Geniza Lab

Letter from an otherwise unknown Avraham b. Yosef to the relatively well-known Abū l-Faḍā'il Ḥayyim b. Ḥananel, who was the son of the judge Ḥananel b. Shemuel (active ca.1211–49), and therefore the brother-in-law of Avraham Maimonides (1186–1237). See Fenton's article for other documents involving Ḥayyim b. Ḥananel. This letter consists almost entirely of deferent formalities and greetings. The writer sends regards to the addressee's father, R. Ḥananel, to the Nagid David I Maimonides (given ~30 titles) and to David's brothers ʿOvadya (1228–65) and the physician Abū l-Faḍl (from this Fenton deduces that Goitein was correct in suggesting that Avraham Maimonides had three sons: David, ʿOvadya, and Abū l-Faḍl). He also sends regards to "your associate (sharīk) al-Shaykh al-Sadīd," probably a physician; to Abū l-Barakāt Waliyy al-Dawla; and to another associate, al-Mawlā al-A[. .]d. In the margin, he reports that he has obtained the garments that Abū l-Faḍl had ordered, and that he will send them for the holiday as soon he finds a reliable messenger, or he will bring them himself. Information from Fenton's edition and discussion. ASE.

Letter from the office of the Nagid David II b. Yehoshuaʿ II Maimonides (in office ca. 1355–1410) addressed to the congregation of Fustat. The Nagid's full genealogy is given. This is not a “farewell letter” (apparently it has been published as such) but rather a note of congratulation. Still, the occasion of the letter is not exactly clear. (Information in part from Goitein’s index card)

Letter from Yosef b. Ezra to Yiṣḥaq Ashkenazi (not necessarily Luria, as more than one Yiṣḥaq Ashkenazi was active in trade at this time). In Hebrew. Dating: 16th century, based on Avraham David's assessment. The contents of the letter are quite difficult and merit further examination; there are a handful of words that do not appear to be Hebrew or Arabic and many place names, some obscure. The writer's father-in-law Avraham Sūsī arrived with the two documents (ma'marim) from the addressee, but these documents are useless. The first because it is for the Amir ʿĪsā, with whom relations are not good. The second is an order involving Rashid (the city?) and the slave trade but is missing some key feature. He then gives detailed instructions regarding documents to be sent to him, chiefly involving the trade in slaves "from the West" (1–11, 15–26). In particular, he writes that in Buḥayra, slaves from ״חריב״ are brought only once a year, in Elul, whereas slaves from the West, i.e., Awjila in Libya (אוגֿלה) arrive every month. During the year and 9 months that the writer lived in Buḥayra, not 30 or 40 days passed without Bedouin caravans arriving to trade slaves from the West for horses. In the remainder of the letter, the writer mentions various European currencies including peraḥim and coronas. In the margin he mentions trade in raisins (margin, 1, 6) and sulfur (margin, 5). Information largely from Avraham David, FGP. This document was also edited by Simha Assaf (see FGP for bibliography).

Deathbed will of a notable, dividing his landed property, his flocks of sheep and all the orchards possessed or leased by him between his brother and his children, and making stipulations for his widow. In the hand of and witnessed by Hillel b. ʿEli. The dying man appoints his brother as the will’s executor explicitly stating that no court may interfere with his actions. A copy of this will is found in T-S 20.99. (Information from Goitein notes and index card linked below and Goitein, Mediterranean Society, Vol. 1, pp. 117, 425 and Vol. 3, p. 259, 299, 493n97.)

Fragment of a marriage document involving Efrayim ha-Levi and Sitt al-Ḥasan. Dating 11th-century, based on Goitein's assessment.

