Rav Sherira Gaon, the famous Head of the Pumbeditha Yeshiva in
Babylonia was born about the year 4660 (900 of the Common Era).
His father, Rav Chanina (or Chananya) was the Head of that
Yeshiva, as also his grandfather Rav Yehudai Gaon had been. His
family was descended from Zerubabel son of Shaltiel son of King
Yechonla. Yechonia was king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezar had
dethroned and car,tied off in chains to exile. Yechonya's exile
began eleven years before he had destroyed the Beth Hamikdash.
The Babylonian world power was later taken over by the Persians
under King Koresh of Persia, who allowed the Jews to rebuild the
Beth Hamikdash. Zerubabel, who had a position in the royal court
of King Darius of Persia, was appointed to be Head of the Jews
who had returned to Jerusalem and had rebuilt the second Beth
Hamikdash. Rav Sherira Gaon was thus a direct descendant of the
royal family of David. His official seal bore a likeness of a
lion, the symbol of the Tribe of Judah, likened to a lion, from
whom King Dav