Geniza Lab

Letter of appeal for charity. In Hebrew, with some Aramaic. Asking the addressee(s) to gather with זקני הנדבה and raise funds. Most of the letter consists of sermonizing about charity.

Rabbinica; discusses the obligation to follow earlier authorities, and criticism of Shemuel b. Ḥofni's opinion on the biblical authority of the ketubba. Information from FGP.

List of people to be excommunicated ('by name'/באסם). The left halves of ~7 entries are preserved. "In the bar (mashraba) with... and her children... a place with drunk people... between her and them..." With the join, we now have the right halves of 3 of the original entries and the right halves of 2 new entries. 2 of the entries are now complete (if not entirely clear): “Every woman who wraps a turban or braids her hair [….], even in her own house" and "Every man who is able to marry but does not do so because he is too busy with sinful things." ASE

Literary text on the laws of sheḥiṭa.

Letter addressed to Yosef Arokh, probably in Fustat/Cairo. Dating: 16th century. The sender mentions various family members, including his daughter Esther and niece (sobrina) Reina.

Jottings in Judaeo-Arabic and Hebrew. Several of the lines sound like they come from a letter. There might be multiple fragments stuck together here.

Legal document. Probably a release. Fragment (left half only). In Hebrew. Dated: 52[..] AM, which is 1439–1539 CE. Involves [...] Suʿūd known as Ibn ʿIjala and his two brothers; Mardūk known as Ṭūzī; and David. Of the witness signatures only the name "Shaʿra" is preserved, probably someone from the Ibn Shaʿra family.

Accounts in Judaeo-Arabic and Greek/Coptic numerals. In a rudimentary hand. Mentions גדא (food), צנע, and וכאלה (lodging?) several times each.

Legal deed. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Probably 12th century; more precise dating will likely be possible based on the names mentioned. The document has to do with a business partnership; a shop in a village, 21 3/4 dinars, and a sum to be divided equally. The parties are Avraham b. [..]īm ha-Zaqen and Shelomo b. Shela. The witnesses are Yeshuʿa b. Berakhot ha-[...] and Moshe ha-Levi b. [...].

Legal testimony. Location: Aden. Dating: ca. summer 1131 CE. Fragment (upper right corner). The handwriting is very similar to that of the North African trader Yosef b. ʿEzra (cf. T-S 20.37 and BL OR 5566D.24 + T-S 10J16.8). This document alludes to controversies and confusion in Aden; the details of the story are almost entirely missing. (Information from Goitein and Friedman, India Book IV.)

Legal document(s). Location: Fustat. Dated: 5 Ṭevet 1[4]21 Seleucid, which is 1109/10 CE. May have to do with a mercantile partnership. Mentions (at least) 50 dinars, then Rūmī dinars, then a separation. Signed by Avraham b. Shemaʿya and Yiṣḥaq b. Shemuel ha-Sefaradi. On verso there is an addendum, mentioning (at least) 500 of something—so maybe the case was about a sum of 550 dinars—with the same signatories.

Legal testimony. Fragmentary (top part only). Includes the unusual formula העדים החוקקים עידותינו (cf. ENA NS 18.26). Concerns [...] b. Muslim b. Shuʿayb al-Dimashqī and a woman. Later, refers to "the witnesses of the ketubba" and somebody's mother.

Legal query addressed to Avraham Maimonides. Concerning a marriage; the last line says what happened next, but it is hard to read.

Letter describing a legal case. In Judaeo-Arabic. Phrases include: "...Abū l-Barakāt... a period of three months... my caution, I didn't sue anyone, and I didn't attend... the group of fair people, namely... and the ḥaver Rabbi Ḥalfon will testify to the truth of what I have said... May God visit on him what he promised... she is gentle... if a reply comes to us... I will not travel (or: I didn't travel)."

Fragment of a letter of appeal for charity. In Hebrew, in a calligraphic, square book hand. The petitioner is unable to pay his (or her) debts.

Fragment of a letter in Judaeo-Arabic. The sender asks for help in some tiresome situation. Mentions Khalaf the ghulām of the Rayyis.

Possibly a letter of praise. Consists almost entirely of poetical Hebrew phrases. At the bottom there is the writer's name: Kalev b. Yehuda. At the top, in Arabic script: ʿAbd al-[...] al-Ṣayrafī dāma ʿizzahū.

Large legal document. Fragment (right side only). In the hand of Hillel b. ʿEli? Mentions a codex; a partnership (sharika); payments in installments. Names listed in the qiyyum: [...] ha-Parnas b. Shelomo; Yosef b. Shelomo.

Bifolio filled with accounts in Judaeo-Arabic and Greek/Coptic numerals. Dating: Likely ~13th century. Many names are mentioned, including many Muslim-sounding ones.

One of four fragments from the court ledger of the Babylonian congregation of Damascus (T-S 16.181, T-S AS 146.66, T-S NS 320.108, and T-S 12.592). This fragment contains part of the signatures from the foot of one deed in addition to a fragmentary marriage register. Dated: 4693 AM, which is 932/33 CE. (Friedman, Jewish Marriage, vol. 2, 435.) EMS