Letter from Labrāṭ b. Moshe b. Sughmār, in al-Mahdiyya, to his brother Yehuda b. Moshe b. Sughmār, in Fustat. Dating: July 30 (26 Av), 1057, based on Gil's assessment. (Gil dates ENA NS 18.35, written on 6 Elul, to the previous year. But both letters contain very similar congratulations on Yehuda's wedding, so perhaps they were sent two weeks apart instead of eleven months.) Labrāṭ opens with describing his great anxiety on account of his brother, because he had not received a letter from him all year. "My heart was preoccupied and I thought the worst, for he who loves is inflamed (muwallaʿ) with thinking the worst. On the eve of ʿAẓeret (Shavuʿot), Fityān and his associates arrived in a boat from Sfax to al-Mahdiyya. When I saw them, my soul almost left me and I went pale (? akhadhatnī ṣufra). I said to myself, perhaps they have news [of you]. . . . [Fityān] said, God bless him, that your letters were with him. I prostrated myself and thanked God for His favor" (r4–8). Labrāṭ then congratulates his brother on his marriage into a distinguished family (r10–19). He mentions a person of low morals whom he tries to avoid, but he recently had to go to this person's wedding in Sūsa (r19–21). When he returned to al-Mahdiyya, 'the boy' was sick (ḍaʿīf), and worsened, and almost died. Every day letters arrive from people in Sūsa, perhaps specifically from the man of low morals, blaming Labrāṭ regarding either this boy or that person's affairs (aḥwālihi). The next phrase is quite difficult, perhaps: "I considered that he was heedless (sahā), and I decided to completely despair of him (i.e., end the relationship). I am left with no eye to see light with, [and nothing] to take pride in, except for you, may God protect you (r21–24). (Gil reads it differently.) The remainder of the letter deals with business matters. The writer is much older than his brother. He asks him to fulfill his family’s duty by helping him with his business. He also mentions events in the Maghreb. Apparently there is a naval fleet besieging Sūsa. (Information in part from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #615.) See also Goitein, Med Soc III, viii, B, 1 no. 36. VMR. ASE.

Letter from Ṭoviyya b. ʿEli ha-Kohen (Bilbays, Lower Egypt) to his cousin and brother-in-law, the judge Nathan b. Shelomo ha-Kohen (Fustat), 12th century. Ṭuviyahu b. ʿEli sends ten samples of two qualities of wine, asking Nathan b. Shelomo to offer them to a Jewish wine seller in order to make a deal. (Information from Goitein notes and index card linked below and Goitein, MedSoc, vol. 4, p. 259.)

Letter from Seʿadya ha-Kohen b. Hillel (aka Saʿd b. Hilāl) Rosh ha-Qahal to Ṭoviyya b. ʿEli ha-Kohen ha-Ḥaver, the muqaddam of Bilbays (here called "muqaddam al-yahūd"). In Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic, often rhymed, with the address in both Hebrew and Arabic. Seʿadya praises Ṭoviyya in the warmest tones and asks what he has done wrong for Ṭoviyya (and Ṭoviyya's wife?) to cut off their letters to him. He was pained when a letter from Ḥalfon b. Sasson to his brother arrived in Toviyya's handwriting (reading חט as כט). The right margin deals with the logistics of correspondence. The upper margin mentions some debts and the dangers of travel (שיבוש הדרכים) preventing the sending of something or someone. Verso is mainly copious regards to and from family members and friends ("I can no longer burden people by carrying letters to each of you"—hence he includes all the greetings in one letter.) (Information in part from Goitein’s index card)

Family letter from Natan b. Yehuda (Alexandria, ca. 1160) to Moshe b. Ṣemaḥ and his brother (Fustat), the writer’s cousins-in-law. Natan b. Yehuda reports that everyone in the house was ill because of a great epidemic of sweating sickness (wakham) in Alexandria. He praises the brothers for their munificence but also politely reminds them that it was time for them to marry and wishes that their mother may see their “joy”. (Information from Goitein notes and index card linked below and from Goitein, MedSoc, Vol. 3, p. 61 and p. 440n61 and Vol. 5, p. 113.)

Letter from Shelomo b. Semah, Ramla (?), to Efrayim b. Shemarya,approximately 1030.

