Geniza Lab

Business letter to Nissim, probably not earlier than the 14th century, referring to trade in Syria and Egypt. The brother-in-law of Zechariah is mentioned. Information from FGP.

Interesting, late letter in Judaeo-Arabic from "the land of the Christians" to al-Muʿallim Yūsuf, the shammas of the synagogue, Cairo. The writer narrates in brief how he left Cairo with spices to sell overseas, was detained in Alexandria for a time due to an illness, spent 6 months (!?) at sea, getting lost and nearly getting drowned, first stopping in Turkey and then continuing the land of the Christians. At some point they also stopped in Tripoli (Lebanon?) and purchased more goods. "When we entered the city, the representative of the Amir was deposed (?) and the elders אתפרת (?)." (This sentence is not at all clear. The word נאיבו in fact looks more like נציבו and could even be the name of the city. What the elders did is also not clear.) The writer then describes his difficulties selling the goods from Cairo and Tripoli, mentioning the currencies dinar and muayyadi. He sends regards to Muʿallima Sara. He tells Yūsuf to expect the arrival of ʿAmmī Zikrī al-Quṣamṭīnī and his wife, who are poor. He asks Yūsuf to help them with the capitation tax and to help them get settled. He sends regards to the family (dār) of Rashīd; and the family (bayt) of Ḥakīm Shams Ḥanūna (?); and the cousins of the Muʿallima; and R. Avraham; and Khalaf; and the family of the syrup-maker (? ṭābikh al-sharāb spelled טבך אשרב) and his wife (ahlihi). The writer's wife and children send regards, as does the addressee's brother Barakāt (at the beginning of the letter). He concludes with greetings to Hārūn Jamal and his wife and children and reports that Hārūn's mother and brothers and sisters and maternal aunt are all well. Someone else added underneath the letter, "Greetings to ʿAyyād!" ASE.

Letter of condolence from a certain Yaʿaqov to Eliyyahu the Judge ("wherever he is"). Dating: Early 13th century. In Judaeo-Arabic and Hebrew. The orthography, including of biblical quotations, is phonetic and idiosyncratic. It is not clear who died. The main text consists almost entirely of condolences and exhortations to have patience (ṣabr). Four lines from the bottom, Yaʿaqov writes, "As for Abū Zikrī, the world very nearly departed him. But he is still wretched. He had patience and was consoled. He was hardly able to write to you after the terrible blow, had we not made him him write to you. . . . He lay sick in bed for a period of three months. [. . .] took up his treatment . . . until God saw fit take to His trust." (For the strange-seeming phrase "lahu marīḍ," see also ENA 2738.37.) The context is unfortunately quite difficult to decipher. It is possible that Abū Zikrī died, or, perhaps more likely, the 'taking of the trust' refers to the same person whose death provided the occasion for this letter. There is no way to know for sure, but it is plausible that this letter is connected to T-S 24.72, a letter of condolence from Abū Zikrī to his father Eliyyahu in which he describes the terrible illnesses that afflicted him after he learned of the death of his brother. ASE.

Letter addressed to a certain Yehuda. In Judaeo-Arabic. Nearly complete, albeit faded. Begins, "The messenger for our congregation from our master the Nagid arrived with the letters/documents which he had issued (istanjazahā) for us..." Mentions Abū l-Barakāt, Abū l-Faḍl b. Salmān and Abu l-Qasm. The purpose of the letter seems to be providing a detailed update on a legal case. Needs further examination. (Information in part from CUDL.)

Recto: Arabic script document, probably a letter. Verso: Judaeo-Arabic letter, mentioning Abū Sahl and books, including Kitāb al-Madkhal (of Shemuel b. Hofni) and Halakhot Gedolot. Very faded. Information from FGP. Needs further examination.

Recto: Either a prayer addressed to God or a petition addressed to a dignitary. In Arabic script. "... allahumma... ...asʾaluka an tushaʿshiʿa lanā ḥayāt al-[...] al-muḍīʾa wa-l-anwār al-mawlawiyya wa-l-dawla al-muḍīʾa..."

List of deceased persons. Names include Shemuel ha-Dayyan, Elazar ha-Dayyan, Shela ha-Zaqen, ʿAmram ha-Zaqen.

Letter of apology for a complaint that Madmun had mismanaged a trust. Aden, ca. 1135.

Magical text copied by Ibn Yiju, probably in Yemen around 1135. The text begins with a magical square (cf. sudoku) of which every line, row and diagonal adds up to 15. Such squares were used as amulets to ease a difficult birth. The square is followed with a protective charm against the evil eye, followed by a protective charm against fever. The largest section is a spell meant to cause one's enemy to be chased away from the town. It is followed by two fragmentary lines mentioning 'hatred.' Line 23 contains obscure magical symbols.

Letter from Shelomo b. Yehuda to Avraham b. Sahlan, Fustat, ca 1030. Address on verso in Arabic and Hebrew. (Information from CUDL)

Letter from Abū l-Surūr and Abū Saʿd to Yakhin b. Netanel. The letter consists almost entirely of congratulations (for a newborn son?) and good wishes and blessings, e.g., that the recipient enjoy the favor of the king and his servants. The writers also greet Abū Manṣūr and the Nagid Moshe (Maimonides?) Ḥemdat ha-Nesi'ut ve-ʿAṭeret ha-Sarim.

