Geniza Lab

Letter from an unknown writer to the brothers Mevorakh b. Saadya (in office 1078-1082 and 1094-1111) and Yehuda b. Saadya (in office ca. 1065-1078) recommending a man bringing merchandise in which the sender of the letter has great interest. Dated between 1065-1078. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Manṣūr (probably Manṣūr b. Sālim) in Alexandria to his brother in Fustat mentioning that his son Moshe started to speak and has since kept repeating: 'my uncle, my uncle Musa,' referring to his deceased uncle and the sender's and recipient's brother, who bore the same name. The sender also writes about an agreement that was reached with a tax-farmer about a payment made in installments and expresses regret about the fact that a female relative who was involved in a law-suit with her husband enjoyed 'no holiday and no Saturday.' Finally, the writer requests the recipient urgently to return a note from the tax-farmer. The Verso is written in a different hand. (Information from Mediterranean Society, III, p. 235, and from Goitein's index cards)

Letter. Memorandum from Abu Zikri Kohen to Mahruz. Alexandria, ca. 1136-1149.

Recto: Letter from a physician named Abu Zikri to a senior colleague, Abu 'Ali. Abu Zikri writes, apparently from the Rīf, seeking advice on the management of three patients. The first patient has a corneal ulcer ("of the third type"), marble-like leucoma, and acute ophthalmia that is bloody and yellow-bilious. Abu Zikri has tried bloodletting and draining the ulcer with a pastille of sweet violet to no avail. The second patient has very acute ophthalmia, lachrymation, and an inveterate scaly eruption in the eye ("of the fourth type"). The third patient has an unspecified perforation "like that of the patient whom you were treating." Abu Zikri also requests that Abu 'Ali send him a black-lead ophthalmic from his own stock, since all the ophthalmics Abu 'Ali's father had sent were ineffective. He invites Abu 'Ali to spend time with him outside of the capital and sends regards to the recipient's mother, father, and Abu l-Ḥasan. On verso: Abu 'Ali responds to Abu Zikri's questions, writing in the spaces around three lines of large chancery-script Arabic. The upper part of the page is damaged. Abu 'Ali states that these are very serious conditions. Regarding the first patient, Abu 'Ali recommends the use of the "white" (ophthalmic), gradual and careful application of frankincense to clean the ulcer, followed by application of a powder from washed "shanj" (Cytinus hypocistis according to Efraim Lev, citing Issa Bey), and then administration of three ounces, morning and evening, of a potion of sweet violet and water lily or a potion of cherry. The patient must refrain from sleeping in the daytime. Abu 'Ali recommends that Abu Zikri bring him the patient so that he can examine him himself. Regarding the second patient, Abu 'Ali says that the remedy varies according to whether the ophthalmia is simple or complex. Abu Zikri must not neglect the scaly eruption, in that the use of too much ben tree or water lily or white alum can exacerbate it. Regarding the third patient, Abu 'Ali suggests the use of the black-lead ophthalmic, burnt, together with ben tree and camphor or whatever else Abu Zikri sees fit to use. Abu 'Ali recommends lightening the diet as much as possible. He alludes to a potion that Abu Zikri is already familiar with, and suggests that the patient may benefit from smelling myrtle, water lily, or dates. If the condition is refractory, Abu Zikri may give almonds or a potion of sweet violet. Finally, he requests to be informed whether these remedies work, and whether the patients have headaches or not. Information from: Ashur and Lev, "Three Fragments on Practical Medicine in Medieval Egypt." Goitein, Med Soc V, 95 and 532. Goitein's index cards. Alan Elbaum 11/2019. Technical terminology follows Oliver Kahl, The Dispensatory of Ibn al-Tilmīdh, Brill: Boston, 2007.

Letter from Natan b. Nahray, Alexandria, to his father, Nahray b. Nissim, in Fustat, concerning the arrival of ships, ca. 1045-1096.

