Geniza Lab

Letter from a Spanish community to Egypt concerning an impoverished and aging man from Rhodez, France, who appraoched the ruler of his land for redress after his son was murdered; the ruler instead expropriated his possessions. Wants to go to Jerusalem to spend the rest of his life there. Recto after a long alphabetical exordium.

Document containing phrases of praise. No orderly arrangement. (Information from Goitein's index card)

Legal document. In Hebrew. Location: Fustat. Dated: 2 Heshvan 5320 AM, which is 1560 CE. Regarding the will of the late Avraham Castro. Stating that the entire inheritance will be divided evenly between Avraham's sons Moshe Castro and Yaʿaqov Castro. However, Moshe will not receive anything for two years, and in the meantime, Yaʿaqov will be free to do business with the money. During this period, Yaʿaqov will also have to pay for the maintenance and the wedding of Moshe, "the same amount he spends on himself" plus an additional 10 Venetian ducats (peraḥim) each year. Scribed and signed by Eliyya b. David חברייה. Signed also by Makhlūf b. Avraham עקאב.

Legal document. In Hebrew. Location: Fustat. Dated: Tuesday, 20 Tishrei 5440 AM, which is 1679 CE. Concerning Yaʿaqov Re'uven who had employed Yaʿaqov Maṣliaḥ b. Yiṣḥaq known as Canpanṭon in the collecting and changing of מאל אלכרובגֿייה (unclear what this is) for the last year (though it later turns out that the period of employment has been three years). Mentions a contract dated Friday 14 Tishrei from the previous year (5439 AM = 1678 CE) that was signed or drawn up (? the word looks like ומדיו) by Yaʿaqov Alpalas the scribe and Avraham b. Moshe ha-Kohen the scribe. The present document seems to be a release, stating that the two parties have fully fulfilled their responsibilities toward one another. Along the way it is mentioned that Yaʿaqov Re'uven has been involved in loaning money to al-Jināb al-ʿĀlī al-Amīr Ṣāliḥ Effendi (line 12). This is a long document; merits further examination.

Letter from Saʿīd Bardaʿ, possibly in Safed, to Daniel Cafsuto (דניאל קאפסוטו) and perhaps his son (? the word looks like ומשרתו) Shemuel Cafsuto. In Hebrew. Dating: Probably 16th or 17th century; the writer is The writer complains about the lack of letters. He seems to mention (line 6) a sum of money to be brought to the writer in Safed, and then a sum of 100 reals (line 8). He mentions several people including Natan b. Efrayim; Levi [...]; She'eltiel Canpaton (שאלתיאל קאנפטון). On verso there is the address and remnants of a red wax seal.

Letter from Yosef קוכו and Shelomo Amarilio, in Salonica, to the judge Yiṣḥaq b. Ẓahal, presumably in Egypt. In Hebrew. Dated: 5480 AM (שנת אקים את סֿכֿתֿ דוד), which is 1719/20 CE. The writers heard that David Miranda (דוד מיראנדה) of Salonica recently died and that the addressee had taken custody of his estate. They inform the addressee that David left impoverished orphans, so they ask him to send the money with a trustworthy merchant of Salonica in the form of a polisa (פוליסה) as soon as possible. They have also heard that Avraham Barukh and a certain Sarsūr owed money to the deceased (the latter because he was selling garments (? רופאש) on commission/consignment for the deceased), so they ask the addressee to investigate. On verso there is a lovely illustration of two birds.

Letter from Yosef [...] and Moshe [...]. In Hebrew. Location: Probably Tripoli, Greece (טראפוליצא = Τριπολιτσά). Dated: Wednesday 8 Tammuz 5510 AM, which is 1750 CE. This is a fundraising letter for the redemption of Yaʿaqov of פיש (Fez?) and his wife and two Jews, who had embarked on a Turkish ship in Crete (קאנדייה) when Maltese pirates attacked and took them captive. God moved the Maltese captain (הקברניט המלטיז) to have mercy, and he brought them to land on מאנייה (the Mani peninsula?) and left them in the charge of a local rich man, setting the ransom at 1500 gasim/גסים ("big" coins—a common term for coinage in this period). ASE. MCD.

