Mar-Zutra II was a Jewish

Exilarch The exilarch was the leader of the Jewish community in Persian Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) during the era of the Parthians, Sasanians and Abbasid Caliphate up until the Mongol invasion of Baghdad in 1258, with intermittent gaps due to ongoing ...

who led a revolt against the

Sasanian The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...

rulers in 495 CE and achieved seven years of political independence in

Mahoza Al-Mada'in ( ar, المدائن, , ; ) was an ancient metropolis situated on the Tigris, Tigris River in modern-day Iraq. It was located between the ancient royal centers of Ctesiphon and Seleucia, and was founded by the Sasanian Empire, Sassanid ...

. Mar-Zutra II became Exilarch of the Jewish community in

Babylon ''Bābili(m)'' * sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 * arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel'' * syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel'' * grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn'' * he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel'' * peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru'' * elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...

at the age of fifteen in 483 CE, twelve years before the revolt. After King

Kavadh I Kavad I ( pal, 𐭪𐭥𐭠𐭲 ; 473 – 13 September 531) was the Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from 488 to 531, with a two or three-year interruption. A son of Peroz I (), he was crowned by the nobles to replace his deposed and unpopular u ...

denied Jews the right to organize their own militia, Mar-Zutra took advantage of the confusion into which

Mazdak Mazdak ( fa, مزدک, Middle Persian: 𐭬𐭦𐭣𐭪, also Mazdak the Younger; died c. 524 or 528) was a Zoroastrian ''mobad'' (priest), Iranian reformer, prophet and religious reformer who gained influence during the reign of the Sasanian empe ...

's communistic attempts had plunged Persia and led a successful military revolt that achieved political independence for the Jews of Mahoza. The Jewish state lasted seven years, until 502 CE, when Kavadh finally defeated Mar-Zutra and punished him with crucifixion on the bridge of Mahoza. A son was born to him on the day of his death, who would be named

Mar-Zutra III Mar-Zutra III, also called Mar-Zutra bar Mar-Zutra, according to the Seder Olam Zutta, was the posthumous and only son of the 30th Exilarch of Babylon, Mar-Zutra II. He lived at the beginning of the Savora period. Mar-Zutra II had been crucified on ...

. The latter did not attain to the office of Exilarch, but returned to the

Land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Isra ...

, where he became head of the Academy of

Tiberias Tiberias ( ; he, טְבֶרְיָה, ; ar, طبريا, Ṭabariyyā) is an Israeli city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. A major Jewish center during Late Antiquity, it has been considered since the 16th century one of Judaism's Fo ...

, under the title of "Resh Pirka" ('Aρχιφεκίτησ), several generations of his descendants succeeding him in this office. After Mar Zutra's death his successor Mar Ahunai did not dare to appear in public for almost thirty years following Mar-Zutra's defeat and it is not known whether he ever really acted as Exilarch following Kavadh's reign, which ended in 531 CE.

References

5th-century births 502 deaths Jewish royalty Exilarchs People executed by crucifixion Jewish rebels 5th-century Jews 6th-century Jews Jews in the Sasanian Empire People executed by the Sasanian Empire Rebellions against the Sasanian Empire {{Jewish-hist-stub