Letter from Natan b. Nissim in Alexandria to Nahray b. Nissim, in Fustat, from 1080s. Natan sends his regards to Avraham b. R. Yaʿaqov Darʿi. (Information from Frenkel)

Letter from Sa'dan b. Thabit al-Baghdadi from Tripoli to a colleague in Cairo asking him to take care of his son, whom he had sent abroad at the son's request, and to instruct him in commercial matters. Address on the verso gives the names: Abu al-Afrah 'Ar[us] b. Yosef and Yaʿaqov b. Nissim. Dated ca. 1130. (Information from and partial translation in Goitein, Letters, pp. 255-257)

Letter from Amram b. Yosef, probably from Alexandria, to Nahray b. Nissim, Fustat. Around 1075. Regarding a shipment of palm leaves that arrived from outside of Egypt. In addition, mentions purchase of wheat and a disagreement about packaging cloth that belongs to the writer but another person named Muslim (probably his Jewish name is Meshulam) denies that is his. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #679) VMR

Letter. Commercial letter from Murjī to his son, Meʾir b. Murjī, listing repayments from various individuals, including Moses [...] and David [...]. Address on verso. (Information from CUDL)

Recto: Letter in a late hand. Verso: Address to Meʾir b. Murjī (מרגי). (Information from CUDL)

Letter fragment from Rashīd to Moses ha-Levi in Cairo, which is then reused for a halakhic treatise on shirṭuṭ (drawing up the lines) when writing a Bible. (Information from CUDL)

Letter from Shemuʾel to his father, David Conforte, in Ladino, which was then reused for a draft of a halakhic treatise on divorce. (Information from CUDL.) "There is little doubt that the recipient is the famous chronicler/historian David Conforte author of the Qoreh ha-Dorot. He was in Cairo in 1664 as a student and in 1671 as Rabbi. In the letter the son refers to this brother Gabriel Conforte and it was long since surmised that David had a son by the name of Gabriel. The son refers to other letters and to remmitances of money. He complains at length about the state of his financial affairs: ,ke no keda koza sin enpenar. Hayom debo aki en la civdad sobre toda mi kaveza 98 grosos no tengo por donde valerme a sakar nada. El dio por sus piadades mos remedie." Eleazar Gutwirth, "The Family in Judeo-Spanish Genizah Letters," 213–14. ASE.

Letter. Commercial letter from Rashid (Rosetta) to Damietta, mentioning Christian Italian merchants (גירונימו ישו), and a French consul. The text has a number of European loanwords. (Information from CUDL)

Letter from Khumsa (כומסה) with a postscript from Jacob Shalom. 18th-19th century. (Information from CUDL)

Letter in written in two different hands, with a postscript by ‘your brother’ Joseph Ṣarūr. Address on verso, possibly in the second hand, reads ‘to my brother ... Saʿadya ha-Levi known as Furaykh from me, David Beḥor’. Mentions people including Menaḥem and Abraham Zraḥiyya. C. 16th-17th century. (Information from CUDL)

Letter (draft) mentioning Abba, Abraham, and Shemuʾel Ibn Sid. Sent by Yehoshuaʿ [...]. Postscript by Avraham Shaul. (Information from CUDL)

Letter from Yaḥyā (?) M(...) in Alexandria to Benjamin de Quriel. Dated 98 (either 5498 of the Era of Creation = 1738 CE or 5598 of the Era of Creation = 1838 CE, although the latter might be more probable), and mentioning people including Nissim, Salmūn, Umm Abraham, Jacob M[...], Shelomo and תנתן (?). (Information from CUDL)

Letter. Postscript to a letter addressed to the Nasi Shelomo by the scion of the house of David in Mosul who also wrote Bodl. MS Heb. a 3/24. Mentions that he acquired for his son a permit to practice a profession and travel to Bilbays in Egypt. (Information from Goitein's index cards.) The writer mentions that he intended to travel that week, but his son fell ill; he also mentions that the rayyis is ill and cannot read or write letters, but that the sons of Rabbenu Menaḥem have been helping. Circa 1236 based on Bodl. MS Heb. a 3/24.

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic from Yosef Fitru to Yom Ṭov b. Ḥayyim, mentioning Alexandria, Shelomo Solal (cf. T-S NS 175.30) and Yehuda Fanu. Dating: ca. 18th century. Containing instructions about issuing a deed of lease. (Information in part from CUDL)

Letter from Abraham to his brother, Mordechai Kohen, dated 5646 of the Era of Creation (= 1886 CE). (Information from CUDL)