Geniza Lab

Letter in Hebrew dated April/May 1807 CE (Nisan 567 = ונשמחה בכל ימנו), from the Jewish community of Safed to the Jewish community of Pisa, specifically the head judge Yiṣḥaq Gallico (יצחק גאליקו), begging for financial aid. Their shaliaḥ is מרדכי אשיאו.

Letter in Hebrew dated 1688/89 CE (תגילו = 449), from the Jewish community of Izmir to the Jewish community of Pisa, following the economic distress in the aftermath of the 1688 Izmir earthquake. It seems that the community of Pisa had been accustomed to sending charity to communities of the Ottoman Empire (ארצות קוסטאנטינה) but this practice had lapsed. Now, the government is demanding a payment if 15,000 of a certain currency (line 7). They already sent their shaliaḥ Yosef ha-Levi, and this letter is intended to encourage them to be generous with him. Note that the Italian on the final page was probably added in 1917, as with the other documents in this folder. ASE.

Letter in Hebrew dated 1726/27 CE (487 = בל תמוט), from the Jewish community of Safed to the Jewish community of Pisa, begging for financial aid on account of the heavy taxes imposed on them. Their shaliaḥ is Daniel Kafsuto (קאפסוטו). ASE.

Letter in Hebrew dated 1726/27 CE (487 = לך לאות), begging for charity from the Jewish community of Pisa. The writers, in Istanbul, call themselves פקידי א״י, and indeed it seems they are writing on behalf of the community in Jerusalem. Their shaliaḥ is Moshe Yisra'el. ASE

Letter in Hebrew dated 1735/36 CE (496 = קרן לעמו), from the Jewish community of Safed to the Jewish community of Pisa, begging for financial aid on account of a heavy tax of 10,000 גרושו׳ that has been imposed on them. Their sheliḥim are Ḥayyim Yaʿaqov and Me'ir de Segura (named 6 lines from the bottom). The Latin script on the final page (Zafed 5496 K. K.) may actually be original. ASE.

Letter in Hebrew dated 1747/48 CE (508 = בשרו), from the Jewish community of Tiberias to the Jewish community of Pisa, begging for financial aid on account of debts owed of 10,000 arayot. Their shaliaḥ is Masʿūd Bonan. ASE.

Letter in Hebrew dated 1759/60 CE (520 = תהֿלה לכֿל), from the Jewish community of Tiberias to the Jewish community of Pisa, begging for financial help. They include interesting details about political struggles and unrest in the Galilee and a month-long siege of Tiberias. ASE.

Letter in Hebrew dated 1766/67 CE (527 = וה(י)כינו את (אשר) יביאו) from the Jewish community of Safed to the Jewish community of Pisa, begging for financial help to the tune of 15,000 gerushim. They recount a fascinating tale of a Jewish man who 'purchased the tax' (=the tax farming rights under the malikane system) from the rulers for 6,000 gerushim. They knew this would turn out badly, but he refused to listen. Later, he was unable to render the full amount demanded by the rulers, so he was clapped in irons, "and died on account of the fright." It seems that now the rulers are demanding that the community itself make up the deficit. There is a somewhat mysterious episode about an evil man who wishes to bring his minions to live in a certain house. The "Italian congregation" of Safed (ק״ק איטאלייאנוס) is mentioned. Their sheliḥim are Yisrael Benveniste and Ḥayyim Mordechai Būnan (their power of attorney is the next shelfmark). Note that the gematriya in fact adds up to 537, corresponding to 1776/77 CE, but one of the yods should probably be ignored, because the power of attorney is clearly dated 527. An earlier cataloguer thought the same (see note on final page). Merits further examination. ASE. MCD.

Power of attorney (שטר הרשאה) in which the community of Safed appoints Yisrael Benveniste and Ḥayyīm Mordechai Būnan as their sheliḥim. See previous shelfmark. There are numerous signatures (or at least names written out by the scribe), including that of Masʿūd Būnan, perhaps identical with the shaliaḥ sent from Tiberias to Pisa nearly twenty years earlier (Bodl. MS heb. c 64/6). ASE.

