Geniza Lab

Half of a letter in Judaeo-Arabic from Meir b. Naʿim to David b. Naʿim, appears to be dated August 1823 (Elul 5583).

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic headed by two Bible verses. The first ~10 lines are blessings for the addressee, evidently a communal official close to the head of the Jews ('Sayyidnā al-Rayyis'). The text is very faded and damaged; this fragment might have been used in a book binding. The sender says that he sent two prior letters with Mūsā al-Rakkāḍ (the itinerant merchant?). Mentions Baghdād, R. Yiṣḥaq, and "two hafṭaras (ifṭāratayn)" There are ~4 different text blocks on verso written in seemingly random directions, all of which seem to be continuations of the main letter on recto. One of them shows that the addressee is a Levi (blessings for all his children, ha-leviim).

Literary work in Ladino.

Probably documentary. Written in very cursive Latin script.

Doodles.

Recto: Two lines of a Judaeo-Arabic letter perhaps to a community (al-jamāʿa al-sārra) with wide space between the lines. Verso: Literary work citing biblical verses.

Fragment of a Judaeo-Arabic letter mentioning packages of paper and the writer's distress and confusion (al-inziʿāj. . . baqīt dhāhilan mutaḥayyiran. . .). Verso contains both Arabic and Judaeo-Arabic sections (in different hand than recto).

Small fragment of a Judaeo-Arabic letter, cut into a triangle. Verso contains literary text.

Small fragment of a legal document. "An event that occurred [before us witnesses]. . . ha-Nasi ha-Gadol. . . He said. . ."

Writing exercises.

Literary work in Spanish.

Literary fragment containing advice from a father to a son. Join: Oded Zinger.

Mostly blank, but part of one line in Arabic script remains.

Accounts fragment in Ladino and Judaeo-Arabic relying on alphanumerical figures and on the verso the term "soldi / שולדי" is in use likely indicating a specific coinage rather than its generic meaning in Italian as any type of money. MCD.

Writing exercises in Hebrew dated on verso 23 Iyyar [5]623 or 12 May 1863CE. The paper itself includes an internal line system which is reflective of production from the mid-nineteenth century. A portion of the phrase practiced includes "אם ילך כנימוס למחר". MCD.

Account in Judaeo-Arabic listing many materia medica and foods.

Accounts in Judaeo-Arabic and Arabic mainly for materia medica.

Fragment containing some geomancy markings.

Fragment of a letter in Judaeo-Arabic.

Legal document. In Arabic script (and language). The handwriting is striking (diwani?). Appears to be dated 8 Ramaḍān 1053 AH, which would be November 1643 CE. There is a symbol of some sort on verso. Needs examination for content.