Geniza Lab

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Unknown writer, unknown addressee. Dating: Likely early 13th century. The writer asks for the copy of Seder Neziqim that has the gemara with the perush of Rav Shelomo (=Rashi?). The writer asked R. Yeḥiel (b. Elyaqim?) to 'read to him' (or teach him? yuqrīhu). "All that is delaying me is the copies." As for the rhubarb, the writer sold some pieces of it for 10 dirhams. He awaits further instructions.

Recto: Letter from Abū l-Faraj to Shemuel. In Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic. Wide space between the lines. The scribe uses ש instead of ס for س. The writer makes excuses for something ('it wasn't my choice') and apologizes and then discusses a financial matter involving 66 dirhams. Verso: Informal note addressed to Abū l-Faraj, presumably the response from Shemuel. Written in a hasty scrawl (a stark contrast from recto). He gives instructions about how much money to send.

Short letter from David b. Daniel.

Accounts in Arabic script. Reused for Hebrew poetry.

Letter of appeal for charity addressed to ʿEli ha-Zaqen the Parnas. In Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic. There are interesting opening blessings, including the phrase "zohar ḥashmalim." There are also interesting phonetic spellings, with vowels, throughout. The body of the request is punctuated by erudite rabbinic and biblical references. These are prefaced by an apology for bothering ʿEli when he has so many strangers to take care of (wa-ʿalā annī aʿlam anna ʿalayh ʿā'ila kabīra min al-ghurabā')—it seems that عائلة is being used here in its broader sense of "dependents" rather than a literal family. ASE

Leaf from a court ledger. Probably belongs together with Bodl. MS heb. d 66/77 (and perhaps 66/78 as well). On recto, document (a) may be the end of a trousseau list. Document (b) is a record about a financial dispute between Faḍā'il and his mother-in-law. Among other matters, he accuses her of breaking a jar (zīr) that was worth 1 dinar by carrying it around from place to place.

Trousseau list for an upcoming marriage. Dating: ca. 1161 CE.The value comes out to 30 dinars. Bride: Milāḥ bt. Asʿad Ibn al-Amshāṭī. Groom: Abū l-Ḥasan Yefet b. Yiṣḥaq. Signed by Hillel b. Ṣadoq Av Bet Din and Mevorakh b. Natan. (Information in part from Mediterranean Society, III, p. 417)

Detailed court record of the court of Fustat about an oath given by Abu Mansur ha-Kohen concerning many claims dropped by Sitt al-Hasab against one of her agents who happened to be a tenant in one of her houses. Dated Heshvan 1473/ October 1161. (Information from Mediterranean Society, IV, p. 326, and from Goitein's index cards)

Legal document. Location: Fustat. Dated: 27 Tammuz 1472 Seleucid, which is 1161 CE. The widow of Bunyān(?) b. Durra(?) testifies that she received 10 dinars collected on her behalf by by a well-known tājir, or big merchant, Abū l-Maʿālī b. Bū l-Ḥasan b. Asad. The contributions: 2 dinars from the Nagid Netanel ha-Levi; 2 dinars from Abū l-Maʿālī of al-Maḥalla; 1 dinar from Abū Naṣr; 1 dinar from Bū l-Faraj al-Ṣūrī; 2 dinars from Sālim al-Parnas Ibn al-Jubaylī; and 2 dinars from Ṣāf(ī) the ghulām/slave/business agent of the tājir on the very day on which the document was written. "The participation of the slave seems to indicate that the dead merchant had been connected with his master by partnership or otherwise. In any case, such a collection also represents some form of mutual help" (Information from Goitein, Med Soc I, 204 and 451 n. 65, where he erroneously cites the document as MS heb. d.66/76). Although the scribe is different, this shelfmark may belong together with the preceding 2 shelfmarks.

Letter from Natan b. Nahray from Alexandria to Nahray b. Nissim in Fustat.

Sub-leasing agreement written in Damietta in 1106 in which the farmer of the dues from dyeing and selling silk in the district of Damietta sub-leases his rights regarding a small town named Ibwan to three partners for the duration of one year against a payment of two dinars per month. (Information from Mediterranean Society, II, pp. 361, 362, 606)

Note of a person confined to his house owing to illness this evening, requesting a friend to lend him the Book of Creation by Saadya. Information from Goitein's index card.

Letter from Avraham b. Farah, Alexandria to Yeshuaʿ b. Ismāʿīl, Fustat. The letter deals with the shipping of goods and money transfers. The writer describes the movement of ships between Alexandria and Sicily and mentions that he intends to sue a few silk workers as well as the son of the qadi for debts they owe. Mentions that Abū ʿAbdallah (Ibn al-Baʿbāʿ) has come to Mazāra overland (presumably from Palermo). Dated 11 October 1056.

Legal document. Bottom part only. Sitt al-Ḥasan releases another woman from all claims. Signed: Mordekhay ha-Kohen b. Moshe.

Court record dated Tevet 1357/ January 1046 in the handwriting of Efrayim b. Shemarya. Mansur b. Mukhtar sues Shelomo b. Natanel, accusing him of taking the money that the deceased wife of Mansur inherited from their father. (Information from E. Bareket, Shafrir misrayim, pp. 53, 225; Yehudei misrayim, p. 178)

An autograph responsum by Avraham Maimonides (1186-1237) dealing with wine brought by a Karaite and the injunction about preparation of wine by Jews (rabbanite Jews). (Information from Mediterranean Society, I, pp. 14, 123, 428)

Calligraphic letter by a community leader who found out that the son of a scholar had married four couples, writing their marriage contracts and performing the weddings. The writer asks the chief judge to send him a letter explaining whether or not the action of the scholar's son was permissible. The letter contains no address and was probably never sent. (Information from Mediterranean Society, II, pp. 74, 538)

Legal document. The case involves a house worth 75 dinars and an orphan boy who has yet to come of age. People named include Mevorakh b. Yisrael and Hārūn and Abū Naṣr Ghālib b. Moshe ha-Kohen. There are many witnesses (which should facilitate precise dating): Avraham b. David; Yehoshuaʿ b. Natan; Natan b. Sasson; [...] ha-Mumḥe b. Natan Av Bet Din; ʿAyyāsh b. Nissim; [...] ha-Levi b. Shela; and [...] ha-Mumḥe.

Letter from Abū l-Riḍā, it seems in Fustat, to his wife's brother Me'ir, perhaps in Damīra or at least nearby in the Rīf. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dated 21 Heshvan קנא, which would normally be 1551 Seleucid = 1239 CE. But there are enough unusual features (format, language) of the letter that it could plausibly be 5151 AM = 1390 CE. In any event, the writer's father recently died. He thanks the addressee for his letter of condolence, though in a backhanded sort of way ("I knew that you would not have honored me with a letter if this calamity had not occurred to me"). He is preoccupied with the failure of everyone in his in-laws' family to write to him or to ask about him in letters to his wife. At the end, he brings up various business matters to be conducted by al-Shaykh al-Sadīd together with the writer's maternal uncle Abū l-Munā. These involve textiles (a wasaṭ, yarn, and silk) and roasted flaxseed oil (zayt bizr kattān muqlā) from Damīra. ASE

Record of a deposition in court, written in the hand of the scribe Hillel b. Eli, ca. 1095. The record states that Perahya b. Ya'aqov appeared in court and dedicated his compound to the two synagogues, of the Palestinians and the Babylonians. The rent of the compound is to be spent on oil for the two synagogues, in equal parts. Since there were too many errors in this document, the scribe probably decided to write it again, and that is perhaps the reason why the document is unsigned. (Information from Gil, Documents, pp. 217 #34)