Geniza Lab

Fragment of a letter, probably. In Arabic script. The beginnings of ~7 lines are preserved. Mentions Ibn Khālawayh and his Grammar; then some phrases which are tricky to understand: الافاضل لقيتهم... وحصل لوليه طبقة في النحو.... Then refers to excerpts of "my poetry" (من شعري قطعة بعد قطع), then cites verses of poetry about old age: بان الشباب وجاء الشيب... وحالفتني الذرايا والخطوب دمعا... وخانني.... The first verse appears also in the chronicle/memoir of Usāma Ibn Munqidh, there attributed to the amir Abū Shujāʿ (بان الشباب وجاء الشيب يصحبه يا ليتها صحبة تبقى بلا بين). The other side of this document was reused for Hebrew poetry in the hand of a prolific scribe (see FGP Joins Suggestions).

Arabic letter - needs examination.

On verso few words from an Arabic official document - needs examination.

State document. Response to endorsement of a petition written by Yuḥannā b. Abī l-Layth (a Christian), who referred the case to the office of al-Afḍal. Dated: 504 AH (1115 CE). There are three hands on this fragment; the bottom four lines are presumably in the hand of Yuḥannā himself. On verso there is vocalized Hebrew piyyuṭ (Yehuda ibn Balʿam בזכרי משכבי). There are many joins for the Hebrew with different Arabic texts on recto; all should be looked at together. Geoffrey Khan's edition and discussion (ALAD, doc. 105) cites copious sources on Abū l-Barakāt Yuḥannā b. Abī l-Layth, the head of the Diwān al-Taḥqīq (aka Dīwān al-Majlis), 501–27 AH: "Al-Afḍal established an office known as dīwān al-taḥqīq in the year 501 AH and appointed as its head the Christian Abu al-Barakāt Yuḥannā b. Abī l-Layth. Yuḥannā remained in this appointment until he was removed in 527 AH and was killed in 528 AH (Ibn Muyassar, Akhbār Miṣr, 77, 108, al-Nuwayri, Nihāyat al-'arab XXVI, 81; al-Maqrīzī, ltti'āẓ al-ḥunafāʾ III, 39, 43, 75, 126, 148, Khiṭaṭ I 441, 488 [= Ibn al-Maʾmūn, Akhbār Miṣr, 21, 11]). The dīwān al-taḥqīq regulated the activities of the other government offices. According to Ibn al-Maʾmūn the office that was instituted in 501 AH and headed by Yuḥannā b. Abī l-Layth was the dīwān al-majlis (aI-MaqrlzI, Khiṭaț I, 401; Ibn aI-Ma'mūn, Akhbār Miṣr, 9). This appears to be the same office. Some sources, in fact, refer to the office as dīwān al-taḥqīq wa-l-majlis, e.g. aI-Shayyāl, Majmūʿat al-wathāʾiq al-Fāṭimiyya, 325:14. Elsewhere Ibn aI-Maʾmūn refers to Yuḥannā as mutawallī dīwān al-majlis wa-l-khaṣṣ (aI-Maqrlzi, Khiṭaṭ I, 412:3-4, Ibn aI-Ma'mūn, Akhbār Miṣr, 53:1)."

Few words in Arabic - needs examination.

Arabic list - needs examination.

Poem in Hebrew in the hand of Nāṣir al-Adīb al-ʿIbrī. May address the city of Tyre and its sages.

Few words, some crossed out. in Arabic - needs examination.

A list in Arabic on verso - needs examination.

Few sentences in Arabic are written on top of a Hebrew literary text - needs examination.

Remnants from an Arabic official document. Official letter(s) or petition(s) to the caliph al-Mustanṣir. Needs examination.

Fiscal document concerning wheat. Dated: middle of Muḥarram 564(?) AH. Reused for piyyut on verso. Needs examination.

Letter addressed to "my son," in Fustat. In Arabic script. Probably from his mother, since "your father" is mentioned in the third person several times. The bulk of the content is expressions of longing and rebukes for not having written. They received the letter of the addressee's paternal aunt. On verso there is a piece of the address and Hebrew piyyut.

Arabic text on verso - needs examination.

Arabic list on verso- needs examination.

Letter fragment (upper left corner). From Peraḥya b. Yosef al-A[...]. Only the Hebrew opening with biblical verses and poetical blessings is preserved. There are also a few words in Judaeo-Arabic and/or Hebrew on verso.

End of an official letter in Arabic script. "...fīmā yaḥtāj ilayh..." then a ḥamdala and ṣalwala. Reused for Hebrew piyyuṭ probably by the same scribe who reused T-S NS 111.63 and others (see Joins Suggestions).

A letter from a man from Palermo in which he described the hardship of the Jews in Sicily during civil war and invasion of foreign armies. The letter addressed to a Jewish notable. Scheiber and Z. Malachi, who were first to publish this letter, suggested it was sent to Spain to Hasdai Ibn Shiprut, and dated it accordingly to the 10th century. This assumption is based on the reconstruction of the opening lines which are very damaged, and the name of Hasdai is not mentioned at all in the letter. The historical event fits well with the 1030's-40's. (Data from FGP)

Fragment from an Arabic letter on verso. - needs examination.

Family letter in Arabic script. Mentions transactions of small sums of money and a malḥafa (type of garment). Mentions Makārim and Abū Isḥāq. Greetings from Munajjā and the addressee's brother-in-law Makārim. Reused for Hebrew piyyut.