Geniza Lab

Draft of the opening of a legal deed, contains the date: Friday, 3rd of Shevat 1600 (1289 CE). AA

Fragment from a bill of release. AA

Small and torn fragment probably from a ketubah, written by Halfon b. Menashshe Halevi.

Minute fragment, extremely damaged. Only few words can be read מגלימא דעל כת[פיה] so this is probably a fragment from a ketubah. The shape of the letter א is very similar to the one we find in Yosef b. Shemuel Halevi's hand, so he might be the scribe. AA

Maimonides Misheh Torah, Eruvin, 5, copied by Yosef b. Shemuel Halevi. AA

Recto, and lower part of verso: Legal document in the hand of Yosef b. Shemuel b. Seʿadya. Location: Fustat. Drawn up under the authority of the Gaʾon Sar Shalom ha-Levi. Dating: No later than 1193 CE (the legal document came before the letter draft, since the letter draft is crammed into the remaining margins). Sitt al-Ḥusn bt. Abū l-Makārim al-Tājir al-Kohen known as Ibn Qasāsa, who is the widow of Ṣāʿid b. Abū Manṣūr, declares before the court that she had previously reached a settlement with her half-sister (from the same father) Sitt Khafar, the wife of Yehuda al-Ṣāʾigh al-Maghribī, regarding the inheritance of their brother (from the same father) Abū ʿAlī al-Kohen al-Ṭabīb al-Muwaffaq. Several lines are missing here, but it seems the settlement was for 3.25 dinars, and Sitt al-Ḥusn acknowledges receipt of the money from Sitt Khafar. She has also received an unspecified sum from Sitt al-Maʿālī, the widow of the deceased brother Abū ʿAlī. She releases Sitt Khafar and Sitt al-Maʿālī from all further claims. On verso there are two more drafts of legal documents in the hand of Yosef b. Shemuel b. Seʿadya; these are damaged and difficult to read. The first involves a woman named Sitt al-Sāda and mentions "70 dirhams every week." The second involves a physician ('al-ṭabīb al-sadīd) Abū l-Faraj b. Moshe Ibn al-Kharrāz and perhaps a power of attorney. (Information in part from CUDL.) AA. ASE.

Margins of recto, and upper part of verso: Draft of a letter written by Shemuel b. Seʿadya ha-Levi, the father of Yosef b. Shemuel, the scribe of the legal document on recto. The text of the letter is written in two columns. Dated: Sivan 1504 Seleucid, which is 1193 CE. The letter is addressed to the Head of Jews and was written before Passover ("may we all be able to celebrate the Feast of Maṣot"). (Information in part from CUDL.) AA. ASE.

Recto: drafts of documents, written in a cramped style. Verso: lengthy legal document, written in Fusṭāṭ under the authority of Sar Shalom ha-Levi Gaʾon. Mentions Sitt al-Kafr, Sitt al-Ḥusn b. Abū l-Makārim al-Kohen the trader, known as Ibn Qasāsa, the widow of Ṣāʿid b. Abū Manṣūr, Sitt al-Maʿālī and Abū ʿAlī. (Information from CUDL)

Recto: lengthy legal document, written in Fusṭāṭ under the authority of Sar Shalom ha-Levi Gaʾon. Mentions Sitt al-Kafr, Sitt al-Ḥusn b. Abū l-Makārim al-Kohen the trader, known as Ibn Qasāsa, the widow of Ṣāʿid b. Abū Manṣūr, Sitt al-Maʿālī and Abū ʿAlī. Verso: drafts of documents, written in a cramped style. (Information from CUDL)

Court record. In Hebrew. Written and signed by Yeḥiel b. Elyaqim (active 1213–33). "When the orphan went out... the craftsmen will examine him... what is written in the document that... this teacher and the court... and we have recorded what was done... as explained above." (Information in part from Goitein's index card and Med Soc III, p. 303, note 118.)

List and accounts mentioning the names of Muslim months, personal names such as Abū l-Surūr al-Levi, Abū l-Munā and Abū l-Faḍl Sar ha-Leviyim, various sums of money, commodities and Hebrew numerals. (Information from CUDL)

Maimonides Mishne Torah, Sekhirut, 6. AA

Small fragment of a letter in Judaeo-Arabic and Hebrew. In the hand of Shemuel b. Seʿadya? NB: Goitein's index card refers to this as an Abū Zikrī Kohen order of payment of 1 raṭl of oil—but this must refer to a different shelfmark, probably elsewhere in the T-S AS 145 folder.

Recto: Letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Likely 12th or 13th century. The handwriting is reminiscent of that of Yosef Rosh ha-Seder. Refers to Farajallāh going to the Rayyis with a Qaraite and then going separate ways (at the conclusion of a partnership?). Mentions al-Neʾeman. Verso: unidentified Arabic text; probably a document. (Information in part from CUDL)

Brief letter to Saʿadya the cantor. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Likely 13th century. Politely asking him to obtain a response to the letters (legal queries?) which Seʿadya had previously conveyed to other people. Jottings on verso. (Information in part from CUDL)

List of commodities and values, such as cloth, head covers etc; probably part of a trousseau list. (Information from CUDL)

Letter, probably. In Hebrew. Beginning only. Addressed to some dignitary.

Letter, probably. In Hebrew. Beginnings of 7 lines. Wide space between the lines.

Legal document. Small fragment. Location: Qūṣ. Signed by Makārim b. Yeshuʿ[a].

Names. Damaged. Possibly from the bottom of a legal fragment.