Fragment containing mirror-image imprints of Hebrew text in a late hand. Probably literary, though it is not out of the question that verso is a letter.

Letter. In Hebrew. Eliyya b. Elyaqim, in Damietta, writes to Moshe b. Yehuda, in Alexandria. The writer signs only his first name on this letter, but his full name on Bodl. MS heb. c 72/14. Dating: Tuesday 24 Kislev (written in the document), probably 1486 CE (the first year in which 24 Kislev fell on a Tuesday after 1484, the date of Eliyya's previous extant letter, Bodl. MS heb. c 72/14.) Subject: shipments of manuscripts. Eliyya reports that he received two letters from the addressee by way of Ibrāhīm Turjiman (טורצימן). Moshe had received the book Torat ha-Adam (by Nachmanides) from Eliyya, but complained in his letter that the writing was inferior. Eliyya apologizes, saying that when he was in Crete giving instructions to the scribe, he ensured that the paper and the writing were of a high quality, even higher than those of the samples he had sent to Moshe. The deterioration must have occurred after he left. Eliyya then reports on the price of the copying: he seems to have promised the scribe either 2 marcellos per volume (per Benayahu) or 12 marcellos for the full set (per David). The Marcello was a silver coin introduced by Nicolò Marcello, doge of Venice 1473–74. The addressee is to calculate the conversion rate between marcellos and Venetian ducats. As for the copy of Sefer Yosippon, the writer does not exactly remember the final price he agreed upon with the scribe. As for the copy of Megillat Esther, the writer urges the addressee to send it to Mordukh in Fustat, who will deliver it to the writer in Damietta. There is a cryptic reference to אלוייזה פיזן: a name? Eloisa Pizan? The writer sends regards to Ṣedaqa, whom Avraham David identifies with Ṣedaqa Nes of Bodl. MS heb. c 72/11. Information from Avraham David's edition and notes on FGP.

Letter. In Hebrew. Ṣedaqa Nes or Nīs (ניס) writes to Moshe b. Yehuda, in Alexandria. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century, based on the associated fragments. Same writer and addressee: Bodl. MS heb. c 72/14, 72/15, 72/17, and 72/38. The writer may be identical with the Ṣedaqa mentioned in Bodl. MS heb. c 72/10 and 14. Subject: business in books, paper, basbousa, ammonium chloride (nushādir). The writer sends regards to Messer Louis Pizarro (מיסר לויז ביזרו). Mordekhai Ḥefeṣ sends his regards to the addressee. Information from Avraham David's edition and notes. ASE.

Letter addressed to Moshe b. Yehuda. Mainly in Hebrew with some Judaeo-Arabic (isolated words throughout and a block of text in the middle of verso). Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century, based on the associated fragments. Contains extensive discussion of business dealings, mainly in materia medica for 'the druggists' and 'the doctors.' Currencies: peraḥim and muayyadis. Commodities: pepper, sal ammoniac, clove, brazilwood, nutmeg (jawza), sandalwood. Various names are mentioned, including someone called "al-Germani" (the German or Ashkenazi).

Letter addressed to Moshe [b. Yehuda]. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century. Dealing with business matters. The sender conveys Shemuel's request that the addressee help Fakhr al-Dīn with the sale of the khiyār. There is a rumor that קרקשונה (Carcassonne? A merchant from there?) wishes to purchase them. There is also a Muḥammad involved.

