Gaons

Gaons is the plural form generally used in English to refer to Gaonim, the leading Jewish scholars of the Geonic period. The term Gaon comes from a Hebrew root meaning “exalted” or “genius,” and in antiquity it was used as an honorific for eminent sages. The standard scholarly plural is Geonim; Gaons appears in some texts as a less common or anglicized variant.

Historically, the Geonim were the heads of the two great Talmudic academies in Babylonia—Sura and Pumbedita—from roughly the 6th to the 11th centuries. They served as the chief rabbinic authorities after the Mishnah and Talmud were compiled, issuing responsa, clarifying halakhic questions, and guiding Jewish practice across the diaspora. Their decisions and letters helped preserve continuity of interpretation and education as Jewish communities spread throughout the world. Notable Geonim include Rav Amram Gaon (a 9th-century head of the Sura academy) and Saadia Gaon (early 10th century), among others who shaped Jewish law, philosophy, and liturgy.

In modern usage, gaon in Hebrew remains a common noun meaning “genius” or “very learned person,” and can be used as an honorific for distinguished scholars in colloquial speech. However, in historical contexts the customary term is Geonim, and the plural Gaons is seen less frequently and is regarded as nonstandard by some scholars.

The term should not be confused with similarly spelled uses outside Jewish history or with modern organizational names that may employ Gaon for branding or contemporary branding purposes.