Geniza Lab

Document in Arabic script, perhaps a trade letter/document. Mentions sending something, probably a letter and milk "ḥalība maḥmūla", in the companionship (suḥba) of someone and some greetings. Verso has two diagonal lines in Arabic, probably remnants of an address.

Genealogy of the geonim of Palestine in the hand of Sahlān b. Avraham. (Information from Gil.)

Medical recipes in Hebrew, filled with Romance words.

Fragment of a Hebrew literary source.

Literary. Bible.

Fragment of a report apparently from an army officer to a superior. He describes how "we all went out to Wādī Buṭnān (near Aleppo) and suffered losses (kabadnā) until we reached reinforcements (ilā an ḥasalnā ʿind al-aʿwān)...." Then mentions "the victorious armies, may God make their banners triumphant" (ilā al-ʿasākir al-muẓaffara naṣara Allāh aʿlāmhā), and how he heard that the addressee is marching toward Damascus. The sender plans to join forces and asks for further orders. Reused for Hebrew piyyut on the other side by a prolific scribe (see FGP Joins Suggestions). (Information in part from Boris Liebrenz and Aḥmed ElAḳṭash.) ASE

Literary. Piyyutim.

Letter of appeal to (the Gaon?) Netanel ha-Levi from a person newly arrived in Fustat requesting some food by way of charity.

List of ~15 names, mainly kohanim

Recto: Formulary for a bill of divorce (get). In Hebrew and Aramaic. Upper margin and verso: several lines of Arabic script. The verso reads, "Yashūʿā b. Yūsuf (=Yeshuʿa b. Yosef) wrote this in Kislev (?? كسلوف) on the day that the Amir Nāṣir al-Dawla besieged Alexandria after killing 1000 people there. This was in the year 454 [AH = 1062/63 CE]." This is very interesting since these events were supposed to have taken place two years later according to Ibn Taghrībirdī’s al-Nujūm al-zāhira fī mulūk Miṣr wa-al-Qāhira (5:74). ASE, YU.

Long list of men's names arranged in columns, about 120 in all, accompanied by numbers. Appears late.

List of payments, 16th century.

Literary. Hebrew and Aramaic commentary discussing angels.

Interesting calendrical tables including calculations for mahzor 269, along with "I wrote this for myself, Shelomo."

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic, perhaps addressed to Eliyyahu the Judge. The writer worries about various family members: a woman whose brothers refuse to support her (r1-5); the niece (?) of the recipient and her daughter (r5-6). Mentions sending to Fakhr things that belong to her (r8). The writer has sent various garments with Suwayd (r13-14). Mentions the troubles of al-Rayyis al-Ḥakīm Abū Zikrī and that he is unable to send his children even 5 dirhams. "Have patience with Abū Zikrī, for he is your only remaining son, and do not do anything to him except what he deserves" (r14-v1). Sitt al-Khayr is preoccupied on behalf of the recipient (v2); Nissim sends his regards (v3); al-Shaykh Hiba sends his regards (v7). The remainder of verso is somewhat difficult to understand. See also Goitein's notes attached to BL OR 10578C.1 (PGPID 6310), where this document is mislabeled as Gaster 1357.8 (rather than 10). ASE.

Recto: page 7 of a literary composition on parashot petuḥot and setumot. Verso: Letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Draft? The recipient's son Efrayim is living with the writer, who seems to be responsible for his education. The writer describes how greatly they miss the recipient and then provides a detailed, interesting update of their prayer and study schedule on Shabbat. On Friday night they read the parashah (qera ve-targum) and the haftarah, then study some of the Guide for the Perplexed ('the Dallāla), then sleep until midnight. From midnight until dawn, Efrayim reads psalms. In the morning, they recite the 'shir', the mizmors, the amida, the parasha (kera ve-targum), the prophets, and the psalms. Then they read some of "the Ḥibur" or the Halakhot, then pray Minḥa, then they study Kitab al-Amānāt by Saadya Gaon. The rest is cut off.

Recto: the endings of several lines from an Arabic letter. Verso: fragmentary Judaeo-Arabic phrases that seem very Islamic: "al-mujahidin... wa-li-Ṣafiyya ukhtuhu... rasul allah wa-ashhadu... shahdan wa-ashhadu... rasul allah... rasul allah...." It also lists several names that are difficult to decipher.

Deed of appointment for a kosher slaughterer Shemuel [surname lost]. Location: Cairo. Dated: [5]288 AM, which is 1527/28 CE. The term of the appointment is two years with a monthly salary of 40 medins. (information from Dotan Arad's editions.) MCD.

Apparently an invitation to a hesped. Information (and transcription) from Goitein's notes attached to BL OR 10578C.1 (PGPID 6310).

Literary.