After four years, the life situation of the expelled Sa'adiah improved.
His enemy, the Gaon of Pumbedita Kohen Zedek died, and in the year 936, Zemah ben Kafnai, who was a conciliatory, balanced, humble and righteous man, replaced him.
The members of the collegium, who were no longer being incited by Kohen Zedek and now under the leadership of the new head of the academy, calmed down and ceased being hostile to the ex-Gaon Sa'adiah.

The community leaders understood that the conflict, between the Exilarch and Sa'adiah, would not be good for the people.
Peace between the Exilarch and Sa'adiah was very unlikely and no one wanted the role as the mediator of a reconciliation.
In the end, the mediator's role was taken by Qashar ben Aaron, who was the father-in-law of Aaron ibn Sargadu, who lived in Baghdad.

Qashar ben Aaron gave a deeply felt speech to the Exilarch.
He said, among other things; If a fire can burn the Cedars of Lebanon, what fate can await shrubs growing in the lowland?

The words of the venerable old man made a deep impression on the guilty Exilarch, David.
This impression was so deep that the Exilarch eventually agreed to a reconciliation. Sa'adiah did not refuse this reconciliation.
He immediately forgave the offender and reconciled with him.

The only thing left to do was to persuade the Caliph to restore Sa'adiah as the Gaon.
This was not difficult because at that time the usurper of the throne al Kahir had died, and on the throne of Caliphate sat the righteous and humane Caliph ar Radi.

This ruler appointed Vizier Ali ibn Isa to serve him and put him in a position of power.
Vizir was deeply respected by Sa'adiah and with Vizier’s help it was not difficult to obtain permission from the Caliph for the re-in statement of Sa'adiah as Gaon.

Sa'adiah again began to fulfil the duties of the Rector of the Academy.
His positive influence on the Academy of Surat became be evident very early on.

The Exilarch David ben Zakkai died in year 940.
Following him, his infamous son Judah, was to ascend the throne of the Exilarch.

Almost all of the communities and members of the collegium were against his succession, and were ready to prevent him from ascending to the throne.
When Sa'adiah learned about this, he took Judah under his protection and vigorously enforced his placement to the throne of the Exilarch.
This style of behaviour was typical for this brave man.
However, Judah was to be the Exilarch for only seven months because he died suddenly.

There was only one male representative from King David's family who belonged to the community of Talmudists.
This was Judah’s twelve-year-old son Skiya (Hezekiah, Ḥizqiyah).
Skiya inherited the throne of the Exilarch and a relative from a side lineage, of the family, was appointed as his regent.
However this relative also died, under the axe of the executioner, so Sa’adiah took this orphaned boy under his protection.

Sa'adiah spent all of his efforts and invested all of his deep knowledge in raising up this boy to be a venerable representative of his co-religionists.
However his days, and generally the days of the Exilarchy, were unfortunately numbered.
The Muslim population of Baghdad had gazed with envy for long time at the magnificent court of the Exilarch, which resembled the prince's court in it's size.

Part of the Baghdad Muslims prepared a plot and their goal was to overthrow the Exilarch.
They waited for a suitable time to carry out their diabolical plan.
The Muslim plotters chose the young Skiya as their victim.
They knew very well that his death would cause the extinction of King David's family and that the Exilarchy would cease to exist.

On the day of the ceremonial acceptance of the oath, after the end of the ceremony, Skiya was returning to his palace in his royal carriage, when Muslim bandits attacked and murdered him.
Thus the Exilarchy, which had existed for more than seven centuries, ceased to exist and the Talmudistic branch of King David's family became extinct.

