote his poems and praises every day and noticed that what he said today he did not say again the next day, and so he did the entire year from beginning to end. After the year was complete, the scribe brought to the king that Ukva had not changed his words from the beginning of the year until its end.

The king asked him to give a sign to his words because he did not believe the matter, so he brought his notebook with Ukva's poems written in it, and there was nothing repeated or tripled. The king commanded that Ukva be brought before him. When he entered, the king asked him what he could give him, and he asked him to restore his position, and the king wrote him a letter according to his request. When he returned, the matter was difficult for Netira and Yosef ben Pinchas and those who accompanied them, and they spoke against him to the king until the king commanded that he leave, and they exiled him a second time.

They wrote a decree against him that he could never enter the entire kingdom of Babylon, and if he entered, all his property would be confiscated. He did not remain in that land or any eastern lands and went to the west, and the authority remained for about five or six years without a head. The matter became very difficult and they spoke about David ben Zakkai, who was the great-grandson of Ukva the Nasi who had passed, to make him Reish Galuta.

Kohen Tzedek, who was Rosh Yeshiva of Pumbedita, was troubled by this because he did not want the authority of David ben Zakkai since he was a relative of Ukva the former Reish Galuta. But the Rosh Yeshiva of Sura supported him and wrote to all the people of his yeshiva, to the students and scholars within it, to bless him and write to him upon their souls, and they would support him as head over them, and they did as he commanded.

They all went out to greet him until they reached a place called Katzar in the south of Babylon between it and Sura, seven miles away, which was the birthplace of David ben Zakkai, and they blessed him and supported him as head over them. Despite all this, Kohen Tzedek the Rosh Yeshiva of Pumbedita refused to accept the matter for three years. There was a man named Ma'or Einayim who was known for trials, the head of the Kallah Nasi Nahorwani, and he would enter between them in a peaceful manner, perhaps he could lead him to accept the yeshiva of Pumbedita that the Kohen Tzedek Rosh Yeshiva would be pleased with.

One night he went and opened all the locks in Babylon by name, and that night he opened fourteen locks until he reached him and stood at his head and found him studying at midnight. When Kohen Tzedek saw him, he rushed to greet him and asked him about the purpose of his coming. He said, "By your soul, my master, I did not reach you until I opened fourteen locks." He said, "What do you want now?" He said, "I request that you bless the Reish Galuta and support him upon yourself." He replied that he would do according to his words.

Nasi Moshe went to the Reish Galuta and informed him and set a time for the day on which he would come. He returned to Kohen Moreh Tzedek and informed him of the time. Then Kohen Tzedek commanded all his students and the members of his yeshiva and all who were with him to gather and stand with their souls and go out to greet the Reish Galuta. They went out to greet him at a place called Tzartzar, half a day's journey from Babylon.

When they reached the Reish Galuta, he too was there with a large camp of about a hundred people with all his students and all who followed him, and they had already prepared for him a courtyard in a known village in the ancient land. When they reached the gate of the city of Babylon they were saying pleasant songs and beautiful hymns until they came to the courtyard which they had prepared for him.

He entered and dwelt in Babylon, he and his men and his women and all the souls of his house. After five years the Rosh Yeshiva of Sura died and Mar Hai bar Kiyumi reigned after him, and he was the head of his generation at that time and led the yeshiva of Sura for twenty years and died. Kohen Tzedek the Rosh Yeshiva of Pumbedita was still alive, and when the Rosh Yeshiva of Sura died, the yeshiva of Sura was left in its studies, and the Reish Galuta deliberated who he should appoint in it.

His heart inclined toward our teacher Saadia Fayumi and toward Tzemach ben Shahin because he was a son of nobility and a son of Torah. He sent to Reish Galuta to Nasi Nahorwani to be head of their yeshiva. He said it was not possible because the Rosh Yeshiva is called Nahora (light) of the world and he is Choshecha (darkness) of the world. He said, "What do you see in this matter?" He said, "Do whatever you wish." The Reish Galuta informed him what was in his heart to do, whether his counsel had fallen upon Rav Saadia or upon Tzemach ben Shahin.

The Nasi replied that he should appoint Tzemach ben Shahin and not Rav Saadia, even though he was a great man and distinguished in wisdom, he was not lenient with any person in the world and he would not show favor to any person in the world because of his great wisdom and his spirit and length of his tongue and fear of his sin. The Reish Galuta said, "My counsel has already fallen and I have agreed upon Rav Saadia Fayumi." The Nasi replied, "Do what you wish, for in the beginning the first one who will obey his words and sit before him, I am he, and I will be the head of those who desire him." They appointed him at that time before Kohen Tzedek and before the students of the yeshiva of Pumbedita and appointed him to be Rosh Yeshiva of Sura.

Not many days passed until a quarrel fell between the Reish Galuta and Rav Saadia. [See above year 4687]