[Avodah] what did we learn for 350 years?

[AY & CB Walters]

The Geonim say that from the chasimas hatalmud by R' Ashi until the Behag was 350 years.

Now, AFAIK, the Behag was the first post talmudic sefer, he was probably from the early gaonim/late saboraim.

But what the saboraim doing in the intrerim - why do we have zero seforim from them, when we have an unbroken chain both before that, and afterwards?

It is known that some of what we call the Gemoro was actually written after R' Ashi, by the saboraim (eg the entire first daf and a half of Kidushin), but presumably this is the exception not the rule.

I have heard that all the connecting words, such as "meisvei, toh shema, kasha" etc found in the gemoro are of savoraic origin; originally the bavli looked like the yerushalmi - without the connecting words, where the kashia ends and the teretz starts, etc. If so, then to say the Talmud was closed by R' Ashi, just means the halochos, and not necessarily the leshonos.

Is this theory accepted as true? Even if so, 350 years is an awfully long time for this - longer than the period from R' Akiva until R' Ashi - spanning all Amoraim and much Tanoim too...

Any ideas?

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