Geniza Lab

Magical fragment

Letter, fragmentary, sent to Abu al-Faraj in which the writer informs the recipient that he arrived safely and sends warm greetings to several persons.

Recto: Fragment of a large ketubba in the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. "The primary purpose of providing a woman with real estate was the creation for her of enduring economic security, which would make her financially independent. This is self-evident in the numerous cases in which a woman possessed more than one piece of property. For example, when a widow (or, less likely, divorcee, l. 10) brings into the marriage, besides a valuable bridal outfit, 'an entire large house in the Fortress of the Candles' (l. 7), another 'large house in the Grand Bazaar opposite the Funduq' (l. 9), and quarter of a house somewhere else (where, not preserved)." Med Soc, III, 326. Verso: Small fragment of a legal document, also in the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe, written on the back of the ketubba, dealing with money which was not included in an inheritance.

Letter from Abū Zikrī to his father Eliyyahu the Judge. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Late 12th or early 13th century. The letter conveys eloquent greetings for Hannuka (recto). Abū Zikrī was sick ever since arriving in [...], but he has started to recover, and now he suffers only the remnants of the illness. He sends regards to numerous family members and friends (verso). In a postscript, he writes, "You know, my master, that the reason for my illness is the death of R. Avraham." And he claims that the reason he has been unable to come in person is that he does not want to [see?] a Fustat that is bereft of Avraham. (Information in part from Mediterranean Society, V, p. 395 and from Goitein's index cards.) ASE

Deed, commercial, attesting to Alexandria's importance in international trade. The document mentions traders from Venice and Constantinople, as well as Sicilian coins. Apparently the deed is from the beginning of the twelfth century, to judge by the names, which appear in documents from the circle of Nahray b. Nissim. The document also contains an important report on a dispute between people from the Maghrib and local Alexandrians, headed by the Alexandrian Ben Nahum family. (Information from Frenkel. See also Goitein, Med. Soc. 3:159)

Letter addressed to Abu al-Ḥasan Ali b. Ishaq, dealing with business affairs. Ibrahom is mentioned

Letter in the hand of Berakhot b. Shemuel. Possibly addressed to Avraham Maimonides. In Judaeo-Arabic. The letter is an extremely polite reminder to give the writer some money, perhaps as reimbursement or as a wage from the public funds. "When I observed some delay on the part of the master, which is not his custom. . . . I attributed it to his honor's (al-ḥaḍra) preoccupation with the illness of the master (al-mawlā) and the distraction of his mind and his distance from his country. . . ." It is not entirely clear whether the ḥaḍra and the mawlā are different people or not. "The proof, by God, will be from Sunday onward, and tomorrow is Friday, and I have not received anything except for 2 1/4 raṭls of [bread?]. What I received from the jāmikiyya only lasted through the end of the day today, Thursday, the 2nd of Dhū l-Qaʿda." Someone titled ʿAlam al-Dīn gave the writer 9 1/2 (dirhams?). The writer emphasizes the urgency of his request, "for I am among the dead/perishing." He appends an account of expenses for the week, again referring to the jāmikiyya. The expenses include many foodstuffs as well as the fee for the bathhouse and the launderer. The transcription below includes only the words, not the Coptic numerals given for each item. ASE.

Letter in which the judge Avraham b. Natan Av apologizes for being unable to attend a circumcision ceremony in Fustat because he had been scheduled for another one in Cairo before. The writer asks that his letter of apology be read out during the celebrations. (Information from Mediterranean Society, III, pp. 475, 476)

Letter from a certain Yehuda to a respected person. In Hebrew, rhymed. Formatted like a literary work.

Notes from a lesson given by Maimonides. There is a fingerprint. See analysis and edition in Friedman, "Notes by a Disciple in Maimonides' Academy Pertaining to Beliefs and Concepts and Halakha" [Hebrew], Tarbiz (1993), p. 570f.

Legal document. In the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. Involving Abū Saʿīd Makhlūf ('al-Ne'eman') and Moshe ha-Zaqen and ʿAmram ha-Zaqen.

Letter from an unknown writer, possibly in Abū Qīr, addressed to Fustat, al-ʿAṭṭārīn, the shop of Muslim/Musallam al-Kaʿkī. Written in Judaeo-Arabic with the address in Arabic script. Dating: Possibly 11th or early 12th century, based on the trade emporia named. Deals with business in mats (? anṭāʿ). The writer mentions Abū l-Surūr traveling to al-Mahdiyya, Tripoli (Libya), and Byzantium. He complains about the capitation tax and his poor fortune in business. Needs further examination.

Legal document. Partnership agreement. Dated: 1248-1249. Location: Fustat. This document describes a partnership in a sugar-factory. It's likely the document is a draft because it lacks the signatures of witnesses, and because it uses “So-and-So” ("Pl[oni] ben Pl[oni]") in place of the partners’ names throughout. However, the level of detail which is included suggests that this was not simply the page out of a formulary work. The partnership may have been an apprenticeship since only one of the partners is described as bringing assets to the partnership, the distribution of profits is not even between the partners but rather grants one partner two-thirds of the profit despite the fact that both partners are active in trading, and the partnership itself is to last “a number of years”. Lines 14-15 read “And if So-and-So requests [this] of us, we will affix our signature”, suggesting that perhaps sometimes partnership agreements were formed without witnesse. (Information from Lieberman, "A Partnership Culture", 85)

Letter of recommendation on behalf of a proselyte. The conversion took place by the time of R. Menahem (b. Sasson?) and the proslyte was imersed. Also mentioned Yehuda ha-sar ha-gadol

Letter in which the writer asks his relative to help him to put together the outfit of his daughter, named Sitt al-Na'am, and sends greetings to three women. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from the office of Yehoshua Maimonides dealing with the capitation tax and with the kashrut of meat, first half of the 14th c.

Recto: Letter from Abū Naṣr b. Avraham, in Alexandria, to an India trader (probably not Ḥalfon b. Netanel). Dating: 20 Adar II, likely 1448 Seleucid = 1137 CE. Inquiring about arrivals from the India route and describing the general economic depression in Alexandria. A brother of Abū Naṣr adds greetings. (Information from Goitein and Friedman, India Book IV; Hebrew description below.) Verso: Addendum to a letter written by Abū Naṣr b. Avraham, Ḥalfon b. Netanel's representative in Alexandria, possibly to Abū Zikrī Kohen, the representative of the merchants in Fustat. The identification of the sender and addressee was made according to the handwriting, style and content of the letter. The letter reports hard times in Alexandria. The letter testifies to Abu Nasr's involvement in the India trade. Local scarf production is also mentioned. (Information from Frenkel. See additional information in Goitein, Med. Soc. 5:180 no. 36.)

Letter, in which the writer asks the recipient to check if a messengers brought a letter from his brother.

Letter, in which the writer; Yehosef, asks Ḥalfon to lend him some small tables, two trays and two pillows. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Ketubba. Early. (Information from Goitein's index cards)