Letter. In Hebrew. Eliyya b. Elyaqim, in Crete, writes to Moshe b. Yehuda, in Alexandria. Dating: 1484 CE (written in the document in the Italian portion on verso). Subject: Commissions of a manuscript and shipments of wine and cheese. Regarding the manuscript, Eliyya has been tasked with acquiring a copy of Nachmanides's commentary on the Torah. He first approached the notable Vittore Royge (? השר ויטור רויגע) who knew nothing about how to obtain it. He asked further and found one copy on new paper in an excellent hand for 8 ducats. He has also heard rumors of another one on parchment for 15 ducats. Eliyya asks for instructions on how to proceed. Eliyya sends regards to Ṣedaqa (Nes or Nīs) and Avraham Talmid and Yosef Castro Sefaradi. Verso contains three lines of writing in Italian and the mirror-image imprint of some biblical verses.

Letter. In Hebrew. Ṣedaqa Nes or Nīs (ניס), in Syracuse (שראקוסה), writes to Moshe b. Yehuda, in Alexandria. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century, based on the associated fragments. Same writer and addressee: Bodl. MS heb. c 72/14, 72/15, 72/17, and 72/38. The writer may be identical with the Ṣedaqa mentioned in Bodl. MS heb. c 72/10 and 14. Subject: Business, including in ammonium chloride (nushādir), soap or soapwort (ṣābūn/borit), and copper (nuḥās/neḥoshet). Ṣedaqa also conveys his concern for Moshe's illness. In a postscript, he writes, "Cut out this small letter and give it to the sister מכ״ת . . the bringing in of the bride, 'And I will bless those who bless you.' And give the other one to Yosef." Information from Avraham David's edition via FGP. ASE.

Letter from anonymous writer, unknown location, to Moshe b. Yehuda, in Alexandria. In Hebrew. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century, based on the associated fragments. Subject: Thanking the addressee. The writer probably previously wrote a letter of recommendation for a certain Yiṣḥaq. The writer reports that he heard from Yiṣḥaq that Moshe treated him munificently. The writer conveys his gratitude and asks for a letter with information about how everything went with Yiṣḥaq and his sister, whether they are healthy, and whether they left any letter for the writer. Information from Avraham David's edition. There is a stylized "emet" at the top of the letter. ASE.

Letter from the Nagid Natan Sholal ha-Kohen, in Fustat/Cairo, to Moshe b. Yehuda, in Alexandria. In Hebrew. Dating: Before 1502 CE and perhaps after 1498 CE (since Shalom b. Zaytūn lived in Safed before then). Issuing instructions concerning provisions for the orphans of R. Avraham b. Ḥisān, who previously lived in Alexandria but moved to Jerusalem to live with their mother upon the death of their father. Other people mentioned: the bearer of the letter Ḥayyim; R. Yaʿaqov Fransi (of Jerusalem) and his brother R. Yiṣḥaq Fransi; R. Ṣedaqa Nes (of Alexandria); and R. Shalom b. Zaytūn. (Information from Avraham David via FGP.)

Letter from Yiṣḥaq bayt ʿAṭṭān, in Syracuse, to Moshe b. Yehuda, in Alexandria. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century. Contains a colorful tale of the writer's voyage. His ship was taking on too much water, so they had to stop in Rhodes. He and his party stayed there for a couple months before resuming the journey. They landed in מדון/MDWN, probably Methoni (aka Modone) in Messenia, to do business in bread and wine. The locals were about to steal the boat, so they took off in a hurry and abandoned their companion R. Ṣuriel who was still in town. Then the purpose of the letter: it is a letter of introduction ("a benefit for you and for him") for the Catalan Messer Bernard Lo Azina (לו אזינה), "a good Christian," who is bringing 500 kosher cheeses the writer saw him purchase, along with a hekhsher letter from the local judge. There are several curious linguistic aspects, too, including באש for "in order to."

Letter addressed to Moshe b. Yehuda (aka Mūsā b. Yahūda al-Turjumān), in Alexandria. In Judaeo-Arabic, with the address in Arabic script. Only the very beginning and the address are preserved. Possibly a join with another fragment in this folder. Dating: last quarter of the 15th century.