Geniza Lab

Letter addressed to Abū Sahl ha-Levi (the cantor of the Palestinian synagogue in Fustat, who died in 1211), with greetings also to his brothers Moshe and Abū ʿImrān. The identity of the writer is not clear. S. M. Stern identified this as an autograph of Maimonides, but it is not a perfect match The remainder of the writer's name might appear at the upper left of recto: possibly B[ū Zi]kr[ī]? The ductus and the overall appearance is similar to several letters of the physician Abū Zikrī b. Eliyyahu, but again, the handwriting is not a perfect match. The writer excuses his failure to write on account of an illness, and a little later, "As for your failure to write to me: I had an excuse, but you have no excuse!" There is not a great deal of content to this letter beyond the good wishes and urging a response. It is valuable, though, for the clear identification of Abū Sahl's brothers as Moshe and Abū ʿImrān. ASE

Court record about the settlement of various claims between Shela ha-Kohen b. ʿAyyāsh and Tiqva b. ʿAmram. Fustat, dated 1099. Describes a dispute over a debt. The defendant paid part of the debt at the time of becoming engaged to a sister of the complainant. An oath was to be given by one party declaring to have meddled with wine adjudicated to the other party by a previous decision of the court. Receipt of sums adjudicated. In the hand of Nissim b. Nahray (Goitein). In the hand of Iṣḥaq b. Shemuel ha-Sefaradi (Ashur). Verso is blank. See also T-S NS 324.30 in relation to this document. (Information from Goitein notes and index card linked below, Goitein, Med Soc, Vol. 2, p. 513, Ashur, Engagement and Betrothal Documents from the Cairo Geniza (PhD, Tel-Aviv, 2006). p. 14.)

The engagement contract of Abu Mansur, Semah b. Yefet, to Sitt al-Khassa in Fustat, 1146. Sitt al-Khassa was the daughter of Abu Barakat, son of Yosef Lebdi, the India trader. The groom deposited the very large early marriage gift of 40 dinars with a third party and promised the delayed marriage gift of 100 dinars. The bride received five shares (out of twenty four) of the house that used to belong to her grandfather, and half of her father's house. Moreover, 'the rent from her real estate will be in her hands, not in his hands, and she may deal with it as she sees fit.' She also is promised the right to choose the domicile. Her very large dowry amounts to 500 dinars (actually it adds up to 496 dinars), and it is stated that this sum was not exaggerated. The document begins with Bodl. MS Heb d 66 48r then continues to Bodl. MS d 66 47r and then to the latter's verso. Previous description: Engagement of Sitt al-Khāṣa bt. Abū l-Barakāt al-Lebdī and Ṣemaḥ al-ʿAṭṭār. In the hand of Natan b. Shemuel ha-Ḥaver. 11 November 1146. Information from Goitein's note card.

Formulary for a marriage contract, Qaraite/interdenominational. Dated: 1036 CE, at the time of Ṣemaḥ Nasi. One sheet is possibly missing in between, and with it the details about the tosefet and the nedunya. Information in part from Goitein's index card

Letter from Yehuda b. Moshe ibn Sighmār, in Alexandria, to ʿEli ha-Kohen b. Yaḥyā (aka Ḥayyim) the parnas, in Fustat. Yehuda explains the problems he has been having collecting monies owed him by a 'partner,' Abū Isḥāq Avraham b. Faraj al-Raḥbī, having to do with the sale of a valuable piece of ambergris. He has heard that Abū Isḥāq is now in Fustat, but he cannot come in person due to an eye disease (recto, margin, ll. 1–2). He requests that ʿEli represent him in litigation against that person. He has enclosed a power of attorney with his letter. Ed. Cohen, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 56 (2013), pp. 218–63. Also published by Moshe Gil, Kingdom, IV, #622 (pp. 58–66). See also the power of attorney dated 1085 CE, Bodl. MS heb. c 28/11, published in both publications. See also Goitein's note card #27115. ASE.

See join for description, PGPID 577.

Letter from Efrayim b. ʿAzaryahu to an unnamed addressee. There are 13 lines of eloquent Hebrew blessings and flattery ("my soul is tied up with your soul"), calligraphically written and even vocalized. In the final three lines he gets to the point: "Please liberate my quarter-dinar and give me dirhams for it, and let half of them be small pieces, may I never be deprived of your life." This is the end. Somewhere in Mediterranean Society, Goitein discusses the scarcity of small change. On verso there is a talmudic or halakhic text with a Judaeo-Arabic discussion.

Business letter sent from Alexandria by Abu al-Ḥasan b. Khulaif to Abu Sa'id al-'Afsi in Cairo about business done for him in Spain. (Information from Mediterranean Society, I, p. 166, and from Goitein's index cards.) See also DK 232.2 (alt: VIII), a letter sent to the same addressee from the Binyām mentioned in r8–10.

