[Avodah] what did we learn for 350 years?

[Jonathan Baker]

From: "Moshe Y. Gluck" <mgluck at gmail.com>
> R' 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.
 
> I believe the She'iltos D'R' Achai Gaon preceeded him. ?

Maybe. The Sheiltos and the Siddur R' Amram gaon are about parallel,
R' Amram and R' Achai were heads of academies at about the same time
(850s CE). 

R' Saadia Gaon (Emunot veDeiot) was about 75 years later.

R' Shimon Kayara, one possible Behag, was "first half of the 9th century"
but apparently the Sheiltos and the Halachos Pesukos of R' Yehudai were
among his sources.

R' Yehudai seems to have lived about 100 years before the Behag.  The
Halachos Pesukos are only known in Hebrew translation today.

The Geonim may have been a more oral-torah culture than we are, not
writing as many organized books.  R' Paltoi (9th century) disapproved
of the Halachos Pesukos because it detracted from the study of Talmud,
which gives you some clue what we were learning between the close of the
Talmud (about 600 or later, according to many) and the Rishonim.

Sources: Jewish Encyclopedia.

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