Geniza Lab

Eight rough drafts of a petition to the Fatimid Caliph al-Mustanṣir from the followers of Shelomo b. Yehuda, probably the end of 1041 (according to Gil's estimate). Six drafts are in Judaeo-Arabic; one abortive draft is in Arabic script in the same hand as the Judaeo-Arabic drafts; the final draft is in Arabic script in a chancery hand. Join: S. M. Stern. The Rabbanite Jews write to al-Mustanṣir regarding a conflict that arose in the community because of two leaderships (riyāsatayn), this conflict was earlier addressed by the Caliph by appointing Dāwūd b. Isḥaq but he didn't do anything. The situation worsened to an extent that one schism of the community barred the other from entering their synagogue until the other faction forced themselves inside leading to violence between the two. The Jews urge the Caliph to resolve this issue by sending his royal command "al-ʾamr al-ʿālī".

Business letter in Arabic script from an unknown trader to another unknown trader regarding textiles: Siqillī, Ṭabarī, and Sūsī cloth. Second half of the eleventh century.

Two fragments of a synagogue calendar in a late hand. There is a cataloguing note: From the binding of Opp[enheim] fol. 683.

From the book of Ezekiel, on vellum, in columns, with Masoretic annotations.

Copy of a guardian deed in the name of David b. Amar Madani. March 29, 1052. David grants power to Avraham b. Moshe, who is Barhun b. Musa al-Tahirti, to collect the money that belongs to the sons of Amar from the inheritance of Hesed b. Yashar ha-Tustari (which was killed two years earlier) from Abu Mansur, who is Aaron ha-Tustari, Hesed’s brother. There are no signatures accepts of Ḥayyim’s, David’s brother. Was probably in Fustat. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #649) VMR

Legal document. Location: Fustat. Dated: 1[.]61 Seleucid, probably 1461 Seleucid, which would be 1149/50 CE. Zayn b. A[...] gives a release to Abū l-Barakāt Hibat Allāh b. Abū [...] confirming that he has received all the money owed. The story somehow involves Zayn's wife Sitt al-Kull bt. Abū ʿImrān b. Yūsuf, and Qaṣr al-Shamʿ aka Qaṣr al-Rūm, and [...] b. Salāma al-Sukkarī.

Marriage contract (ketubba). Groom: Avraham b. Yefet. Dating: 11th century. Marriage payments: 6 + 10 = 16. Witnesses: Maṣliaḥ b. Shemuel; the ḥaver Eliʿezer b. Avraham; Yosef b. Shemuel. (Information in part from Goitein’s index card.)

Marriage contract (ketubba). Location: Fustat. Dating: 11th century. Groom: [...] b. Ḥusayn. Bride: [...] bt. Yiṣḥaq. Marriage payments: 15 + 25. (Information from Goitein’s index card)

A deed of acquittance, in which Sedid b. Saʿadya releases Fakhr bat ʿAlam. Signed in Cairo near Fustat, at the time of the Nagid ʿAmram, on Friday, 9 Nissan 1688(?) Seleucid (1377CE). (Information from Goitein notes and index card linked below and Assaf, Toledot ha-Yehudim, p. 22.). In the edition from his dissertation (p.366) Dotan Arad confirms the dating as 1377CE. MCD.

Small fragment of a legal document (ketubba?) involving [...] bt. Peraḥya ha-Zaqen.

Letter in the hand of Yehoshuaʿ b. Yosef to Yehuda b. Sighmar. The letter reflects the economic difficulties of the Jewish community of Alexandria due to the heavy expenses of freeing captives. These financial obligations were so straining that the community was unable to properly host 'The Prince (Heb. Nasi) Daniel b. Azarya.' The letter was written in 1060-1061. Daniel b. Azarya resided in Fustat and, apparently, planned to visit Alexandria at the time. (Information from Frenkel. See also Gil, Ishmael, 4:671 which describes the document as following: Letter sent from Alexandria by Yeshua ha-Kohen b. Yosef to Yehuda b. Moshe b. Sighmar in Fustat, dealing with ransomed captives. The writer complains about damage caused to his vineyard by one of the leading Christians in Alexandria, Abu al-Khayr b. Hanun, and notes that he has complained about it to the Amir Abu Mansur. The Christian is behaving in an ugly manner, "as if I myself killed Christ." Dated ca. 1040.

