Geniza Lab

Accounts related to the Must'arabi community of Cairo in the year 5556 which is 1795/1796CE. In the remnant of the recto's heading the communal "chest / ארגז" is mentioned.The bifolium is very damaged along the edges but the paper's extensive length is still apparent and suggests that this was possibly a part of a broader communal charity register. Many individuals are listed as orphans or widows "[נה]אלמ" with corresponding figures in eastern Arabic numerals, namely: the widow of Nissim Binyamin, the widow of Ḥayyim 'Esur, the orphan of Nissim Kohen, the orphan of Shemuel 'Eṣmi. It is crucial to note that the first names of the widows and orphans themselves do note appear. The verso is blank. MCD.

Accounts related to the Must'arabi community of Cairo in the year 5556 which is 1795/1796CE. The bifolium is very damaged along the edges but the paper's extensive length is still apparent and suggests that this was possibly a part of a broader communal charity register. Many individuals are listed as orphans or widows "[נה]אלמ" with corresponding figures in eastern Arabic numerals, namely: the widow of Nissim Binyamin, the widow of Ḥayyim 'Esur, the orphan of Nissim Kohen, the orphan of Shemuel 'Eṣmi. It is crucial to note that the first names of the widows and orphans themselves do note appear. The verso is blank. MCD.

List in Judeo-Arabic of itemized food ingredients, quantities, and associated dates. Based on the paleography the dating is likely 18th/19th-century. The food items include sesame seeds, sesame oil, meat, eggs, lemon, ṣarma, and cucumber. MCD.

List in Ladino and Hebrew that is brief in length and uses western Arabic numerals. Based on the paleography the dating is potentially 17th/18th-century. Among the six entries, the mention of "gasto" is helpful and may suggest that the list is related to expenses. There is also mention of "mercado" which is likely a literal "market" in this case, rather than a male first name. On of the entries in Hebrew mentions a book "הספר במעון הקונטאנטי". The first entry includes the ק׳׳ק so the expenses may be related, in part, to the Jewish community. MCD.

List in Judaeo-Arabic of coinage types and monetary calculations. Based on the mintage of its contents the list is 18th/19th-century.The types of coinage include gold mahbub, qit'a "קוטע", rub'iye "רובעיה", and general silver "פצה". To the left of each column, the "ق" symbol for silver kuruş appears. MCD.

List in Judeo-Arabic of monetary amounts and calculations related the communal "chest / ארגז" of the Mustʿarabīm in the end of Nisan 5590 which is April 1830CE. The monetary figures are expressed in two columns, one in "silver / פצה" and the other "גה" which must be an abbreviation but is unclear in meaning. Many individuals of the community are listed such as: Efrayim Hakīm, Shemuel Mizraḥi, Yaʿacov Yaʿabeṣ Saraf, Ḥayyim Ḥazaq, Yosef Manṣuri, and many others. On the verso another list appears that is recorded with a similar structure as the recto. MCD.

List in Judeo-Arabic and Hebrew of donations collected before various Shabbatot of the year 5556 = 1795/96CE. The weekly parshas are listed such as "אחרי מות" and the formula for each weekly entry repeats, as "עלם מקבוץ ס[דר] אחרי מות של שנת התקנו" which translates as "notice of the [contributions] received [for] seder Acharei Mot for the year of 5556". The week of Passover also appears among the entries on the recto and verso. There are many examples of this communal register type from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, such as AIU VII.F.60 and JRL SERIES B 2003. MCD.

Ledger fragment in Judeo-Arabic in three folios from across the year 1239AH which is 1823/24CE. The ledger's heading on the first scan begins with the blessing "דפטר מובארך אן שא אללה / may this register be blessed God willing" and goes on to depict the first series of entries as being related to sales "מוביע ". This first series of sales is in dirāhim and related to four individuals: Sayyid Aḥmed al-Sāde[?], Manṣūr al-Jihāmi, Nasla[?] Yūsuf, and Aḥmed Sa'ūdi. These individuals are mentioned on subsequent folios long with others such as Daūd Sulaymān, though it is unclear if the later document content is related to the same purchases or other business dealings. MCD.

