Geniza Lab

Legal fragment. In the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dealing with a husband and wife and an item of copper.

Letter draft in Judaeo-Arabic. First two lines only. Addressed to 'my father Abū l-Faraj.'

Recto: Letter fragment from Manṣūr Kohen to Rabbenu Yiṣḥaq. In Judaeo-Arabic. Same writer as several other letters (see tag) addressed to Eliyyahu the Judge, giving a date in the early 13th century. Verso: Circles in magenta ink, apparently drawn with a compass or other ruler.

Legal query in Judaeo-Arabic (fa-yuftūnā sādātunā).

List of men's names.

Letter fragment in Judaeo-Arabic. Mentions a wife; the writer's suffering; regards to the addressee's wife and children; mentions Sitt Faḍā'il.

Accounts in Judaeo-Arabic. People named include Bulbul and Iskandar.

Legal fragment. In the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe.

Letter fragment in Judaeo-Arabic. Mentions a ḥaver. Very faded.

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic addressed to some dignitary. Only the formulaic opening is preserved. In the upper margin and on verso there are jottings in Hebrew script (the words "al-mamlūk" and "from Tyre" appear).

Letter or legal document. In Judaeo-Arabic. Mentions someone's (probably bad) character (akhlāq). Narrates a series of events ('on Sunday... and then...').

Official letter or petition. In Arabic script. Small fragment from the beginning: ...saʿādatahu wa-salāmatahu wa-niʿmatahu ʿalā....

Somewhat mysterious text in Judaeo-Arabic. Likely a letter. The sender/narrator speaks in roundabout ways about his passion (ṣabwa) for the addressee and his shame that prevented him from doing something - so perhaps this is the preface to a request. There is something about an oath in the last two lines.

Recto: Legal fragment. In Judaeo-Arabic. Deals with a payment by installments. Verso: Document in Arabic script. The word "mablagh" (=amount) is clearly legible; the rest needs examination.

Business letter. The hand may be known. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Probably 11th century. Mentions Ismāʿīl and indigo. The sender urges the addressee to make inquires and write with any news. Maymūn has sent the addressee a basket (quffa) of bitumen (qifār), c/o the shop of Ḥunayn(?). The sender wishes to know if it has arrived. The sender might say that he couldn't make it to Tyre this year.

Official letter. Small fragment. In Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic (partially vocalized). Wide space between the lines. Refers to a man who was appointed as judge and sole head of the community.

Business letter. In Judaeo-Arabic. The handwriting may be known. Dating: Probably 11th century. Mentions Abū Sahl Natan b. Yaʿaqov. Mentions the addressee's troubles with the capitation tax (? al-jawāl).

Fragment on verso, possibly poetry (for example line 9&10): "anta rūhī wa inta ___ qalbī" "انت روحي وانت ـــــ؟ قلبي ", "wa yā amīrī wa ya amīr amīrī".

Letter fragment, addressed to some dignitary. Recto preserves the flowery introduction of the letter. In Hebrew. There is very faded text in both Hebrew and Arabic script on verso, probably part of the address.

Letter fragment, addressed to Avraham ha-Talmid. What remains is the flowery introduction, in Hebrew. Several biblical verses are cited.