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Regular expressions
The Princeton Geniza Project database allows for search expressions containing certain 'regular expressions'. Regular expressions are codes that can be inserted in search queries to match patterns of text.
| ^string | Matches the text at the beginning of the string |
| string$ | Matches the text at the end of the string |
| . | Matches any single character (including special characters) |
| a* | Matches the sequence of zero or more of the specified character |
| a+ | Matches the sequence of one or more of the specified character |
| a? | Matches zero or one occurrence of the specified character |
| abc|def | Matches either one of the specified strings |
| [abc] | Matches any one of the specified characters |
Boolean Search
The Princeton Geniza Project database uses a boolean full-text search. This type of search allows users to combine keywords with operators to refine searches. Possible operators and examples of their use:
| מולאנא מולאי | Search for rows that contain either of two words by simply typing them consecutively. In this case, the search will find documents that contain either מולאי or מולאנא. |
| כתאבי +מולאי+ | Use a + sign before word to search for rows that contain all of them (in this case the words כתאבי and מולאי) |
| כתאבי AND מולאי כתאבי OR מולאי | The keyword AND indicates that both search terms must be present in the results. OR matches either search term. |
| כתאב –כתאבה | Use a - sign to exclude a term from your results (in this case, the search will include כתאב but exclude כתאבה) |
| *כתאב ?כתאב |
Use an asterisk or a question mark as a wildcard. An asterix matches any number of characters. A question mark matches any single character |
T-S 12.436
Letter to the son/boy R. Elazar, from Yusuf the brother of Mansur. About three-fourths of recto is taken up with self-pitying expressions of how sad and anxious Yusuf is to have received only one letter from Elazar, and how he will die in his distress and old age, and how a letter would heal his heart, and how hard it is to see other children with their parents. The subject of the letter is damaged. It mentions someone or something in the house of Rabbi Yusuf the brother of Musa, the addressee's in-law. Istanbul is mentioned (so post-1453? the language and script also support a late date). The economy is depressed. The writer sends regards to his wife and to his son. "If you ask about me, I am in good health. . . . From the day I got off the boat at Bulak (בולאך?!), I have been well." He sends regards to a long list of people at the end, including Ya'qub and his son; a Jerusalemite woman and a female teacher (Hanna?) and her son; the physician Pinhas; Yehudah Karat (?); everyone who asks about him; everyone in his family and their wives. ASE.
Library: CUL
Type: Letter
