Geniza Lab

Business letter from Yaʿqūb b. Salāma (aka Yaʿaqov b. Shelomo) to his brother Shemuel b. Shelomo. The phrase "the Maghribī scribe" also appears in the address. Written in a mixture of Arabic (in Arabic script) and Judaeo-Arabic. The portion preserved here mainly contains formulaic expressions of longing and deference. Mentions someone called Sayf al-Dawla al-[...] al-Juyūshī; a profit of 8 3/4 dinars; and "the small ship" (al-qārib al-ṣaghīr), which Aodeh suggests is the ship of the ruler of Tyre Ibn Abī ʿAqīl, but does not explain why. (Information from Aodeh.)

Business letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Probably 11th century or early 12th century. Mentions Abū Kathīr; the sender was distressed to learn that the addressee received the money (al-danānīr) but not the belts (al-zanānir); he swears by all that he believes in that he has sworn in front of Jews and Muslims that Abū l-ʿIzz is the most trustworthy man who lives: "If I had 1,000 Maʿaddī dinars with him, it would be as if they were in my own chest and under my lock, may God avenge [...] if you say the opposite of what I believe." (Maʿaddī dinars are mentioned again on verso and also in ENA 4011.72 from 1100 CE; presumably they refer to dinars minted under the caliph Abū Tamīm Maʿaa al-Mustanṣir, who died in 1094 CE.) At the bottom of recto, the letter mentions a ḥaver and someone named Muḥammad al-Būnī. Almost all of the text on verso consists of detailed business accounting, with references to multiple types of currency.

Talmudic discussion.

Letter from Ṣāliḥ b. Mūsā to Nahray b. Nissim. Dating: ca. 1045 CE. The sender says that Ṣāʿid b. Shuʿayb ordered mats(?) from him, so he had them made, but then Masʿūd married Ṣāʿid's wife(?! Gil suggests divorcee, but maybe fiancee is meant), and now Ṣāʿid doesn't need them any more. The sender now offers the product to Nahray. The sender's brother-in-law Maymūn has sent some bitumen (qifār) with Abū l-Ṭayyib Ḥunayn. He regrets that there are no salt-cured small fish (ṣīr) in his location this year. (Information in part from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #787.) VMR. ASE.

Accounts in Judaeo-Arabic. Mentions Alexandria. Dating: ~12th century, but this is a guess.

Fragment of a legal document. Dating: Probably 12th or 13th century. Involves al-Shaykh al-Muhadhdhab Netanʾel ha-Sar ha-Nikhbad. None of the details of the case are preserved. On verso there are remnants of accounts in Arabic script and Greek/Coptic numerals.

Fragment of a letter from Daniel b. ʿAzarya to ʿEli b. Amram, in Fustat. Daniel is expressing his support of ʿEli b. ʿAmram against people who disagree with him. Also words of condolences for a person who passed away. On verso there is Hebrew literary text. (Information from Gil, Palestine, vol. 2 pp. 683–84, #369). VMR

Formal letter addressed to a dignitary with many titles, named [...] b. Sh[...]. In Hebrew. Dating: Perhaps 11th century. Very little of the content of the message is preserved. On verso there is Hebrew poetry.

Letter addressed to a certain Avraham or [...] b. Avraham. In Hebrew. Concerning communal matters. Mentions 4 silver pieces; reward for the addressee; and the pseudo-Talmudic aphorism "a community is not poor" (ואין ציבור עני). The sender's identification may be in the second-to-last line, but it is difficult to read. There is a motto וישע יקרב, perhaps followed by a date. On the aphorism, see Ron Kleinman, "'The Community is not Poor' — The Metamorphosis of a Halakhic Rule" (Hebrew), Sidra 20 (2005), 195–209. Kleinman identifies the first known occurrence of the phrase in the commentary on the Talmud of Barukh b. Shemuel ha-Sefaradi, ca. 1100 CE (p. 199). On verso there is Hebrew literary text.

Legal or state document in Arabic script. Perhaps an IOU or a receipt. Mentions ʿAbdallāh and various numbers. Needs examination.

Judaeo-Arabic tafsīr: Genesis 43:31 – 44:1; 44:13 – 19; 49:8 – 15; 49:28 – 50:1. Information from Shivtiel/Niessen catalogue.

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Fragmentary (bottom part only). Part of the address is preserved, but it is probably illegible. The sender complains about receiving no news for 3 months. He/she asks for news and mentions a young woman (al-ṣabiyya) and something to do with "going out." Regards to the whole family and to the neighbors, and to Abū l-Faraj and his wife. There is also something to do with Eliyya and a dirham.

Letter from Shemuel b. Shānjī. Fragment (left side only). In Hebrew. Dating: 16th century (per Avraham David). The sender asks the addressee to buy him a silk ṭallit.

Probably a halakhic work.

Letter from a certain Yehuda to a certain Elʿazar ("the Prince"). In Hebrew. Dating: Probably 15th–18th century, and this could likely be narrowed. The sender offers copious excuses about various things, makes learned references, and talks about books (e.g., the tractate Bava Meṣiʿa). At the bottom, at 180 degrees, there is a line of poetry about souls being bound together. Needs further examination.

Recto: Letter of appeal for charity from a Torah scholar. In Hebrew.

Verso: Accounts in Arabic script: الذي عند الشيخ بو ال . . .

Legal fragment. In Judaeo-Arabic. Involving a certain Abū Mūsā and an agent. Much of the text remains, but the content is opaque. Needs examination.

Recto: Legal document. Location: Fustat. Dated: Sunday, 17 [...] 1359 Seleucid, which is 1047/48 CE. Mainly in Judaeo-Arabic. Certifying that [...] b. Khalaf ha-Levi has paid a portion of the early marriage payment to Dalāl bt. Faraj, and that he will come to Fustat and marry her before Purim of the coming year, and if not he will give her a bill of divorce. Mentions the cantor Ḥusayn b. [...] and the parnas Yaʿīsh ha-Kohen. Written and signed by Yefet b. David b. Shekhanya. Also signed by [...] b. Avraham. (Information from Goitein's index card #11876.)

Verso: Account of the Qodesh: building expenditures and supplies for the Synagogue. Dating: ca. 1042 – Nov. 1043. In the hand of Yefet b. David b. Shekhanya (according to Goitein). Only the left part of the leaf is preserved. The work of a carpenter and his helpers is noted as is the supply of plastering materials, including red and white gypsum, probably for some decorative work. There is mention of stones, an item seldom met in these accounts. Candlesticks and chains are supplied to the synagogue. The record also contains some bigger money matters between the leading officials of the congregation, such as the return to one of them of a sum he had advanced for the needs of the synagogue. It must have been a huge sum, since besides dinars, the total amount of which is not preserved, 669 dir. are mentioned. (Information from Gil, Documents, pp. 204 #28)