Geniza Lab

Legal document (bottom). Signed by Mevorakh ha-Kohen and Yefet b. Toviya.

Legal document. In the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. "A suit was filed in court (ll. 1–2, 12) by the two sons of the late Abū l-Ḥasan (l. 5) against their step-mother, the widow ʿAshīra (l. 5). The formers charged in their suit that the latter took possession unlawfully (since a woman is not considered an heir) of a house in al-Qālūs which belonged to their father, the fact which probably was indicated in the original deed (kitāb aṣl) which was in their possession. Thus, they claimed to be the legitimate heirs of this house (ll. 3–5). However, the denials argued against the charges by the latter were that there had already passed 20 years from the death of her husband, during which she was in possession of that property (which was probably conveyed to her as her late portion of her marriage contract, l. 8). She accused her late husband's sons of stealing the document from her without her knowledge (ll. 7, 9). The woman probably took this opportunity to ask the court (l. 9) to issue a bill stating her rights against her rivals (l. 11). The ruling of the court was to arrange for a ḥerem setam, a general ban, against the sons (ll. 14–15). No signatures are preserved." (Information from Gershon Weiss.) This is potentially the same dispute as in T-S 13J13.6 (which in turn is related to T-S 10J16.4 and T-S Ar.18(1).107). But it does not seem possible to prove or disprove the connection.

Deed of release. Location: Fustat. Dated: 1277 Seleucid, which is 965/66 CE. Granted by Natan b. Yaʿaqov b. Shaʿbūn (שעבון) to Ḥasan b. ʿEli ha-Kohen, declaring that he has no remaining claims on the estate of the late Salmān or on Ḥasan b. ʿEli. Witnessed by Shelomo b. Saʿīd ha-Kohen (probably also the scribe), Yosef b. Ḥasan and Simḥa b. Yefet. (Information in part from CUDL and Goitein's index card.)

Bill of divorce, Qaraite. In Hebrew. T-S 12.54 and T-S 12.70 are two very rare examples of Qaraite bills of divorce. Location: Fustat. Dated: Wednesday, 24 Shevaṭ 135[.] Seleucid, which is 1039–47 CE. Husband: Ḥasan b. Ṭayyib. Wife: Ḥusn bt. Yaʿqūb.

Legal document written and signed by Yeḥiʾel b. Elyaqim (active 1213–33). Quite faded. It seems that al-Rayyis Abū Saʿd gives half of a house to his daughter Sitt al-Riyāsa and her husband Efrayim. One phrase reads, "I feared lest this matter become known to the Muslims." Also signed by Yeshuʿa b. Sar Shalom ha-Kohen. (Information in part from Goitein's index card.)

Marriage contract (ketubba). Location: New Cairo. Dated: Thursday, 23 Av 1394 Seleucid, which is 1083 CE. Bride: Kūfiyya bt. Ṭāhir. Groom: Benyamin b. Moshe. A very poor couple. The addition to the obligatory bride money is only 3 + 5 = 8 dinars. No dowry. Signed by Ṣedaqa b. Manṣūr ha-Kohen. (Information from Goitein's index card.) On verso there are two short lines in Arabic script referring to items in different colors (green, blue)—unclear significance.

Legal document fragment involving בן שבארש and R. Khallūf.

Statement concerning contributions to a public appeal in Minyat Zifta, a small town in the Delta, written in summer, 1266. A special drive was arranged in the town from September 1265 through April 1266 in support of the Jewish community of Cairo. Eighteen people contributed a total of 1,024 and three/fourths dirhams. The statement begins with the words, “We the congregation of Minyat Zafta Jawad, make the following declaration: When in the month of Av 1576 [1265], the decree of the King [that is, God] came upon us because of our many sins, necessitating a collection, we extracted strength from weakness and joined Israel in its tribulation, despite our inability to do so, our poverty and indigence.” (S. D. Goitein, Mediterranean Society, 2:44, 137-8, 501, 531, 532, 549, 606) EMS

Marriage contract in which a widow contributes one sixth of a house from a previous marriage and stands surety for her husband in case he is sued by her two sons and/or a fourth party in the house, a Muslim. Drafted by judge Natan b. Shemuel (in office ca. 1140-1147) in Tevet 1459/November-December 1147. (Information from Goitein, Mediterranean Society, III, p. 386, item 9)

