Amram Gaon (, or Amram bar Sheshna, Hebrew: עמרם בר רב ששנא, or sometimes: Amram ben Sheshna or Amram b. Sheshna; died 875) was a gaon, head of the Jewish Talmud Academy of Sura during the 9th century. He authored many responsa, but his chief work was liturgical. He was the first to arrange a complete liturgy for the synagogue. His Prayer Book (Siddur Rav Amram or Seder Rav Amram), which took the form of a long responsum to the Jews of Spain, is still extant and was an important influence on most of the current rites in use among the Jews. Biography Amram ben Sheshna was a pupil of Natronai ben Hilai, Gaon of Sura, and was exceptionally honored with the title of Gaon within the lifetime of his teacher. Eventually, he broke away from his teacher and started his own seat of learning. Upon Natronai's death, about 857, the full title and dignities of the geonate were conferred upon Amram, a title which he held for 18 years, until his death. Responsa He is the author of about 120 responsa (most of which were published in Salonica, 1792, in the collection entitled "Sha'arei Tzedek") touching almost every aspect of Jewish jurisprudence. They afford insight into Amram's personality as well as religious practice among Jews of that period. For example, the ruling that interest may not be exacted even from non-Jews, nor even such minor profits as the Talmud designates as "the dust of interest", these being allowed only when customary in non-Jewish business circles. It is characteristic of Amram's method to avoid extreme stringency; thus he decides that a slave who has embraced Judaism, but desires to postpone circumcision until he feels strong enough for it, is not to be hurried. He combats superstition, and places himself almost in opposition to the Talmud, when he protests that there is no sense in fasting on account of bad dreams, since the true nature of dreams is not known. Amram's rules concerning the methodology of the Talmud are of considerable value. Siddur Rav Amram The most important work of Amram, marking him as one of the most prominent of the geonim before Saadiah, is his prayer book, the so-called Siddur Rav Amram. Amram was the first to arrange a complete liturgy for use in synagogue and home. His book forms the foundation both of the Spanish-Portuguese and of the German-Polish