Geniza Lab

Small fragment of a Judaeo-Arabic letter.

Fragment of the vidduy.

Tiny fragment in Hebrew script.

A Maimonides autograph of the Guide for the Perplexed. Information from FGP.

Late fragment in Judaeo-Arabic, very faded, at least partially accounts.

Recto: Letter from Simḥa Kohen in Alexandria to Abū l-Faraj in Fusṭāṭ, early 12th century. In Judaeo-Arabic. The letter deals largely with business transactions, including in ṭurūḥ (veils?). The writer mentions a certain Levantine person (al-shakhṣ al-shāmī maʿrifat [...]); says that he seldom "goes in or out [of Fusṭāṭ?]" and only relies on one person to do his purchases for him. In the margin, he gives a bleak account of economic conditions in "al-balad" (probably Alexandria): it is not possible to purchase a certain garment or type of flax ("ḥattā l-maqāṭiʿ al-quṭn. . . inqaṭaʿat min al-balad"); "no one enters from the Rīf with anything [to sell]"; conditions here "are as you have heard, they do not require commentary, may God improve them"; "few people have flour"; "may God nullify the evil decree in His mercy for the sake of His name." He then returns to business matters. "If you desire the rest of the amount, it will reach you. However, Abū Ṭāhir said that these ṭurūh are available in Fusṭāṭ even more than here in the balad, and that they . . . Cairo." He mentions making a profit of 15 dirhams, and he mentions someone named Manṣūr (another 'slave' of the addressee). Ibrahīm and Yūsuf also send greetings. Verso: An account (donation list?) in Judaeo-Arabic headed "Shabbat of Vayehi Miketz" and including names such as Avraham al-Maghribi, Yūsuf Kamān (?), Manṣūr al-Zayyāt, and Makārim. ASE.

Recto: Account (or possibly a dowry list?) in Judaeo-Arabic, listing various items, many of which are garments, and their values. Verso: Mysterious symbols, perhaps writing practice or some sort of numeral.

Either one letter with both Judaeo-Arabic and Arabic components or two different letters. In the main, Judaeo-Arabic text, the writer greets al-Ḥakīm and Shaykh al-Makīn (sic) and his wife and Faḍl and the community and the neighbors, and reports that ʿAfīf sends regards. The text of the letter is quite faded but mostly has to do with silver coins (al-fulūs alladhī qult lī ʿalayhum) and the arrival and departure (?) of a boat. The Judaeo-Arabic text on verso is difficult to read but appears to mention Jujar. The Arabic text on verso is also faded. It includes the phrase "I arrived home from [...]" and "the 12th of the month of [...]." ASE.

Late betrothal document between Esther [...] bt. Se. Yaʿaqov ʿAdda and Se. Yosef פיחה (?), listing conditions. The word "contante" appears (Italian for "cash"?).

Account in Judaeo-Arabic.

Fragment of a marriage-related document. In Judaeo-Arabic. These are the scribe's notes for drawing up a proper document, containing the details of the early and delayed marriage payments and the agreement on where the couple will live (Cairo and Fustat).

Fragment of a late document in Judaeo-Arabic, probably a letter.

Small fragment of a letter in Judaeo-Arabic to the Square of the [Perfumers?], to al-Ḥazzan Abū Yaʿqūb. Mainly notable for including the rare word "al-hirjās" (אלהרגאס), which apparently means either jasīm (corpulent) or jirhās (lion). Almost no context is preserved.

Account of some sort in Judaeo-Arabic mentioning valuable textile goods including a brocade (dībāj), Sitt al-Ahl, and the house of al-Qāḍī al-Muwaffaq. In the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe.

Account in Judaeo-Arabic.

Faded fragment in Hebrew, probably literary.

Fragment of a letter in Judaeo-Arabic to ha-Dayyan ha-Meẓuyan, Me'ir ben Naʿim, dated Aug/Sept 1824 CE (Elul 5584).

Genesis.

Literary fragments in Hebrew.

Very small fragment containing both Arabic and Hebrew.