Geniza Lab

Letter from David b. Yaʿaqov al-Shammās to Moshe b. Yehuda, in Alexandria. In Hebrew with some Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century. Only the beginning of the letter and the address are preserved.

Letter from the Nagid Shelomo b. Yosef to the community of Alexandria. In Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Probably 1470s or 1480s. The letter reports that Yaʿaqov פרנשיל arrived from Alexandria and reported that the congregation is in great distress from the punishment and the fines that the Nagid had imposed on all who oppose the '7 distinguished men of the city' (שבעה טובי העיר: on this concept, see Shweka, "And Every Day They Make Quarrels," p.26f). The Alexandrians seem to be asking for relief; the Nagid does not back down.

Letter from David (b. Yaʿāqov) al-Shammās to Moshe b. Yehuda of Alexandria. In Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century. Also signed by Aharon b. Ḥasde'el ha-Levi. "As for what you mentioned concerning your wife, it is not that she hates you and desires a bill of divorce for that reason. For she has been patient..." It seems that Moshe b. Yehuda promised to return on a certain date in a certain year and then delayed his return and failed to communicate properly with his wife when that date approached, and now people are getting anxious that he may have had a change of heart. The sender asked her about the raisins; she said they arrived with the son of Sehmuel al-Skandarī. Merits further examination.

Letter from Ṣuriel Dayyan, in Tripolis (Greece? or Libya?), to Moshe b. Yehuda, in Alexandria. In Judaeo-Arabic with occasional Romance words. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century. The sender may be identical with the Ṣuriel who was left behind in Methoni (Greece) in Bodl. MS heb. c 72/18. In Judaeo-Arabic. Mentions numerous business matters. "‘...they will not depart to the East so therefore I shall stay in Tripolis until the return (of the Tripolitans)...." (Esther-Miriam Wagner, "Subordination in 15th- and 15th-Century Judaeo-Arabic," JJL 2 (2014), p. 153). Merits further examination.

Letter addressed to to Moshe, probably Moshe b. Yehuda, the head of the community of Alexandria in the last quarter of the 15th century. In Judaeo-Arabic and Hebrew. The letter contains an extended philosophical query into the question of life after death.

Letter from Ṣedaqa Nes, probably to Moshe b. Yehuda. Fragment: left half only. Reporting on business matters. Commodities include: cinnamon, nutmeg, indigo, materia medica, dār filfil, sandalwood. The sender asks for directives, reports that there are rumors of war by land, and prays for the coming of the Messiah.

Letter addressed to Moshe b. Yehuda, in Alexandria. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century. Only the beginning and the address are preserved. The sender reports that Moshe's letters reached him and ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Qarqashūnī(?).

Letter addressed to Moshe b. Yehuda, in Alexandria. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century. Only the beginning and the address are preserved. Mentions Fustat/Cairo.

Communal letter addressed to the congregation of Alexandria. Probably from the office of the Nagid. Dating: Probably last quarter of the 15th century. Only a small fragment from the beginning is preserved.

Letter addressed to Moshe b. Yehuda, in Alexandria. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century. Only the address is preserved.

Letter probably from the office of the Nagid to the community of Alexandria. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century. Deals with the prerogatives of various communal appointees, including cantors and slaughterers. Grants authority to the שבעה טובי העיר (cf. Bodl. MS heb. c 72/21). Among the communal officials is Moshe b. Yehuda, whose personal archive is the source of much of Bodl. MS Heb. c. 72.

Legal document. Location: Alexandria. Dated: 30 Nisan 5241 AM, which is 1481 CE. The leaders of the Alexandria community convene to deal with the inheritance of the late Yaʿaqov Sahlān. The will of the dead man was recorded by the Jerusalem scribe R. Yom Ṭov b. ʿImmanuel (cf. T-S NS 99.66 and T-S 16.260) and sent to Alexandria. This document lists 'the 7 notable men of the city.'

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Fragment: vertical strip containing the right side of recto. Probably addressed to Moshe b. Yehuda. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century. Dealing with various business matters. Currency: ashrafī. There may be a reference to colic (qawlanj) and a cure, but the context is missing. Mentions "the inferior kohl in Cairo" (v8).

Letter addressed to Moshe b. Yehuda. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dated: Monday, 5 Nisan 5245, which is 1485 CE. Dealing with business matters, such as the trade in raisins. Mentions "the anusim" at least twice. Quite faded and damaged; needs further examination.

Letter or letters in Judaeo-Arabic. In at least two hands. There is an address made out to R. Yisrael (whose surname may be legible). The portion on verso mentions Moshe b. Yehuda (whose archive is found in Bodl. MS Heb. c 72). Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century.

Letter from Hārūn to Moshe b. Yehuda. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century. The sender reminds Moshe that it is his custom to pay his capitation tax for him. This year, however, Moshe has been gone for 9 months and has not sent any money. He reports that a man named Shelomo Siqillī is en route to Alexandria with R. Yosef Castro—it seems this man also needs money. Mentions the arrival of 'the blue khirqa' (which is also mentioned in a previous letter in this binder). There is yet another man coming to Alexandria who also needs help with the capitation tax; this one is named Mūsā b. Marʿaqa(?). If Moshe b. Yehuda and Ṣedaqa Nes do not act on all these requests, Hārūn will be forced to involve the Nagid.

Business letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Likely addressed to Moshe b. Yehuda. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century. Dealing with urgent and detailed business operations involving 'dhakhīra' (storage fees?); also boats entering the khalīj; camphor and a ginger preserve. Mentions numerous people, including the good-for-nothing Yaʿīsh and his partner Manṣūr; Sulaymān; the late Zayn al-Dīn and his son; the ṣayrafī; the khwāja; Ṣalāh al-Dīn; a certain youth (ṣabiyy) about whom the sender was going to complain to the king; Aḥmad b. al-Ṣafīr(?); and R. ʿAmram.

Letter fragment in Judaeo-Arabic. Likely addressed to Moshe b. Yehuda or to the community of Alexandria. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century. Concerning a communal issue that involves M. Yaʿqūb, 'the 7 distinguished men of the city,' insubordinacy, and the cantors. Possibly related to the same matter as in Bodl. MS Heb. c 72/21.

Letter fragment. In Judaeo-Arabic. Addressed to multiple people, perhaps the community of Alexandria as a collective. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century. Concerning a man who may have left his family in poverty; mentions 50 ashrafīs and a qāḍī. Also mentions Yosef חנך and Moshe Maʿānī.

Letter addressed to Moshe b. Yehuda. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Last quarter of the 15th century. Dealing with various business matters, mainly raisins. Mentions Ibrāhīm Shuwaykh and Ṣedaqa Nes. On verso there are jotted accounts, mentioning camphor, jasmine, raisins, chickpeas, and mulūkhiyya.