Geniza Lab

Letter in Hebrew giving a detailed account of a dispute, apparently in the Muslim courts, regarding the flax trade, a legal document, and the validity of its witnesses. Protagonists include Naḥman, his son-in-law Sulaymān b. Ḥasan b. Rabīʿ, someone's son (perhaps Sulaymān's), and Abū l-Ḥasan ʿAlī b. al-Qāsim known as al-Kāmilī. The writer's group received a power of attorney (ketav ha-harsha'ah), and the authorized person went to the official (ha-paqid) who gave an order to do something with the flax. There follows a lengthy description of arguments over whom to give what money to and which documents can be trusted and whose signatures. After all this talk and trouble, "they could not save even a penny from his hand. Now you should come, and there is nothing to it except that he should come and take his money, or . . . he should draw up a sheṭar for the Ishamelites... all of the Ishmaelite elders..." The location of the events and protagonists is uncertain but may be named somewhere in the letter. The writer may refer to an official who is in Sinai (?! הפקיד שבסיני). There is also a question of long distance flax shipping, as highway robbers are mentioned. ASE.