Geniza Lab

Verso (original use): Fragment of a petition in Arabic script. Dating: Probably Fatimid-era. The beginnings of 4 lines are preserved. Moderately wide line spacing. Includes the beginning of a taqbīl (al-mamlūk yuqabbil al-arḍ) and a request clause (wa-yasal...).

Recto (secondary use): Order from ʿĀzim al-Bayyāʿ (the grocer) to hand over 1/2 wayba of rice to the bearer of the note. Headed by a basmala. Underneath there is a taṣliya and above that (in a different hand) an ʿalāma (al-ḥamdu lillāh waḥdah). The layout is somewhat reminiscent of state receipts, which is not necessarily surprising as everyday receipts and documents had similar layouts. YU, MR, ASE.

Legal document in Arabic signed by three Muslim witnesses and dated 1823/4 CE (1239 Hijri). Merits further examination.

Leaf from an Arabic literary work on the magical virtues of the Arabic letters, and how to write them in various potent arrays (illustrated). For instance, ʿayn can restore lost objects, and ghayn can quenche thirst.

Account in Arabic, mentioning pearls and gold.

Table of mostly names in Judaeo-Arabic, purpose unclear.

Recto: Fragment of a literary text in Arabic. Verso: Fragment of a text in Hebrew. Needs further examination.

Recto: The opening three lines of a state document or formal letter starting with a basmala and containing mainly honorifics. "al-ḥaḍra al-Sāmiyya al-Ajalliyya al-Shaykhiyya al-Najībiyya adāma-llahu ʿizzahā...ḥirāsatahu wa naʿmāhu wa-min ḥusn tawfīqihi lā akhlāhu". Verso: Two more lines in Arabic, probably a date [Rabī] al-Ākhar 4(.)7? and a sum of money 12 dirhams preceded by a commodity (?). Needs further examination.

Four pages of an Arabic medical textbook.

Arabic writing exercises, probably the word "fī" hundreds of times.

Literary text, an allusion to the Quranic narrative of Prophet Yūsuf in a versified ornate prose (sajʿ) or poetry. [al-Quran, 12:13-18].

Letter of complaint, calling on the harassment of Abū l-Najm the filthy "al-Khabīth". Abū l-Najm broke the writer's trust, disobeyed their friendship (lit. sold off their friendship/companionship "abāʿ l-ṣuḥba wa-thiqatahu"), and will be traveling to Damascus. Also mentions Abū l-Faraj the owner of the shop. Regards to his cousin (ibn khālatī) Ibrāhīm and a bunch of other people towards the end.

Several medical recipes in Arabic by the title "صفة معجون نافع للارواح".

Leaf from an Arabic medical treatise, giving prescriptions.

Leaf from an Arabic medical treatise.

Arabic letter, with the format closely resembling the Judaeo-Arabic letters ca.1800 CE.

Leaf from a dictionary, seems to be Persian --> Turkish (in Latin characters) --> French.

Arabic poetry on longing and estrangement from loved ones with the rhyme (ravī) of ʿaīn.

Arabic poetry.

Arabic magical fragment with text in different directions, invocations of names of God, and several red grids filled with numbers and/or symbols and/or words.