Geniza Lab

Beginning of a legal document. In the hand of Yosef b. Shemuel b. Saʿadya ha-Levi. Location: Fustat. Dated: 1505 Seleucid (= 1193/94 CE), under the authority of the Gaʾon Sar Shalom ha-Levi. Involving Abū Naṣr. (Information in part from CUDL)

Fragment (left side) of a Judaeo-Arabic letter. Subject matter is unclear; mentions bad etiquette (sū' al-adab).

Letter sent to ha-Talmid ha-Baḥur Nissim Agostaro (אגושתארו) in Alexandria from his father Shelomo Agostaro, including a warning that he should not come to Cairo before the epidemic has finished, because every day one or two people die. There are greetings to many people, among them Mordechai, Esther, Shabbetay and Shemuʾel. (Information from CUDL)

A letter in stylishly rhyming Judaeo-Arabic addressed to Abu Sahl and his three sons, Abu l-Mansur, Barakat, and the boy Abu l-Fadl. The writer is likely named Abu Zikri (see line 12 of verso), which, along with the handwriting and elevated register, suggests that this is the well-known son of Eliyyahu the Judge. Abu Sahl appears to be his father-in-law, since the writer opens with a detailed update about his wife. Recto 1-5: Greetings to the above mentioned. Recto 5-12: Extended greetings to Shaykh Abu l-Hajjaj Yusuf. Recto 12-24:The writer, his young daughter, and his wife yearn for his mother-in-law, who seems to have visited recently and assisted with childcare. Everyone in the house is also helping his wife, who is in the state that God knows (often a figure of speech for illness). His daughter is starting to recognize everyone in the house, including visitors, and also serves her mother. Recto 22 – Verso 30: Following these pleasant updates, the remainder of the letter is a blistering tirade against Barakat who affects intelligence but whose brain produces only "mucus, delirium, and madness [al-mukhāṭ wa-l-hadhayān wa-l-khubāṭ].” The dispute that led to Barakat’s recent imprudent letter (“ravings long, wide, and thick emerging from a mind that is sick [hadhayān kathīr ṭawīl 'arīḍ ṣadar 'an dhihn marīḍ]") is detailed in lines 5-15 of verso. It had to do with financial arrangements for the trousseau and rent of Barakat’s cousin, the daughter of his maternal aunt. Verso 32-end: Closing greetings. ASE.

Letter from Shelomo b. Yehuda Gaʾon (in the hand of his son Avraham) to Egypt. Mentions oppressive laws and heavy taxes and punishments and requests aid. (Information from CUDL)

Letter from Yehuda b. Sahl, probably in Alexandria, to Nahray b. Nissim, in Fustat, ca. 1050. Mentions the sale of a house that may have belonged to Nahray. Also mentions flax and the copper trade. Yehuda b. Sahl’s wife (a relative of Nahray?) sends him regards for the holidays and prays all the time for his health. She was sick (tawajjaʿat), then Yehuda became sick, then he got better, then he relapsed, and also their daughter was sick (r14–18). His wife asks Nahray b. Nissim to send them an order of payment (suftaja) for 10 dinars (r22–23). The letter mentions Abū l-Surūr and Abū Iṣḥāq Barhūn. (Information from Gil.) ASE.

Recto: Upper part of a letter in Judaeo-Arabic written in a scribal hand to ha-Nasi ha-Gadol, reporting on the writer's troubles while traveling with Rabbi Avraham. "I hadn't known that his only care is making money. He cares nothing for peace in the community. He has killed me with his [cowardly deeds?]. When I was the muqaddam of al-Maḥalla and slaughtered and circumcised, whenever. . ." Verso: The address of the letter on recto, to Sayyidnā al-Nasi ha-Gadol Yarum Hodo. And, in a different ink and different hand, a formulary of a Hebrew letter of appeal ("I am so-and-so the lowly and despised."). The same person wrote on recto "crown of peace and truth" several times. ASE.

Letter to Efrayim he-Ḥaver (Efrayim b. Shemarya), with marginalia in Judaeo-Arabic; address on verso. Information from FGP

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic from [Yosef?] ha-Kohen b. Yiftaḥ ha-Kohen, in Tinnīs, to Abū l-ʿAlā' Ṣāʿid b. al-Munajja al-Dimashqi (perhaps the same as Abū l-ʿAlā' Ṣāʿid b. Najā who features in T-S 12.591, a 1080 letter). The writer sends holiday wishes and reports that he has already met with Abū ʿImrān as requested, who said that he already sent the addressee letters of his own with what he needs to know. As for the copy of the Targum, the scribe (Abū ʿImrān or a different person?) needs four more dirhams. The writer seems very apologetic about this. He then launches into tales of "the zaqen's" underhanded business dealings. There are a few tricky words, and the specifics need further examination. Apparently the zaqen appointed the writer's uncle as his agent for one dinar. He then claimed that a certain batch of silk was stolen from the tax/customs bureau (? masrūq min al-maks). "This is completely unfounded. If it were true, would we have the receipt (? ḥujjat al-ḍamān)? There is nothing to be done about him, because he is an incorrigible man." The writer has also written to Abū l-Mufaḍḍal about these events, אולי יש תקוה. The writer sends regards to Abū l-Munā and Abū l-Maʿālī. Written the 4th of Adar. ASE

Bottom part of a letter to ... b. Iṣḥaq, possibly from Hayye Gaon, congratulating the recipient on his being appointed rosh kalla. The recipient is asked to get in touch with a certain Farajūn and his nephews, and to support the academy. In the hand of an academy scribe. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, p. 128.)

