Geniza Lab

Legal query. Dating: Early 13th century (per Goitein). Concerning the wife of a Kohen who traveled 2 or 3 times without letting her know how long he would remain absent or leaving her sufficient food. She swore "oaths frightening the mountains" (אימאן תרעד אלגבאל) that after his return she would not remain with him. Not complete. (Information from Goitein's note card.)

Letter conveying good wishes. See T-S 20.78. Addressed to Meshullam ha-Kohen b. Elʿazar Kelil ha-Yofi. (Information from Goitein's note card.) NB: This shelfmark does not exist. It is not clear which shelfmark Goitein's note card belongs to.

Left side of a letter of appeal for charity, from Shaul ha-Levi. What is preserved seems to contain learned discussion of charity. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from the office of Yehoshuaʿ Nagid (d. 1355) to the community of Fustat asking them to arrange a charitable collection (Information from Goitein, Tarbiz 54 [1984], 84)

Letter sent from Fustat by a father to his son, settling business accounts with him. The handwriting is that of the cantor Abu Sahl (Levi), and the addressee is probably Moshe b. Levi ha-Levi in Qalyub. Apparently Moshe had complained that his father had not sent him all the money that he was owed. This sharp letter goes through all the recent transactions and explains how no one has been cheating Moshe of some dirhams. "Calm down, even if they were dinars, God would make it right." If Moshe wants to, he can return to Fustat and they can go through the accounts together in person. Abu Sahl tells Moshe not to worry about the capitation tax, because God has helped and they already have enough money for him. "Don't let anyone look at these accounts, not Mahfuz nor anyone else." Information in part from Goitein's index card.) ASE.

Fragment of a letter in the hand of Shelomo b. Yehuda Gaon, confirming receipt of money, and two suftajas (payment orders), one if them which was shared by the Gaon, the av bet din, the 'Third' and a fourth person. This fragment combines with T-S 6J2 f.21 (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter, fragmentary, from Shelomo b. Yehuda to an unknown addressee. 1033 or 1037. Shelomo b. Yehuda informs that he receives money probably from Fustat. A part of the payment was divided between the Gaon, head of the court, and a third person, it seems like this is an inheritance. (Information from Gil, Palestine, vol. 2, pp. 210-212, #116). VMR

Letter segment from Shelomo b. Yehuda to an unknown personality, mentioning monies paid to Abu l-Faraj. Dated 1033-1037 CE. (Information from CUDL)

Short letter on a vellum from Palermo by a Baghdadi, mentioning a trip to Sicily and referring to merchandise sent to Damascus by one Harun b. al-Saruji. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Barhun b. Musa al-Tahirti, from Alexandria, to Nahray b. Nissim, Fustat. Around 1051. Mentions a legal matter and several goods as pearls and copper. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #341) VMR

Letter from a teacher and copyist in a small town, which has a dayyan, who did not let him teach. He writes about hunger in his household. (Information from Goitein's index cards and Mark Cohen)

Letter from the cantor Abu Sahl (Levi), Fustat, to his son Moshe b. Levi ha-Levi, Qalyub. He informs him that he reached a peaceful settlement with "the man you know," and that Moshe's brother Abu l-Ḥasan (Yedutun) is doing well. Abu Sahl sends his regards to al-Shaykh al-Yesod. Something (a coat?) has arrived and is in the store, and Moshe is asked to come retrieve it on Sunday. This note may be a sequel to Moss. IV,27.2, which describes the efforts of Abu Sahl and his wife to appease the family of the wife of 'Imran (Abu Sahl's brother) in some sort of conflict that Moshe was involved in. Information in part from Goitein, Med Soc V, 598. ASE.

Letter written and sent from al-Mahdiyya by Musa Tahirti to his brother Barhun in Fustat, containing details about trade in the Maghreb and advising his brother about buying flax. (Information from M. Gil, Kingdom, Vol. III, p. 198)

Short business letter with request to send a reply with the same mail courier and mentioning purchases of commodities. (Information from Mediterranean Society, I, p. 284 and from Goitein's index cards)

Letter sent to a maker of scales to whom the writer had given a scale on which to affix a hanger, asking the man to return it right away to the letter-bearer. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Abu Ishaq Ibrahim dealing with business matters.

Short memorandum by Mush b. Yahya al-majani, probably from Alexandria, to Nahray b. Nissim. Around 1052. Musa is interested in a small delivery that Nahray sent him. In addition, he asks several questions and requests. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #634) VMR

Short letter written and sent from Alexandria by Musa b. Abu al-Hayy to Nahray b. Nissim in Fustat, dealing with a shipment of robes and with collecting a debt of 106 dinars. (Information from M. Gil, Kingdom, Vol. III, p. 525)

Letter in which Shelomo, who was appointed to a new post, complains that he found only opponents and asks advice of the Nagid. He also complains about his illness (l. 16). (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Recto: Letter in the handwriting of Moshe b. Levi ha-Levi, probably from Qalyub to his father in Fustat, consisting almost in its entirely of good wishes for Tabernacles. He mentions that the turban (raddah) arrived. He mentions the wife of his paternal uncle, but the context is ambiguous. He then admits that he has no money even to buy bread, but all will end well. (Information from Mediterranean Society, V, pp. 87, 351.) Verso: Either the response or the initial letter, probably from Levi (Abu Sahl) to his son Moshe. Everyone in the family is well. The addressee's brother Abu l-Ḥasan is doing well, in spite of all that he suffers. He mentions something that the wife of the addressee's paternal uncle said, but it is not clear what. There is an abrupt change of topic (unless this topic is what the wife of the uncle was talking about) to a certain Shelomo. "They said that this is something that pleases neither God nor man, that a woman should be married and her husband does not see her plucking or combing or adorning herself or dressing up or going about." The letter is torn here. The gossip about this wife resembles the situation of Sitt Ghazal in her marriage to Shelomo b. Eliyyahu (see T-S 13J8.23), but that marriage took place in 1228 CE, and Moshe b. Levi, the presumed addressee of this letter, died in 1212. ASE.