List. Collection, jibaya, made on the first day of the holiday for the Maghribi, the Kohen. About 1115 contributions, mostly in Coptic numerals. Some of the names are encircled (represented here by $ $, perhaps indicating persons solicited). Other names are crossed through (= having paid?). A few are left untouched. The list is headed by the haver ʿOvadya, presumably the great grandson of Avraham Maimonides bearing that name (b. 1297, d. before 1355). The other names also fit the 14th century, e.g Nasir ("helper," three times), Shams ("sun," 11. 4, 27), Faraj Allah ("God has helped," 11. 8, 14). Three dashes (---) represent a diagonal slash downward toward the left, which stands for 1/2 elsewhere but here must mean something else, since 1/2 in this list is representeed by the left arrow, as elsewhere. (S/D. Goitein, Mediterranean Society, 2:496, App. C. 68) EMS

Eight rough drafts of a petition to the Fatimid Caliph al-Mustanṣir from the followers of Shelomo b. Yehuda, probably the end of 1041 (according to Gil's estimate). Six drafts are in Judaeo-Arabic; one abortive draft is in Arabic script in the same hand as the Judaeo-Arabic drafts; the final draft is in Arabic script in a chancery hand. Join: S. M. Stern. The Rabbanite Jews write to al-Mustanṣir regarding a conflict that arose in the community because of two leaderships (riyāsatayn), this conflict was earlier addressed by the Caliph by appointing Dāwūd b. Isḥaq but he didn't do anything. The situation worsened to an extent that one schism of the community barred the other from entering their synagogue until the other faction forced themselves inside leading to violence between the two. The Jews urge the Caliph to resolve this issue by sending his royal command "al-ʾamr al-ʿālī".

Business letter in Arabic script from an unknown trader to another unknown trader regarding textiles: Siqillī, Ṭabarī, and Sūsī cloth. Second half of the eleventh century.

Two fragments of a synagogue calendar in a late hand. There is a cataloguing note: From the binding of Opp[enheim] fol. 683.

From the book of Ezekiel, on vellum, in columns, with Masoretic annotations.

Copy of a guardian deed in the name of David b. Amar Madani. March 29, 1052. David grants power to Avraham b. Moshe, who is Barhun b. Musa al-Tahirti, to collect the money that belongs to the sons of Amar from the inheritance of Hesed b. Yashar ha-Tustari (which was killed two years earlier) from Abu Mansur, who is Aaron ha-Tustari, Hesed’s brother. There are no signatures accepts of Ḥayyim’s, David’s brother. Was probably in Fustat. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #649) VMR

Legal document. Location: Fustat. Dated: 1[.]61 Seleucid, probably 1461 Seleucid, which would be 1149/50 CE. Zayn b. A[...] gives a release to Abū l-Barakāt Hibat Allāh b. Abū [...] confirming that he has received all the money owed. The story somehow involves Zayn's wife Sitt al-Kull bt. Abū ʿImrān b. Yūsuf, and Qaṣr al-Shamʿ aka Qaṣr al-Rūm, and [...] b. Salāma al-Sukkarī.

Marriage contract (ketubba). Groom: Avraham b. Yefet. Dating: 11th century. Marriage payments: 6 + 10 = 16. Witnesses: Maṣliaḥ b. Shemuel; the ḥaver Eliʿezer b. Avraham; Yosef b. Shemuel. (Information in part from Goitein’s index card.)

Marriage contract (ketubba). Location: Fustat. Dating: 11th century. Groom: [...] b. Ḥusayn. Bride: [...] bt. Yiṣḥaq. Marriage payments: 15 + 25. (Information from Goitein’s index card)

A deed of acquittance, in which Sedid b. Saʿadya releases Fakhr bat ʿAlam. Signed in Cairo near Fustat, at the time of the Nagid ʿAmram, on Friday, 9 Nissan 1688(?) Seleucid (1377CE). (Information from Goitein notes and index card linked below and Assaf, Toledot ha-Yehudim, p. 22.). In the edition from his dissertation (p.366) Dotan Arad confirms the dating as 1377CE. MCD.