Letter from Yefet b. Menashshe b. al-Qaṭa'if to his brother Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. Yefet has sent with Efrayim a vessel containing 20 dirhams of lizard droppings and Ḥalfon is to try to sell them. There are lots of other instructions about small transactions and letters to be forwarded. Yefet mentions the person (Yūsuf al-Qallā'?) "who was your doctor in Fusṭāṭ." Yefet sends greetings to Sitt Naʿīm, who it seems is none other than Ḥalfon's wife (see Wagner, E. (2007). Ḥalfon’s wife, Mosseri Ia.29. [Genizah Research Unit, Fragment of the Month, July 2007]. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.40294). ASE.

Recto: Fragment (right side) of a legal document invoking the reshut of David b. Avraham b. Moshe Maimonides, so mid-13th-century. Without the join, the names are only partially present: [...] b. Berakhot ha-Sar (?); [...] ha-Zaqen ha-Yaqar ha-Rofe known as [...] ha-Levi ha-Rofe. A sum of 150 dirhams is mentioned. There are at least a few other documents in the hand of the same scribe, including T-S 16.355, dated 1261. Recto and verso: Piyyutim. ASE.

Recto: The title page with illuminated capitals of Sefer Eliyyah Mizraḥi ʿal ha-Torah, printed by Itzik ben Leib Buchbinder in Fürth, 1763. There is an ownership note by Shelomo Ḥazzan, Fusṭāṭ. Verso: In Shelomo Ḥazzan's hand, alongside other jottings and pen trials, a list of "the commentators on the Re'em (=Eliyyah Mizrahi) ZL that I have, BSD." Almost all the titles are identifiable (and available on hebrewbooks.org). (1) זרע יצחק by Yizhaq Lumbroso (d. 1752), ZL. (2) מזבח אדמה by Refael b. Shemuel Meyuhas (d. 1771). (3) שדה הארץ by Avraham b. Shemuel Meyuhas (brother of #2, d. 1767). (4) בני יאודה ללמוהר״ע, probably Yehuda ʿAyyāsh (d. 1760). (5) פרי האדמה by Refael b. Shemuel Meyuhas (same as #2); (6) לשון ערומים by Barzilay b. Barukh Jabez (d. 1760). (7) קול יעקב by Yaʿaqov Shaul (d. 1758); (8) זרע אברהם by Avraham Katorza (a student of Lumbroso); (9) זכות אבות (author not named); (10) תועפות ראם by Elyaqim b. Yizhaq Gatenio, published in Izmir in 1762; (11) something בלשונות (author not named); (12) בתי כנסיות probably by Avraham b. Hayyim Yedidyah Ibn Ezra (d. 1760); (13) אהלי יצחק by Yizhaq Bonan. Likely early 19th century. ASE.

Recto: personal prayer. Verso: probably accounts, in Arabic script, inverted in relation to recto. (Information from CUDL)

Letter from Shelomo b. Yehuda, Ramla, to Efrayim b. Shemarya (=Abū Kathīr Efrāyim b. Maḥfūẓ), Fustat. Dating: 1040 (after Kislev). It is about a father who is constantly "complaining" (קובל בכל עת) to Shelomo b. Yehuda about his daughter, an aguna, who is constantly "screaming" (צועקת בכל עת) to be released from her condition. See Zinger's dissertation, pp. 319, 322.

Piyyutim.

Letter from Hayye Gaon, in Baghdad, to Sahlan b. Avraham in Fustat. Dated Kislev 1349 Sel. (Dec 1037–Jan 1038). Regarding the disagreement among Iraqi community members in Fustat. A group of people is opposed to Sahlan and spreads written materials against him. Hayye Gaon promises Sahlan that he will support him and advises him to act with restraint. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, #41)

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic, very deferent. The writer has been slandered by somebody and wishes the addressee to write to Abū Kathīr Efrayim b. Meshullam (dated documents 1142–59 per FGP) to the effect that the writer is a good man and that his slanderers do not fear God. (Information in part from CUDL.)

One of two drafts (the other is T-S G1.26) of a curious and obsequious letter from a man whose handwriting is known, apparently to a man named Yahya b. Khalid who has a son named Abu l-Mahasin. In this version: he describes how he saw the recipient in the kitchen on Sunday and an idea occurred to him that the recipient approved of (possibly to travel to somewhere other than Bilbays?). However, the writer decided it would be better for him to travel to Bilbays. He has not traveled yet, because it is unthinkable to travel when the doors of the house are still in their sorry state: the main door needs to be fixed, and the door of the upper floor/apartment needs to be replaced completely. He alludes to his illness. He then gives his excuse for not having come to attend the recipient (before he traveled?) as requested. He has had a fever since Friday. When he heard that his presence was requested, he was in the middle of Musaf, having just reached Ashrei, and he rushed to fulfill the command but found only the boy Abu l-Mahasin, to whom he explained the matter. He concludes with blessings. Other letters that may be in his handwriting (distinctive in part for including Arabic diacritics over Hebrew letters, e.g. two dots for "t" and three dots for "th"): T-S 12.346, T-S 8J15.20, T-S 12.652 (dated after 1165/6), and T-S AS 151.22. ASE.