Geniza Lab

Legal document. Involving Abū Saʿīd Dāʾūd Ibn Shaʿya, Zekharya b. Tammām, Yehoshuaʿ b. Natan, and a house. Quite faded.

Letter and response. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Probably no earlier than 16th century. The writer of the original letter is in some distress and requests help (פי הדא אלאמר אנו דרורי כתיר קוי = indeed it is very very urgent). Regards to his brother-in-law Dā'ūd. This letter is addressed to Avraham Kohen Vini(?) יצו = ישמרו צורו. Needs further examination.

Letter from Makārim b. Faḍā'il, probably in Qūṣ, to Hibat Allāh (at least a mawlā of this name is respectfully greeted at the end), presumably in Fustat. The scribe is Mufaḍḍal b. Abū Saʿd. In Judaeo-Arabic. The writer asks the addressee to inform a woman (the female pronouns likely refer to an actual woman rather than being signs of respect to al-ḥaḍra like earlier in the same letter, because here they are not referring to the addressee) that he has sent her 120 dirhams with his neighbor Abū Saʿīd the Qaraite, and he is anxious to know if they have arrived. He wants her to travel to Qūṣ because he wishes to see her.

Letter addressed to Eliyyahu the Judge concerning business matters. Dating: possibly early 13th century. The writer was ill for 40 days, recovered, then relapsed. The writer is extremely distraught and apologetic about not being able to fulfill Eliyyahu's request to send some of the kawlān (papyrus?)—or perhaps its proceeds—that he had previously left with the writer. This is because Musa, the son of the sister of 'sayyidnā', arrived and demanded his uncle's share and took the larger package. Then the writer managed to sell some of the smaller package for 2 dirhams per ounce, which he thought was a good price, but Eliyyahu has told him that he should have gotten 10 dirhams per ounce. He hasn't even collected the full price from the buyer, and there is an ongoing court case. The handwriting resembles that of Yehuda b. Aharon b. al-ʿAmmānī. (The transcription on FGP for ENA 2727.27 is the trousseau list of Nājiya bt. Abū l-Khayr and belongs with a different shelfmark, probably ENA 4020.62.)

Letter sent from Acre shortly after it was taken by the Crusaders in 1104, in which a merchant describes to his parents the terrors of the war, as well as the usefulness of his servant in such a situation. (Information from Mediterranean Society, I, p. 132)

Letter from Aharon ha-Tinnisi b. Nahum the scribe. The writer is in need. He lost his job and prices are high, so he left Tinnis (in the Egyptian Delta), leaving behind two children as 'orphans' with their grandfather. He asks for help from the unnamed addressee.

Legal record. In the hand of David b. Yefet (or rather Efrayim b. Shemarya?). Khallūf makes a claim on the inheritance of Ibrāhīm b. ʿAllān. The document is fragmented, so it is tricky to figure out what is happening. Mentions a shop; mentions Yeshuʿa making a deposit; mentions a sum of 190 dinars; mentions "his father Hārūn b. Ismāʿīl"; Khallūf b. Yehuda; Yaʿaqov; ʿAllān; Efrayim; and again ʿAllān. On verso there is some literary text in Hebrew and a tiny fragment of a separate Judaeo-Arabic document (ʿindahu... danānīr...)

Calligraphic letter by Mubarak b. Hillel to Abu Sa`id ibn al-`Afsi al-`Attar, dealing with business matters.

Aharon ha-Tinnisi b. Nahum the scribe writes to say he is in need. He lost his job and prices are high, so he left Tinnis (in the Egyptian Delta), leaving behind two children as 'orphans' with their grandfather. He asks for help from the unnamed addressee.

Legal record from the early thirteenth century explicating a communal conflict. The sermon of local Jewish judge describes accusations concerning women in the city lending money with interest, women being adorned and sitting bedecked in the marketplace, and people listening to musical instruments while drinking. (S. D. Goitein, Mediterranean Society, 1:256, 464; 5:42, 517; Oded Zinger, “What Sort of Sermon is this?” in Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Medieval and Early Modern Times: A festschrift in honor of Mark R. Cohen, 83-98) EMS

Writing exercise in large script. Lists various names, including Abū al-Faraj and Abū ʿAlī. (Information from Goitein’s index card)

Legal document of release in the hand of Hillel b. Eli. A certain Avraham b. Shelomo Tilimsānī, acting as a custodian (apotropos) releases a certain Joseph b. Amram known as al-Fituri (?) in some commercial transaction. Aharon and Na'aman are also mentioned. Maybe Alexandria. The three fragments do not actually join but they are clearly related to the same case, and perhaps part from the same document.

Legal document of release in the hand of Hillel b. Eli . A certain Avraham b. Shelomo Tiilmisani, acting as a custodian (apotropos) releases a certain Joseph b. Amram known as al-Fituri (?) in some commercial transaction. Aharon and Na'aman are also mentioned. Maybe Alexandria. The three fragments do not actually join but they are clearly related to the same case, and perhaps part from the same document.

Letter from Natan ha-Kohen b. Mevorakh and one other person, in Ashqelon, to Avraham b. Elʿazar, in Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: 1130 CE. Bottom missing. Letter of recommendation on behalf of Badr b. M[...] of Ḥamā who lived in either Alexandria or Ashqelon ('al-thaghr') for 30 years, but probably the former, because he is introduced as having come 'here' recently (חצר אלי הנא). Badr recently went blind due to ophthalmia. Starting in Rabīʿ al-Awwal 523 AH (=February/March 1129 CE), his monthly stipend was cut in half from 2.5 dinars to 1.25 dinars. He is attempting to assert his right to the other half of the payments owed him in court, and the addressee is asked to intervene on his behalf. On recto there is a text in Arabic script (see separate record).

Report on fiscal matters, draft.

Verso: Letter in Judaeo-Arabic mentioning (perhaps addressed to) al-Shaykh al-Melammed Abū Saʿīd.

Recto: Legal fragment probably in the hand of Efrayim b. Shemarya (whose name also appears three lines from the bottom). Needs examination.

Letter addressed to Abū ʿAlī, probably Yeḥezqel ha-Levi, in Alexandria. What remains from the letter contains greetings to Abu al-Ḥasan, Abu al-Makarim and Sitt Hārūn. The other fragment is from a legal document mentioning a sum of 11 dinars, a slave and a man named Avraham known as Ibn Sandal. The slave has tried to escape several times. Perhaps this is involves a sale of a slave.

Letter addressed to Avraham ha-Talmid. Small fragment (upper left corner).

Letter from Ismāʿīl b. Faraḥ to his son Abū l-Surūr Faraḥ b. Ismāʿīl b. Faraḥ. Written on the eve of the New Year. Reporting that 10 ships, each carrying around 500 persons, had arrived on that day in Alexandria from Sicily. (Information from Goitein's index card.)