Geniza Lab

Letter sent from Fustat by Barhun b. Salih al-Tahirti to his cousin Barhun b. Musa. The letter deals with business dealing with Muslims and the collection of debts. Dated ca. 1053. (Information from Gil)

Communal letter of some kind. In Hebrew. Dated: End of Iyyar 5791 AM, which is 1031 CE. Approximately 18 signatures are preserved, including that of Menuḥa ha-Kohen b. Yosef (who appears in T-S 12.427 and who also signed T-S 13J1.7 and ENA 2556.8). Information in part from Friedman, "Polygamy — New Information from the Genizah" Tarbiz 43 (1973), p. 168 and from Goitein, Med Soc II, p. 571, n. 42.

Legal document. Partnership agreement. Dating: 1007-1055 (speculative). This document records a partnership agreement between Manṣūr b. Israel ha-Levi and Mas‘ūd b. Mevorakh, who placed 200 gold pieces and 10 gold pieces, respectively, in a common purse. It is unclear whether both parties, or just Mas‘ūd, engaged in active trading, though line 19 and the fact that they were both active in trading suggests an unlimited partnership between them. Profits are to be split equally despite the fact that one of the partners has provided over 95% of the partnership capital, a division which violates the Ḥanafī mufāwaḍa model (see Udovitch 1970, p.48). The full date is not preserved, only the month and the first two digits of the year remain. The signatures suggest that the document may date from the period of Efrayim b. Shemarya, 1007-1055. Signatories: Avraham b. Ghālib, Moshe b. David ha-Levi, ‘Ezrōn b. [?] ha-Kohen, and Hussein Efrayim b. Shemarya. (Information from Lieberman, "A Partnership Culture", 78)

Minute fragemnt from a legal deed written by Halfon b. Menashshe Halevi (date: 1100-1138) concerning an agreement involving the wife of Abu Sulayman David. No further details are preseved.

Letter of appeal for charity. In Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic. Long, well-written, well-preserved.

Letter from Yosef ha-Kohen and Shelomo ha-Shofeṭ and 'the two congregations' of Fustat addressed to an unknown community (aḥeinu anshei [the fragment ends here]). In Hebrew.

Letter from the lepers of Tiberias. Fragment. Written by Hillel b. Yoshua. (Gil)

Letter from Yisrael ha-Kohen Gaon b. Shemuel. April 1019, in the handwriting of Israel ha-Kohen b. Shemuel b. Hofni. The letter is addressed to one of the most important members in the community. The addressee and the community/place are unknown. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, #62) VMR

Quittance. Written by Hillel b. Eli. names: Salim b. Zedaqa ha-Zovi (= from Allepo), Ovadya b. Fahda, Zedaqa b. Moshe. Signed by Nethanel b. Yefet, Avraham Halevi b. Yefet, Avraham b. Elazar. ca. 1070

Bill of divorce, minute fragment, from 1125

Legal deed, 1145, minute fragment.

Bottom of a court record in the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe ha-Levi. Signed by him and also by Ḥalfon b. Yosef ha-Kohen. Dating: 1127–38 CE, based on the conjunction of the years of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe and the years of Maṣliaḥ Gaon.

Legal document. Small fragment from the top left side of a legal document. ישועה בן משה, צדיק בן שמריה. Fustat. Judeo-Arabic and Aramaic. AA

Letter addressed to Moshe b. Ghālib ha-Kohen. Dating: Probably 11th or 12th century. Discusses the education of 'the children of the community' (awlād al-ṣibbur). Only the upper part of the letter is preserved here.

Bill of divorce of Bidra b. Smuel, signed by Shalom b. Pinhas

Bill of release. 12 th centurty

Quittance from Ulla b. Tahor (or Tahor b. Ulla - his name appears in both options) to Saadia and his wife Sitt al-Husn. Signed by Yaaqov the physician b. Ḥalfon

Another fragment from ENA NS 18.17a, not a direct join

Legal document dated Av 1346/July-August 1035 concerning Yehuda b. Yaʿaqov, who had disregarded the ruling of the court in Qayrawan, Ifrīqiya. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Yehuda b. Ṭoviyyahu, probably in Bilbays, to Yiṣḥaq b. Yehuda, probably in Fustat. In Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic. Apparently putting in a good word for an orphaned youth (al-ṣabiyy al-yetom) who is poor and owes the capitation tax. There are also several mentions of "the elders in a partnership" (with the addressee?).