Geniza Lab

Letter from Ata b. Amar, probably from Qayrawan, to Nahray b. Nissim, Fustat. November 22, 1047. The writer sent Nahray a copy of the Bible that was copied by the Hillal. The writer’s father, who passed away, ordered the book and the writer, who is in need for money, was obliged to sell it. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #776) VMR

Letter from Ya’aqov b. Isma’il al-Andalusi, from Sicily, to Yoshiyyahu b. Natan, Fustat. Around 1050. The letter mentions “the enemy,” the identity of which is not clear. The letter deals with import and export between Sicily and Egypt. Details a list of goods and their prices in Sicily. Mentions information about books of questions and answers that belonged to Masliah b. Eliyya, the judge of Sicily. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #575) VMR

Letter to Eliyyahu the judge from a female relative in Alexandria, complaining about his treatment of her family. Early 13th century. (Information from CUDL)

Letter from Ismāʿīl b. Faraḥ, in Alexandria, to his son Faraḥ b. Ismāʿīl, in Būṣīr. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Gil suggests 23 September 1056 CE. This is because the letter was written on 12 Tishrei, likely the same day that Ismāʿīl b. Faraḥ wrote T-S 10J15.4 to Nahray b. Nissim. Gil dates T-S 10J15.4 on the basis of its similarity to BL OR 5542.9, which was written when Monday fell on the 27th of Elul, which apparently happened in 1053 CE and 1056 CE, and of the two he believes 1056 CE to be a better fit. The letter possibly contains information about Nahray’s eye disease, a report that Ismāʿīl will soon travel to the villages to buy linen, and the news about the bad events that are happening in Sicily. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #491) VMR. Nahray is known from other letters to have suffered from ophthalmia, but it is not clear that his eye disease figures in this letter. Gil reads, "bi-mā tabaqqarat lahu ʿaynuhu, wa-innahu ʿalā ʿayn mā tarāhu" (r5–6), and translates, "that his eye split open and he stands to lose his vision in one eye." However, when the phrase עלי עין מא תראה appears in other Geniza letters it seems to refers to a temporary not seeing or not being seen, e.g. "do not buy anything if eye-does-not-see" (T-S 13J26.22) or "if my son turns out to be a worthless employee, get rid of him ('make him eye-does-not-see')" (T-S 24.78). The second clause in the sentence in this letter could also be wa-anta ʿalā ʿayn mā tarāhu, meaning '[you received word from Nahray about X] without having seen him.' The first clause is difficult to read; the form "tabaqqara" does not appear in Arabic dictionaries, and it is possible that the word ʿaynahu is actually ʿaybahu. In sum, both the reading and the meaning of the sentence are obscure, but it is likely that there is no information here about Nahray's eye disease. Corroborating evidence for the absence of illness is that Ismāʿīl wrote to Nahray on the same day (T-S 10J15.4) and two days later (T-S 8.66) and did not send good wishes for a recovery. ASE.

Fragment of a letter from Abu Sad al-Magribi, might be from Jerusalem, to Nahray b. Nissim. Around 1060. The writer mentions Jerusalem, Ishaq b. Aharon, and Ḥasan b. Amar, that his son, Yuala, brought the letter. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #827) VMR

Badly effaced letter to a business friend describing his dire situation and lack of wheat and asking the addressee for assistance. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter written in a mixture of Hebrew and Arabic script. Various blessings and Bible citations are rendered in Hebrew script, whereas the main part is written in Arabic script. Seems to be an elaborate letter of appeal for charity. Mentions Ibn ʿAwkal, Ibn al-Madhāmīrī(?), and Ibn Qarīṭa(?) (v3–4). (Information in part from CUDL.) Needs further examination.

Letter from Nissim b. Ḥalfon, from Tinnis, to Nahray b. Nissim, Fustat. Around 1053. The writer is in need for money in Tinnis. He asks Nahray to collect money for him from Abu al-Faraj Ya’aqov b. Avraham Ibn Alan, the known moneychanger. He wants to know if Nahray is interested in an expensive coat (worth 20 dinars) that he can buy for him in Tinnis. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #587) VMR

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

Letter from Natan b. Nahray, Alexandria, to Nahray b. Nissim, Fustat, in which the writer states that an amount of money sent by Nahray was delivered by Natan to the widow of Awad b. Hananel, ca. 1045-1096.

Letter conveying good wishes for Purim and Passover. (S. D. Goitein, Mediterranean Society, 5:351, 603; and Goitein's index cards) VMR

The beginning of two drafts of eloquent complaint against Zikri b. Musallam Ibn al- Naja al-Tabib, to the Nagid Avraham and two of the chief justice in Fustat. On the other side the writer notes that most people in the town knew what had happened between him and Ibn al-Naja. (S. D. Goitein, Mediterranean Society, 5:301-302, 590.) VMR. Join by Oded Zinger.

Legal document in which a man from a small town excuses himself for having accused a man, who was obliged to present proof of innocence. Abu al-Bayan and Abu al-Muna are mentioned. (Information from Goitein's index cards.) Join by Oded Zinger.

Letter of appeal for charity from Avraham al-Dimashqi b. Yitro. He describes his sufferings (poverty, family to support, capitation tax to pay) and asks for help. (Information from Goitein's index cards.) See also T-S 13J35.7, a similar letter from the same man addressed to Mevorakh b. Yiṣḥaq.

Top of a letter, contains the opening Hebrew blessings. joins with TS 10J20.20. There are few lines still missing between the two joins. The letter is by Abraham al-Dimasqi the teacher b. Jethro, with lengthy Hebrew blessings, and asking for support. AA

Letter written by Mevōrākh b. Natan and signed in full by the Gaon Sār Shālōm ha-Levi. The latter rebukes the muqaddam, or head of the Jewish community of al-Maḥalla, for neglecting essentials in favor of trifles, citing as an example the cases of two women, one of whom sent a proxy to the Gaon’s court over a matter of 1 and 11/24 dinars, and the other of whom vexed her son-in-law by intrusion into his house, unfounded accusations, and suits before Muslim courts. (Information from Mediterranean Society, III, p. 336, 502). EMS

Letter in Ladino to Efrayim ʿAdda (עדה) from David, mentioning Livorno, Ragusa and Senor Vidal. Dated 563 (5563 of the Era of Creation = 1802 CE). (Information from CUDL)

Letter from David b. Nahum b. Hakhmon, from Alexandria, to Nahray b. Nissim, Fustat. Around 1053. The letter contains several topics: details about the ships movements; oil that was sent from the Maghreb to Egypt; the quite situation in Tripoli (Libya); a disagreement about the price of amber; and a disagreement in Alexandria between the cantor and his son. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #690) VMR

Letter from Barhun b. Mūsā al-Tahirti seemingly from Ascalon apparently to his father in Fustat. The writer mentions that he searched for messages from the addressee among the couriers in Palestine, but that he did not find any. He hopes to find some in Jerusalem. He also reports on his trip from Tinnis in Egypt to Ascalon in Palestine which took seven days because the boat had to moor on the way because of the danger it might be blown Westwards again. Dated ca. 1045. (Information from Mediterranean Society, I, pp. 288, 326 and Gil)

Petition from Hibatallāh b. Bū l-Faḍl Ibn al-Shofeṭ to Moshe Maimonides. Dating: ca. 1180 CE. The sender complains concerning a part of the revenue of the house of Ibn Pinḥas in Fustat, which had been allocated to him some time before. The petition is written in a very flowery and flattering style, in which besides biblical phrases there are also some more original figures of speech. (Information from Gil, Documents, pp. 325 #79)