Account calculations in Judeo-Arabic in which the surname Ṣarfati is mentioned on the verso and eastern Arabic numerals are in use. In the entry below that there may be reference to some type of register with the word "סג׳ל / sijil". Based on the paleography the dating is likely 16th-18th-century. MCD.

Accounts in Judeo-Arabic of expenses and purchases for various liturgical calendar weeks (i.e. the week of Kedoshim parsha) and the food items for a Passover seder are also listed. While the bifolium itself is undated it may come from a broader notebook which could contain a date. From the paleography the dating can be estimated as 18th/19th-century. The expenses are listed in silver "פצה". MCD.

Awaiting description. (This folder is mostly or entirely 18th-century and 19th-century accounts.)

Accounts in Judaeo-Arabic and alphanumerical figures. On the verso there are clearly labeled entries that are common for the 16th-18th centuries yet on the recto lie the remnants of extensive lists that repeatedly interject the word "zero / צפר" between alphanumerical figures. This latter form of calculation is uncommon among accounts. MCD.

List in Judeo-Arabic and Hebrew of donations collected before various Shabbatot that may be dated in connection with nearby shelfmarks of the same document type (i.e. JRL Series C 156). The weekly parshas are listed such as "פינחס" and the formula for each weekly entry repeats, as "עלם מקבוץ יום שישי סדר פינחס " which translates as "notice of the [contributions] on Friday received [for] seder Pinchas". There are many examples of this communal register type from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, such as AIU VII.F.60 and JRL SERIES B 2003. MCD.

Accounts in Judaeo-Arabic of funds regarding weeks of the Jewish liturgical calendar that differ in structure but are related to nearby shelfmarks such as JRL C 161 and JRL C 159. From the paleography the dating can be estimated as 18th/19th-century. On the recto there is also a list of books in the Bible and the corresponding totals of their respective chapters (i.e. Joshua 24, Judges 21, etc.). On the verso, the Judaeo-Arabic word "חסאב / حساب" is used repeatedly in labeling the headings of various entries/calculations. Date: 18th c or 19th c. MCD.

List of names and monetary figures in silver kuruş "גרשו" of which the dating is likely 18th/19th-century. In the verso list's heading, the word "גבלת" appears, which may be a Judeo-Arabic idafe-construction of the word "gabela / גבלה". If this is the case, then this list may indicate payments toward the communal kashrut tax. MCD.

Accounts in Arabic with a complex array of calculations likely monetary in nature, with the symbol "ق" on occasion perhaps indicating silver kuruş. The potential coinage label along with the paleography help estimate the dating of the fragment as 18th/19th-century. This fragment represents a portion of a bifolium which may have once constituted a wider financial ledger. One of the entries on the verso is labeled "اسكندراني" and the overarching headings are marked according to weekdays. MCD.

Accounts related to various coinage types such as gold mahmudiye and kuruş thaqīl (heavy kuruş). The former helps date this fragment as no earlier than 1808CE when Sultan Mahmud II ascended to the Ottoman throne. MCD.

Accounts related to various coinage types such as dirham, fiḍḍa, and gold zingirli (here spelled as "גנזרלי"). The latter helps date this fragment as no earlier than 1700CE when gold zingirl coins first began to appear in wide circulation within the Ottoman empire (Pamuk, A Monetary history of the Ottoman Empire, 167). The entries appear to be marked according to days of the week. MCD.

List of alphanumerical figures that on the verso are clearly related to debts "דיווני" and organized by succesive days of the week. On the recto the structure and content of entries is less clear. The paleography helps to estimate the dating of the fragment as 18th/19th-century. MCD.

Lists in Judeo-Arabic of various food items and their respective quantity or weight. The paleography helps to estimate the dating of the fragment as 18th/19th-century. Most of the food types are listed generically as eggs, lemon, beans, almonds, etc. but on the bottom of the recto it is clear that quantities of beef are being calculated in raṭl units given the mention of "לחם בקרי". MCD.