Letter from Shelomo b. Yehuda and nine other Jerusalemites confirming the receipt of ten dinars from Fustat, approximately 1030.

Letter to Abū Zikrī Yehuda b. Menashshe b. David al-Ṣayrafī. In Judaeo-Arabic. The sender might be Faraḥ b. Yūsuf al-Qābisī (the usual correspondent of Yehuda b. Menashshe). Dating: Second half of the 11th century. Mercantile letter concerning the trade in commodities such as pepper and mentioning Abū Saʿd and traders from al-Andalus. Mentions the geographical area of Jazāʾir al-Qurashī (also mentioned in T-S 16.13) and awaiting a group of people called al-Fīshāniyyīn or al-Fayshāniyyīn (also mentioned in Sassoon 713). At the end, asks for news of a young woman (al-ṣabiyya) and marriage. Needs further examination. Verso: Accounts in Arabic script. Someone apparently owes 900 of something. (Information in part from CUDL.)

Business letter from Aden to ʿAydhāb, mentioning Isaac al-Nafūsī and Hiba b. al-Dabbāgh (‘the tanner’), referring to ships and dinars. (Information from CUDL.) NB: PGP used to list this document as Moss. VI,28.

Letter in Hebrew from the exilarch [ʿAzarya] b. Shelomo b. Yoshiya to [...] b. Ḥusayn. Large space between the lines. Verso contains the address, inverted, along with a great many jottings in large Arabic script. There are also Hebrew pen-trials on both sides. Information from CUDL.

Letter and responsum from Shelomo b. Yehuda to an unidentified person in Fustat (perhaps Avraham ha-Kohen b. Yiṣḥaq). Dated: 19 December 1029 CE. (Information from Goitein’s index card) The date is actually for the previous document (the responsum), and the year is not given, but rather surmised by Gil.

Letter from David b. Binyamin to Pineḥas ha-Kohen he-Ḥasid. In Hebrew. Asking him to conduct the fundraising drive (pesiqa) and give him the funds without delay, so that he can travel. Also mentions the judge Rabbenu Ḥananel (b. Shemuel?).

Business letter to Nissim, probably not earlier than the 14th century, referring to trade in Syria and Egypt. The brother-in-law of Zechariah is mentioned. Information from FGP.

Interesting, late letter in Judaeo-Arabic from "the land of the Christians" to al-Muʿallim Yūsuf, the shammas of the synagogue, Cairo. The writer narrates in brief how he left Cairo with spices to sell overseas, was detained in Alexandria for a time due to an illness, spent 6 months (!?) at sea, getting lost and nearly getting drowned, first stopping in Turkey and then continuing the land of the Christians. At some point they also stopped in Tripoli (Lebanon?) and purchased more goods. "When we entered the city, the representative of the Amir was deposed (?) and the elders אתפרת (?)." (This sentence is not at all clear. The word נאיבו in fact looks more like נציבו and could even be the name of the city. What the elders did is also not clear.) The writer then describes his difficulties selling the goods from Cairo and Tripoli, mentioning the currencies dinar and muayyadi. He sends regards to Muʿallima Sara. He tells Yūsuf to expect the arrival of ʿAmmī Zikrī al-Quṣamṭīnī and his wife, who are poor. He asks Yūsuf to help them with the capitation tax and to help them get settled. He sends regards to the family (dār) of Rashīd; and the family (bayt) of Ḥakīm Shams Ḥanūna (?); and the cousins of the Muʿallima; and R. Avraham; and Khalaf; and the family of the syrup-maker (? ṭābikh al-sharāb spelled טבך אשרב) and his wife (ahlihi). The writer's wife and children send regards, as does the addressee's brother Barakāt (at the beginning of the letter). He concludes with greetings to Hārūn Jamal and his wife and children and reports that Hārūn's mother and brothers and sisters and maternal aunt are all well. Someone else added underneath the letter, "Greetings to ʿAyyād!" ASE.

Letter of condolence from a certain Yaʿaqov to Eliyyahu the Judge ("wherever he is"). Dating: Early 13th century. In Judaeo-Arabic and Hebrew. The orthography, including of biblical quotations, is phonetic and idiosyncratic. It is not clear who died. The main text consists almost entirely of condolences and exhortations to have patience (ṣabr). Four lines from the bottom, Yaʿaqov writes, "As for Abū Zikrī, the world very nearly departed him. But he is still wretched. He had patience and was consoled. He was hardly able to write to you after the terrible blow, had we not made him him write to you. . . . He lay sick in bed for a period of three months. [. . .] took up his treatment . . . until God saw fit take to His trust." (For the strange-seeming phrase "lahu marīḍ," see also ENA 2738.37.) The context is unfortunately quite difficult to decipher. It is possible that Abū Zikrī died, or, perhaps more likely, the 'taking of the trust' refers to the same person whose death provided the occasion for this letter. There is no way to know for sure, but it is plausible that this letter is connected to T-S 24.72, a letter of condolence from Abū Zikrī to his father Eliyyahu in which he describes the terrible illnesses that afflicted him after he learned of the death of his brother. ASE.

Letter addressed to a certain Yehuda. In Judaeo-Arabic. Nearly complete, albeit faded. Begins, "The messenger for our congregation from our master the Nagid arrived with the letters/documents which he had issued (istanjazahā) for us..." Mentions Abū l-Barakāt, Abū l-Faḍl b. Salmān and Abu l-Qasm. The purpose of the letter seems to be providing a detailed update on a legal case. Needs further examination. (Information in part from CUDL.)