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The following is adapted and summarised from Arthur F. Menton's Ancilla to Toledot Charlap, (King David Press, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, 1999). Numbers indicate generations and commence at 20 to take account of the previous 19 generations, of which the first was King David.

The Rosh Golah, Exilarch, or Prince of the Exiles, was a hereditary position of honour tracing back to the Royal House of David. The first historical documents referring to this title date from the time when Babylonia was part of the Parthian Empire. The position was preserved interruptedly during the rule of the Sassanids, as well as for several centuries under the Arabs. A commentary to the Book of Chronicles dating from the school of Saadiah quotes Yehuda Ibn Suraish to the effect that the genealogical list of the descendants of David was added to the book at the end of the period of the Second Temple, a view which was shared by the author of the list of Exdarchs in Seder Olam Zuta ha Shalem. This list has been synchronistically connected with the story of the Second Temple, Shechaniah being mentioned as having lived at the time of the Temple's destruction.

20. Shaltiel (Assir Shaltiel).

21. Pedaiah. Some sources list Pedaiah as brother of Shaltiel.

22. Zerubbabel. b. ca 540. Governor of Judah during reign of Darius I of Persia. Popular support for restoring Davidic throne but Zerubbabel never becomes king. Cornerstone of Second Temple is laid; completed in 515 B.C.E.

23. Meshullam, Rosh Golah.

24. Chananiah (either a son or brother of Meshullam), Rosh Golah.

25. Berechiah. b. ca 450 B.C., Rosh Golah.

26. Chisdiah, Rosh Golah.The Rosh Golah, or Exilarch, in Babylonia was the secular head of the community, while the leaders of the great Babylonian academies were recognized as the spiritual heads of the Jewish community.

27. Hezekiah (Chiskiah).

28. Yeshaiah, Rosh Golah.

29. David.

30. Shlomo.

31. Shemaiah, Rosh Golah, most likely the Shemaiah mentioned by Maimonides as a great Torah scholar who stood at the helm of the Jewish community.

32. David.

33. Shechaniah, Rosh Golah.

34. Hezekiah, Rosh Golah.

35. Shalom.

36. Nathan De-Zuzita, ca 100 AD.

37. Huna, famed Torah scholar, Rosh Golah in time R'Yehuda HaNassi.

38. Shlomo.

39. Yaacov.

40. Nahum, Rosh Golah.

41. David.

42. Yohanan. Possibly a brother of Nahum in which case David (41) is not in the patrilineal line. Succeeded Nahum as Rosh Golah.

43. Shafat.

44. Anan, Rosh Golah.

45. Chiya.

46. Huna the Babylonian, b. ca 216, d. 296 or 297, Rosh Yeshiva in Sura beginning in 257. Married Hobah and was father of Rabbah who served as Rosh Yeshiva in Sura, 309-320. Rabbah died in 322.

47. Nathan, Mar Ukban II, Rosh Golah ca 265.

48. Nehemiah, Rosh Golah. Presided during the Persian persecutions of 313 C.E. Some claim him to be brother of Mar Ukban II.

49. Nathan De-Zuzita, Mar Ukban III, Rosh Golah, ca 325. Brother of Huna Mar Huna III.

50. Abba, Rosh Golah, father of Rav Ammi (Rami).

51. Nathan and Mar Kahana. Both sons of Abba and both Rosh Golah, in order.

52. Huna IV, known as Huna I, d. 1st half of 5th century, Rosh Golah. Son of either Nathan or Mar Kahana. He was said to be the brother-in-law of Ravina, the colleague of Rav Ashi, both of whom studied under Mar Kahana. Huna IV was the father of Nachman and Ravina II, who was last Rosh Yeshiva, Sura.

53. Mar Zutra I, the Pious, brother of Huna IV, d. 414-417. Rosh Golah, 401-409 and Rosh Yeshiva, Pumbedita after R' Kahana. Father of Huna and Nosson and friend of Rabbana Ashi, Rosh Yeshiva at Sura.

54. Kahana II, Rosh Golah, succeeded in that position by his brother Huna, known as Huna V who

was executed by King Peroz in 470.

55. Huna VI, son of Kahana II, appointed Rosh Golah in 488, d. 508. Father of Hezekiah and Mar Zutra II. The latter was Rosh Golah who formed the autonomous Jewish kingdom at Mahoza.

56. Hezekiah (Chiskiah).

57. David.

58. Mar Zutra III, most likely a son of Mar Zutra II.

59. Mar Zutra IV, b. 558.

60. Bostenai (Bustenai), known as Guriah, Rosh Golah. Could possibly be the son of Hananai, grandson of Mar Zutra II. First Exilarch under Arabian rule, flourished in middle of 7th century.

61. Mar Zutra, son of Bostenai and the Persian princess Dara (Izdundad), daughter of the defeated Sassanid King Chosroes II. Caliph Omar of Persia married Dara's sister. It is noted that Bostenai also had a Jewish wife and some of the Exilarchs are descended from that union.

62. Yaacov.

63. Magus.

64. Nehemiah.

65. Abdimi.

66. Chatzov.

67. David.

68. Nathan.

69. Abraham.

70. Zakai, b. ca 880, Rosh Golah, father of Josiah Al-Hasan and David, who were rivals for power.

71. David ben Zakai, Rosh Golah, d. 940. Called upon Rav Saadiah Gaon to serve as Rosh Yeshiva at Sura to revive that once great academy. In a dispute over a halachic issue, David dismissed Saadiah after only two years. Seven years later, public pressure induced David to reinstate the revered Saadiah to his post, which he held for the rest of his life. Despite their feud, David and Saadiah had the highest respect for one another and Saadiah brought David's grandson into his house and educated him.

72. Yehuda, d. ca 941.

73. __ ben Yehuda, b. 929, educated by Saadiah Gaon. Cousin of Gaon Hai ben Sherira ben Hanina, Hezekiah, Rosh Golah, last of the Exilarchs, executed by the Persian Emperor ca 1050. Some sources claim that Hezekiah was grandson, not great-grandson, of David ben Zakai.

Members of R' Hai's academy appointed Hezekiah, grandson of David ben Zakai, to the see of R'Hai. He served for a term of two years. Then informers denounced him to the king, and the latter imprisoned him, put him in chains, tortured him and left him no survivors. His two sons fled to Spain to R'Yosefha-Levi the Nagid ben R' Shmuel the Nagid, who had great affection for Hezekiah the Exilarch and head of the academy.

75. Two sons of Hezekiah fled to Spain and gave rise to the Ibn Yahya family. They remained there with him [Yosef ha-Nagid] until the time of the massacre in Granada, when the Nagid was killed. One of the sons of Hezekiah then fled to the land of Saragassa where he married and had children. Afterwards, his descendants migrated to Christian Spain. One of them was Chiya al-Daudi who passed away in Castile in 4914 (Hebrew Calendar, equivalent to AD 1154).

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