Letter from Yosef Yuʿbaṣ to Yaʿaqov Yuʿbaṣ. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: 18th or 19th century. Needs examination.

Letter from Avraham Hamān and Gavriel Ḥefeẓ to Karo y Frances & Company. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dated: 5568 AM, which is 1807/08 CE. Needs examination for content.

Letter from Avraham Hamān and Gavriel Ḥefeẓ to Karo y Frances & Company. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dated: Elul (Raḥamim) 5569 AM, which is 1809 CE. Needs examination for content.

Letter from Avraham Hamān and Gavriel Ḥefeẓ to Karo y Frances & Company. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dated: 5568 AM, which is 1807/08 CE. Needs examination for content.

Letter of recommendation from the office of Yehoshua Mamonides, to be read in the synagogue, on behalf of an elderly, poor man Yiṣḥaq who wishes to travel to Jerusalem. Whatever money comes from the pesiqa is to be forwarded to the Nagid. Bibliography: Mentioned in Goitein, "The Twilight of the House of Maimonides," Tarbiz 54 (1984), 67–104.

Form letter from the community of Safed to the community of Izmir concerning sheliḥim and fundraising. In Hebrew. Dated: Elul 5611 AM, which is 1851 CE. There are 7 signatures and several names mentioned in the body (where the blanks are filled in), including Ḥayyim Shelomo Franco (ZL) and Saʿīd ha-Levi Alqabeẓ and Moshe שוראקי.

Form letter from the community of Safed to the communities of 'everywhere.' In Hebrew. Dated: Tammuz 5611 AM, which is 1851 CE. It seems to be a letter of recommendation on behalf of David מויאל.

Form letter from the community of Safed to the communities of 'everywhere.' In Hebrew. Dated: Tammuz 5619 AM, which is 1859 CE. Recommendation for Yaʿaqov ha-Levi. There are five signatures. There is also an addendum from the Ashkenazi congregation of Safed seconding the recommendation, with three signatures and a seal imprint: Siegel der Grosrabinat Israelitische Gemeinde Aschkenasim Safed.

Business letter from Yiṣḥaq [...], in Istanbul, to Efrayim ʿAdda (עדה) and Eliyyahu Aylion (אאיליון), in Fustat/Cairo. In Ladino. There is an "AI" in Latin script on verso, along with sums/accounts. Dated: 26 Shevat 5566 AM, Which is 14 February 1806 CE. Mentions (line 8) having written something in Turkish (escribí detrás de la carta en turquesco). Mentions Izmir in the next line, and then what the writer has sent in the ship of the captain Ibrahim. He has sent a very fine [...] "that is called çiçek, which is to say, flower"; and some ginger. Later, the letter mentions leather (cuero). Needs further examination.

Letter from Natan Ha-Kohen b. Mevorakh, Ascalon, to Eli Ha-Kohen b. Hayyim, Fustat, approximately 1090.

Letter of Ḥalfon b. Yiṣḥaq to the eminent scholar Yiṣḥaq b. Shemuel (the Spaniard). The entire letter is a refu'a shelema for the Rayyis Abū l-Ḥasan (the Nagid Mevorakh?). Ḥalfon reports that the letter of Abū l-Ḥasan al-Ṣayrafī Dihqān arrived with the news that al-Rayyis Abū l-Ḥasan was ill. Everyone is devastated, and the writer's congregation fasts and prays on his behalf. "May he who cured the bitter waters by the hand of Moses and the evil waters by the hand of Elisha cure him." Information from Goitein's note card. ASE.

Letter, probably. In Hebrew. On one side there is a poem (panegyric?). On the other side there is the lower part of an elaborate letter, perhaps a letter of gratitude. Refers to "the salvation that occurred in Tishrei 1428 Seleucid" (=1116 CE). Ends with the phrase/motto "Yeshaʿ Rav." (Information from Goitein's index card.)

Letter from Elḥanan b. Ismaʿīl al-Tāhirtī and Barhūn al-Tāhirtī (Fustat) to Nahray b. Nissim and ʿAyyāsh b. Ṣedaqa, ca. 1050. In the hand of Elḥanan b. Ismaʿīl. The writer gives details of consignments of flax send with two different ships. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, p. 310. See also Goitein notes linked below.)