But the Karaite branch of this famous royal family survived.
Also another branch, within the Russian Empire, survived and it is the (Georgian) princely dynasty of Bagrations.
These derive their pedigree from the captured Judean king Y’hoyakhin (Jehoiachin, Jeconiah).*

* The first ancestor of the family of the Bagration princes, descended from the family of Israeli King David, came to Georgia in year 575 of the Christian era.
He was baptized by the Eastern Orthodox Church and married Ferosis, the sister of the Georgian king Mirdat Khastronn.
After the death of King Mirdat, Bagrat ბაგრატ was elected as King of Georgia and his descendants ruled in Georgia after his death.
When King George გიორგი of Georgia died in year 1469, his son Constantine had five sons; David, Georgiy, Bagrat, Alexander, and Malkisedek.
After the death of King Constantine, King David დავით ascended the throne and gave his brother, Prince Bagrat, as the feud, the Mukhran province, and he became the first ruler of Mukhran.
Bagtrat's great-grandson, King Vakhtang ვახტანგ, ruled the three kingdoms; Georgia, Imereti and Kakheti, and later passed the rule of Imerethi over to his son Archil არჩილი.

King Archil moved (and retired) in year 1681 to Russia, where he met the rulers and grand princes Ivan Alexeyevich and Peter Alexeyevich.
His brothers, King George and Prince Levan, ruled over Georgia.
Levan's sons Vakhtang and Yesse next ruled over Georgia.
Levan's grandson Prince Alexander moved with his family in year 1757 to Russia, where he was appointed colonel of the border troops and obtained a land in the Kizlyar region (Dagestan).
His descendants, the princes of the dynasty Bagration, served the all Russian Throne and they received many rank, honors and other manifestations of royal favor.

Prince Peter Ivanovich Bagration served in the Army of the Russian Empire and under the command of generalissimo Alexander Suvorov, he fought in the Alps against the French.
He excelled in his bravery, courage and fearlessness.
He was decorated with the decorations of the Russian Empire and also with the decorations of foreign countries.
Taken from the seventh volume of the Armorial (Book of coats of arms) of the
noble families of the All-Russian Empire (author's note).

After this sad event, Sa’adiah managed the matters of Israel.
Sa’adiah held the post of Gaon for two years, in favor of Talmudists, and to the detriment of the Karaites.
The hardships he endured in the past greatly affected his health, with the enormous difficulties of the recent years completing the deterioration of his body.
Sa’adiah died in year 942.

After this bright light of the Talmud dipped below the horizon, darkness again covered the Academy of Sura.
Sa’adiah's contribution to Talmudism was so significant and beneficial, that his influence will be reflected in it, for as long as the Talmud and Talmudism shall exist.

Contrary to this, Sa’adiah had a harmful and detrimental influence on the work of Anan ben David ha-nasi.
Blinded by his hatred of the Karaites, Sa’adiah did not hesitate to use various dastardly methods.
Sa’adiah proclaimed against Karaites every possible sort of anathema.
This led to the endangerment of Karaite properties and Karaite lives, because they were no longer protected by law, in the eyes of uneducated people.
Sa’adiah, by his deep hatred, caused wounds to the Karaite communities that took a whole century to heal.

It was said, in the days before Sa’adiah, that Anan's teachings spread as an avalanche.
The people welcomed his missionaries, the sympathizers and the followers of Anan ben David ha-nasi breathed freely, and in addition to their missionary activities, they could also study and research.
At the time of Sa’adiah everything changed.
Under his influence, Anan's followers began be regarded as ungodly apostates and this was reflected both on the mission itself and on the social status of the supporters of Anan ben David ha-nasi.
They had to think about their situation, became united and defend their existence, collaboratively.

The only weapon in their hands was, again, the Holy Scriptures.
Karaites devoted all their free time and all their mental abilities to the study of the Holy Scriptures.
Since that time, and continuing up to now, the literary activity of our ancestors has a purely scholastic character.

In this difficult time they tried to apply, in almost literal terms, all the regulations of the Law of Moses.
This attitude made them ascetics and uncompromising fanatics.
But it was exactly this type of asceticism and fanaticism that was necessary for an efficient fight with Sa’adiah and his adherents.
However, during Sa’adiah's life, a hero appeared who was capable of holding together the falling house built by Anan ben David ha-nasi.
His name was Solomon (Salmon) ben Yeroham.