Letter from Yeshua b. Isma’il al-Makhmuri from Alexandria to Nahray b. Nissim, Fustat. Around 1060. The writer traveled safely from Rashid to Alexandria, after he had to leave a large part of the goods in Rashid. Mentions several relatives. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #304) VMR

Letter from Barhūn b. Yiṣḥaq ha-Tahirti, in al-Mahdiyya, to Nahray b. Nissim, probably in Alexandria. Dating: ca. 1045 CE. Nahray is sending goods to the Maghreb and selling goods that he receives from Barhūn and vice versa, Barhūn sells goods in the Maghreb and sends goods to Egypt. They both also buy goods. The writer mentions a business collaboration with Abu Naṣr Ḥesed ha-Tustari and a partnership with Abū l-Qāsim ʿAbd al-Raḥmān in trading gems. T-S K25.253 (PGPID 8595) is another copy of the same letter (from l. 31 onward). (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #377 and Goitein's index cards.) VMR

Legal document(s). Location: Fustat. Dated: Ṭevet 1392 Seleucid, which is 1080/81 CE. (The first deposition is from 10 Ṭevet, the second is from 21 Ṭevet.) Two court depositions concerning a debt, allegedly paid, and "a load of Ḥalabī" (Aleppan textiles) drowned in the ship of Abū ʿAlī al-Shāmī. The parties are Sason b. Natan and Ḥesed b. Shela; one of them makes a statement mentioning "before I traveled to Tripoli," (Libya). The first deposition is signed by Avraham b. Yiṣḥaq; Yehuda b. Menashshe, and Yosef b. Shemuel. The second deposition is signed by Avraham b. Yiṣhaq, Yehuda b. Menashshe, and Ṣedaqa b. Menaḥem. (Information in part from Goitein’s index card)

A letter from Faraḥ b. Ismaʿīl, probably in Fustat, to his father Ismaʿīl b. Faraḥ in Alexandria. Ca. 1057. Faraḥ b. Ismaʿīl writes that he is sending a pouch of dinars with the bearer of the letter and asks his father to exchange them for a different currency. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, p. 691.)

Letter written by Nissim b. Ḥalfon on behalf of Marduk b. Salih Tahirti (Gil) and sent from Alexandria to Abu Ishaq Barhun b. Salih Tahirti in Fustat. The letter contains details about goods bought by Marduk for Barhun, and describes fighting, probably taking place in Sicily. Dated ca. 1057 (Gil's dating). (Information from Gil, Kingdom, and from Ben-Sasson, Sicily)

Letter from Yosef b. Khalfa from Alexandria, to Nahray b. Nissim, Fustat. Around 1062. Regarding a large deal of pearls, which the writer has a part in. Mentions that he received fabrics. He states that although his business is wide, he cannot support himself in Alexandria, and he considers coming to Fustat to work as a tailor. In the handwriting of Yehuda (Yahya), Yosef’s brother. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #563) VMR

Deed of a gift.

Letter from Avraham b. ʿAmram to Nahray b. Nissim (and Barhūn b. Ṣāliḥ?), Fustat, 1067 CE. The letter includes information about the Tahertis who are in Jerusalem, and about the death of one of them. The writer requests urgent action regarding obtaining witnesses in Fustat, in particular from Yūsuf b. Yannai al-Baradānī, regarding the rights of a woman to property that remained in Qayrawān. A letter is mentioned that reported difficult news about the events in the Maghrib, apparently Qayrawān. Information from Gil.

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic to a certain Shemuel, also mentioning a certain Yosef. It opens with a poem. The story conveyed in the letter is difficult to follow, involving a disagreement, writing a letter but not sending it, someone arriving to the synagogue, someone leaving for Alexandria, and sad news that made the writer and Yosef cry and scream in sympathy. The writer asks the addressee to thank the teacher Natan on his behalf and to ask him to take care of the writer's son Moshe. The number "תשא" appears here, perhaps a date, perhaps 1701 = 1389/90 CE.