Geniza Lab

Appears to be 4 pages of rabbinic literature. Very faded.

Extremely faded Hebrew text.

Legal testimony from the year 1225 (1536 in the Seleucid calendar) written under the auspices of Avraham Maimonides (1186-1237). A certain 'daughter of Abu al-Surur' is mentioned. The other side of the page contains a fragment of a legal testimony by the same hand, but probably a part of a different case. In line 6 the scribe clearly intended to have 'the banner of the rabbis' but the last letter in 'the rabbis' is omitted.

A three line fragment of a draft of a legal testimony. The other side of the page contains a fragment of what is probably a different case written in the same hand (for example, notice the BH combination in the first line in this document and in line 4 on the other side).

Recto: Very faded fragment from the beginning of a letter in to ha-Dayyan ha-Maskil (who is named, but the name is very faded). Verso: Hebrew literary text? Includes the phrase "I roar like a lion."

Judaeo-Arabic literary work, very damaged.

Fragment of a Judaeo-Arabic business letter, probably 11th century. Mentions Avraham b. Farrāḥ, Yūsuf b. Bishr, and a purchase that the writer made in al-Maḥalla.

Late business letter in Judaeo-Arabic addressed to Yaʿaqov b. Ḥabīb.

Late letter in Judaeo-Arabic, mentioning Marseilles (? מרסליה).

Late letter in Judaeo-Arabic.

Small fragment of a Judaeo-Arabic letter, mentioning a Moshe.

Small fragment of a Judaeo-Arabic letter.

Fragment of the vidduy.

Tiny fragment in Hebrew script.

A Maimonides autograph of the Guide for the Perplexed. Information from FGP.

Late fragment in Judaeo-Arabic, very faded, at least partially accounts.

Recto: Letter from Simḥa Kohen in Alexandria to Abū l-Faraj in Fusṭāṭ, early 12th century. In Judaeo-Arabic. The letter deals largely with business transactions, including in ṭurūḥ (veils?). The writer mentions a certain Levantine person (al-shakhṣ al-shāmī maʿrifat [...]); says that he seldom "goes in or out [of Fusṭāṭ?]" and only relies on one person to do his purchases for him. In the margin, he gives a bleak account of economic conditions in "al-balad" (probably Alexandria): it is not possible to purchase a certain garment or type of flax ("ḥattā l-maqāṭiʿ al-quṭn. . . inqaṭaʿat min al-balad"); "no one enters from the Rīf with anything [to sell]"; conditions here "are as you have heard, they do not require commentary, may God improve them"; "few people have flour"; "may God nullify the evil decree in His mercy for the sake of His name." He then returns to business matters. "If you desire the rest of the amount, it will reach you. However, Abū Ṭāhir said that these ṭurūh are available in Fusṭāṭ even more than here in the balad, and that they . . . Cairo." He mentions making a profit of 15 dirhams, and he mentions someone named Manṣūr (another 'slave' of the addressee). Ibrahīm and Yūsuf also send greetings. Verso: An account (donation list?) in Judaeo-Arabic headed "Shabbat of Vayehi Miketz" and including names such as Avraham al-Maghribi, Yūsuf Kamān (?), Manṣūr al-Zayyāt, and Makārim. ASE.

Recto: Account (or possibly a dowry list?) in Judaeo-Arabic, listing various items, many of which are garments, and their values. Verso: Mysterious symbols, perhaps writing practice or some sort of numeral.

Either one letter with both Judaeo-Arabic and Arabic components or two different letters. In the main, Judaeo-Arabic text, the writer greets al-Ḥakīm and Shaykh al-Makīn (sic) and his wife and Faḍl and the community and the neighbors, and reports that ʿAfīf sends regards. The text of the letter is quite faded but mostly has to do with silver coins (al-fulūs alladhī qult lī ʿalayhum) and the arrival and departure (?) of a boat. The Judaeo-Arabic text on verso is difficult to read but appears to mention Jujar. The Arabic text on verso is also faded. It includes the phrase "I arrived home from [...]" and "the 12th of the month of [...]." ASE.

Late betrothal document between Esther [...] bt. Se. Yaʿaqov ʿAdda and Se. Yosef פיחה (?), listing conditions. The word "contante" appears (Italian for "cash"?).