Geniza Lab

Popular love poetry in Arabic script. ...سحر بابل... الظبي الاحور من الكوثر... قد سباني وسبا الاخوان. Some of the same stock images as appear in the much later poetry of Shalom Shabazi.

First-person report about a discussion, possibly a polemic between the writer and other people. This fragment begins in Arabic script, switches to Judaeo-Arabic for the remainder of recto, then switches back to Arabic script for all of verso except for a name written in Hebrew script. It begins: ". . . he was overcome by distress. . . and this is what the rabbis said, 'Do not get angry and you will not sin' (Berakhot 29b), for the man with such a character should attempt to get rid of it with the guidance of Solomon in Proverbs and with other (texts). I only said this to him by way of affection and 'love your neighbor as yourself.' As for what the master needs to know without doubt: I was passing through the square (al-murabbaʿa) and found Bū l-Ḥajjāj al-Ṭabīb (the physician) talking with Ibrāhīm al-Jābī. They saw me and Ibrāhīm said, 'This is so-and-so.' I said, 'What are you up to?' Ibrāhīm said. . . ." The continuation of the narrative on verso requires further examination. There is a lot of reported dialogue, followed by the sender visiting R. David(?) and telling him about the story, whereupon R. David may have told him that he was in the wrong. FGP. AA. ASE.

Note from an unidentified sender to Abū Manṣūr. In Arabic script. Dating: Likely 12th or 13th century. The sender reports that Abū ʿAlī b. Dāʾūd has demanded money from Hiba al-Ḍāfir. In turn, Hiba has sent a letter demanding money from the sender and from the funds which Ṣadaqa pays to the addressee; the addressee now has to pay 10 dirhams to Hiba. On verso there are accounts in Arabic script and Greek/Coptic numerals. These mention Hiba several times, so they are probably related to recto. Other names mentioned include: Mufaḍḍal; Manṣūr; Ibrāhīm. ASE

Letter addressed to a woman (al-sitt al-jalīla). In Arabic script. Fragment (right side only). Not much of the content is preserved. On verso pen trials of some opening pharses of a letter in Judaeo-Arabic. AA, ASE.

Fragment of a letter in Arabic script. Maybe business-related. Mentions some names and refers to 'the Jews.' Needs further examination.

Possibly a scrap of letter, Only few words preserved.

Bifolio of business accounts, probably. In Arabic script. Extremely neat and legible. The entries on verso mention payments to an embroiderer (muṭṭariz) and repairer of garments (raffāʾ). The entries on recto have a different layout (more reminiscent of state accounting) and are partially crossed out with a sort of registration mark. One of them mentions [...] b. ʿAbdallāh al-Dahrūṭī.

Deed of acknowledgment (iqrār). In Arabic script. Fragment from the middle of the document, listing dozens of "wa-lā X wa-lā Y wa-lā Z." Dating: Might be late.

Receipt relating to the tax farm of Abū l-Ḥasan b. Wahb written by Mīkhāʾīl b. ʿAbd al-Masīḥ, the cashier, and registered by the Office of Accounts on behalf of the Office of Supervision: the ware-house keeper has paid the sum of two, a half, a third and an eighth (dirham?) on behalf of Abū l-Ḥasan b. Wahb for the estates in Al-Fayyūm, under the supervision of the judge Ṯiqat al-Mulk Makīn al-Dawla wa-Amīnuhā, of the protégé of the commander of the faithful Abū l-Ḥasan ʿAlī b. Bahār, and the accountant Abū l-Sarī Theodor b. Yuḥannis. Dated: 25 Dhū l-Ḥijja 403 AH, which is July 1013 CE. (Information from CUDL)

List of names and other unclear jottings, probably a list (of debts??). (FGP and AA)

Scrap of a letter, only few words preserved.

on Recto: Leaf 1: Compilation of Hebrew biblical and other phrases Leaf 2: Judaeo-Arabic personal letter Verso: Leaf 1: Arabic letter Leaf 2: Continuation of Judaeo-Arabic personal letter and beginning of another Arabic letter (FGP)

Account arranged in five columns

End of a letter. Needs examination

Account, containing list of names

Letter addressed to Salmūn. In Arabic script. Dating: Ottoman-era. Seal imprint on verso. Needs examination for content.

Unidentified text in Arabic script. Catalogued as a letter, but this might not be accurate. The last word of the first line looks like it has Tiberian vowels underneath - a word in Hebrew written in Arabic script? Needs examination.

Recto: Arabic letter (needs examination). Verso: Two drafts and possibly part of another letter. Some lines are deleted.

End of a petition in Arabic script. Asking for permission to enter Egypt on behalf of a group of people. In a different hand, there are several dozen names written in the margins of recto and on verso; these may be the names of the petitioners or alternatively an independent list (e.g., alms distribution list). (Information in part from Goitein’s index card.)

Possibly a letter (needs examination)