The Babylonian Geonim were the successors of the Rabbis of the Talmudic era, and were the pre-eminent Rabbinic authorities between the 7th and 11th centuries. On the death of Rav Hai Gaon -- the last of the Geonim -- in 1038, the centre of gravity of the Jewish world shifted westward. The major Jewish communities in Europe and North Africa each wished to be seen as the true inheritors of Geonic authority. In this episode, Gavin and Jordan discuss the lines of evidence each community used to support its claims to pre-eminence, and the dangers of an over-emphasis on inherited tradition. 

Original article at http://www.kotzkblog.com/2020/06/281-shift-from-babylonia-to-west-and.html