Deposition in court by Abū al-Baqā ha-Kohen, son of Abū al-Ḥasan, that his step daughter owed him nothing with regard to the heritage of his wife, while he and his brother were in possession of certain ornaments belonging to the former. Dated 24 Sivan, 1541 Seleucid (1230). One of the witnesses if Shelomo, son of the judge Eliahu b. Zakhariya ha-dayyan. Verso is blank. (Information from Goitein notes and index card linked below.)

Letter by Akhlabu b. Aharon ha-Kohen from Alexandria to Yosef b. Eli ha-Kohen Fasi. The writer apologizes for not having accompanied the recipient on his way out of Alexandria; he thought that the ship would not sail in the stormy weather. The ship sailed, but had to make a stop in Abu Qir. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, p. 328)

Legal testimony. In Hebrew. Dating: Late, probably no earlier than 15th or 16th century. Unfinished and unsigned. Esther bt. Elʿazar b. Pinḥas, the wife of Yosef b. Moshe b. Asher makes a declaration concerning the business partnership between her father and her husband.

Letter addressed to the Nagid Mevorakh b. Seʿadya, in Cairo (al-Qāhira al-maḥrūsa bi-l-ʿizz al-dā'im). In Hebrew. Only the introductory blessings and the address are preserved on this fragment. On verso there are writing exercises in a childish hand which consist of a pious phrase (אלנגאח עליה באלתקוא ואלצלאח).

Letter from the judge Eliyyahu, in the Sinai desert, to his son the physician Abū Zikri, in Jerusalem. Eliyyahu admonishes him to live in peace with his younger brother and to attend to various other matters. (Information from Goitein's index card) EMS and VMR

Letter from ʿOvadya ha-Kohen b. Iṣḥaq to his cousin and friend Abū Zikrī Yaḥyā ha-Kohen b. Yosef b. Yiftaḥ in Tinnīs, mentioning other kohanim. ʿOvadya ha-Kohen received some money from Abū Zikrī Yaḥyā ha-Kohen so that he could obtain certain books which a group or a family of kohanim in Tinnīs wanted to study. ʿOvadya ha-Kohen was unable to procure the requested books. Instead, he sent to Tinnīs three parts (quires?) of a Babylonia rite prayer book and Saʿadya Gaon’s commentaries on Job and Proverbs. He advised his friends to study these until he was able to find the books desired. (Information from Goitein notes and index card linked below, Goitein, MedSoc, Vol. 2, p. 194 and Goitein, Jewish Education in Muslim Countries, pp. 137-138.)

Detailed commercial accounts for the year 1526/1215 of a silk merchant who served also as Parnas. His business correspondent was charged with collecting a yearly pledge for Rabbi Jophthan, wherefore this detail of communal finance appears in the private account of these two merchants. The sums collected are debited to the business correspondent, the monthly payments of four dirhams to Rabbi Jophthan are credited to him. (Information from Mediterranean Society, III, 465)

Family letter from the end of the 12th century to Abu al-Faraj b. Abu al-Barakāt, a doctor in Fustat, from his brother in Alexandria. The letter mentions forceful collection of the capitation tax (jaliya) in Alexandria. (Information from Frenkel. See also Goitein, MEd. Soc. 2:372, 2:372, and 4:61. Goitein describes the document as following: Family letter from a physician in Alexandria to his brother, also a physician, who had traveled to Fustat without having paid his poll-tax (or having forgotten to send the receipt back). The writer had to pay a certain sum every day to the Muslim authorities (tarsim) until he would pay the poll-tax for his brother. After two days of refusing to do so, he was confined to prison and paid the poll-tax.

Letter from Yosef b. Yeshuʿa, in Tripoli (Syria), to Nahray b. Nissim. The letter mentions Nahray's pilgrimage to Jerusalem and shipments of emblic myrobalan and frankincense. A certain old woman has gone blind in one eye, and the other eye is in danger, so Yosef asks Nahray to send him tutty (zinc oxide) or whatever else might be beneficial.

Letter from Yosef ha-Kohen b. Meshullam, in Aden, to Avraham Ibn Yiju, in inland Yemen, written around 1150-51.

List of persons on payroll of the community, headed by Sayyiduna al-Nasi, referring, it seems, to the head of the Jews David b. Daniel (ca. 1090). Lower part contains the letter of recommendation on behalf of a man described as munqati', confined (by illness?) to his home and unable to work. Letter writer asks a cantor who was also in charge of the social services to look after him. Same handwriting as list. (Information from Mediterranean Society, II, p. 442, App. B 15)

Shelomo b. Eliyyahu asks Dā'ūd b. Yehuda ha-Kohen to read out a letter of condolence—enclosed with the present letter—to Moshe ha-Kohen and his son Salāma in Malīj. He excuses himself from traveling due to his illnesses. Shelomo sends his regards to his sister Sitt al-Riyāsa and her siblings and her mother.