Career
For the Amora sage of the 3d generation, see Raba bar Rav Huna. For the Amora sage of the 5th generation, see Joshua. He served as an Exilarch to the Jewish community in babylonia, during these days, and also as their political leader.
He acquired his knowledge on the Torah from Rav Papa and Amemar, and was granted the honor of sitting in front of Rava at the Yeshiva. His term overlapping with Rav Ashi's term as Dean of the academy of Sura. He had access to the Sassanid Empire, and especially to the king Yazdegerd I, who ruled over babylonia at the time, and was known for having a kind attitude towards the Jewish community there, and R. Nathan was one of the close associates of Yazdegerd's inner circle.