Letter from ʿAyyāsh b. Ṣedaqa, from Alexandria, to the Tahirti family, Fustat. May 27, 1050. ʿAyyāsh returned from Busir where he bought a large amount of flax, for Nahray, to the cousins (the Tahirtis) and several others. There were some accidents with the goods, several shipments got wet and several others were stolen. ʿAyyāsh mentions deals of silk and pearls with Abd al-Rahman the jeweler, and several other goods. Verso: Draft of an account regarding flax and other goods, as well as details about the expenses for ship rental, bribe, and taxes. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #485) VMR

Partnership agreement dated Sivan 1735 CE (5495), to last for eight years, it seems for a business venture dealing in etrogim. The six partners are (1) Yaʿaqov Bonsenyor (whose signature is preserved at the bottom), (2) Yeshuʿa al-Ḥāmī, (3) Avraham [...], (4) David Mizraḥī known as Nawwār (?), and (5) the youth Avraham Rozanes known as Ghazzāwī, and (6) Avraham's father, Shemuel al-Ghazzāwī. (There are a few missing words so it is not certain that Shemuel al-Ghazzāwī is the 6th partner.) An interesting detail mentioned is that Yaʿaqov Bonsenyor is about to set forth for a sheliḥut in Hebron and in Yemen. ASE.

Marriage contract from Minyat Zifta, circa 1120, opening with an excerpt from Psalm 92. The marriage gift was 40 Dinars and the dowry another 50. Information from Med. Soc. According to Reif, this document is also mentioned in Ashtor, Histoire des Prix, p.173

Formulary for a ketubba. With some unusual clauses. Dated: 1393 Seleucid, which is 1081/82 CE. On verso there is Hebrew piyyuṭ. (Information from Friedman's edition.)

Legal testimony. Location: Qalyūb. Dating: 1205–37 CE, as the document is intended to reach Avraham Maimonides. The community asks the Nagid to reappoint Tamīm b. Yosef as the muqaddam (cantor, slaughterer, and teacher) of Qalyūb. They will pay him 8 dirhams a week "due to our poverty." Information in part from Goitein's notes.

Letter fragment (upper right corner). Addressed to the writer's father. In Judaeo-Arabic. Mentions a young man from Aleppo and a medicinal syrup. The letter is written in rhymed prose, like many of Abū Zikrī b. Eliyyahu's letters, and the handwriting is actually quite similar.

Release in the name of Banāt bt. Ezra for the sons of her sister (?), dated 1129/30 CE (4890), from Alexandria (?). On verso is a note about the transference of a share to Shemuel b. Aharon, Beth Din. Information from Worman catalog and FGP.

Legal document. In the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. "The court acts as the guardian of orphans in securing their late father's inheritance. Date not preserved. What can be drawn out from this fragment may be summarized as follows: the court, as the guardian of orphans (l. 4) and Abū l-Faraj Netanel (l. 5) (probably the deceased man's partner) came to terms (l. 7) concerning the rent (l. 8) of a house (l. 13), which was conveyed to the orphans as inheritance. What seems to be agreed upon is that Abū l-Faraj who owned a sugar factory, (maṭbakh) (l. 8), assigned it as security if something happened to the house, e.g., be confiscated by the government (l. 9), so that the orphans will not be deprived of their rights (l. 10), and will receive their due every month without delay (l. 11). Abū l-Wafāʾ was probably the executor of the deceased man's estate (ll. 2–3, 9), who concluded the deal with Abū l-Faraj. The record was duplicated and each party involved received a copy. Since the document in our possession is not signed, it is understood to be a copy rather than the original." (Information from Gershon Weiss.)

Legal document in the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. Fictive sale (bayʿ ṭāliq) of half of a house in Qaṣr al-Shamʿ for 4 years. Right to buy back. (Information from Goitein's index card.)

Legal document, quite faded. Needs further examination.

Court notebook. I (right column): A woman gives her daughter 1/2 of a house on the occasion of her marriage. She promises to register it in Muslim courts and stipulates that the rent for the first year should be given to herself (the mother of the bride). Signed by Yehuda b. Moshe ha-Mumḥe and Yosef b. Hillel. II (recto, left column and verso): Dowry evaluation (taqwīm). for [...] b. Yeḥezqel ha-Kohen and the orphan Sitt al-Maʿālī bt. Yeshuʿa b. Peraḥya. Dowry: 55. Marriage payments: 5 + 25 = 30. The bride receives half a house in partnership with her infant brother Bū Manṣūr. Her mother is Sitt al-Fakhr. (Information from Goitein's index card.)