Born in Iraq in 1835, Isaac ben Abraham Solomon studied under Rabbi ‘Abd Allāh Somekh. His primary halakhic specialization was in the field of ritual slaughter and kashrut. In 1893, he was appointed acting chief rabbi of Baghdad (Ar. wakīl ḥākhām bāshī), but he apparently lacked the charisma and decisiveness required to navigate the turbulent waters of communal politics, and failed to prevent public monies from coming under the control of dishonest individuals. In 1905, David Papo was appointed ḥākhām bāshī, and Solomon retired. He devoted the rest of his life to scholarship and the w…