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 Misc.23.6
Letter of appeal from Moshe b. Levi ha-Levi, in the synagogue of the Jerusalemites in Fustat, to a communal dignitary. The letter is signed and dated: 1508 Seleucid, which is 1196/97 CE (1508 Seleucid). Moshe describes how he is a cantor like his father and grandfather and great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather and his paternal uncle, and how the recipient has always bestowed favor on his father and grandfather. Perhaps he wants an official appointment as a cantor in Fustat? Moshe lived much of his life in Qalyūb but was evidently staying in Fustat at this point. ASE.