Geniza Lab

Recto/verso: recto

Recto: Legal document. In the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. Dated: Sunday, 13 Ṭevet 1416 Seleucid, which is 1105 CE. "A report about a man who was found dead in his home, and who did not have any relatives to perform his funeral or claim his estate. On the right-hand margin the signatures of Halfon and another witness are crossed out. On a Sunday morning (l. 4) the word was spread that Yosef b. Ismāʿīl al-Bunnī of Alexandria was found dead in his home. He had died on the previous day, Saturday morning, and since then had been lying in his home. Judges, parnasim (l. 5), beadles of the synagogues, our scribe Halfon Ibn al-Qaṭāʾif (l. 8), and many others (l. 9) had to break into the house since it was locked "from the outside and the inside" (min barra wa-min dākhil). The man was found dead and was taken out by the undertakers (ghāsilīn, washers) and was put in the yard (ll. 10–11). By the order of the court, which was responsible for such cases, a search was begun to locate any estate left by the deceased. After a search, a khalqān (l. 12), a large copper cauldron, was found and 8 and three-quarter silver dirhems; also a himyān (l. 15), a purse of a girdle, and a qirṭās (l. 16), a bag, were found containing money aggregating 41 dinars (l. 17) "in cash," and ʿayn (l. 23), which means gold. The funeral expenses were estimated at 6 dinars (l. 18) and the remainder of 35 dinars were deposited (ll. 22, 20) until a legitimate heir came to claim them (l. 26). The 8 and three-quarter dirhems were added to the funeral expenses (l. 27). All chattels such as mindīl (l. 24), handkerchief, salla (l. 24), a basket, with various items were also locked in the house until an heir came for them (l. 26). The signature of Ḥalfon appears in parentheses in the margin and is crossed out; all other signatures are crossed out." (Information from Gershon Weiss.) Perhaps related to T-S NS J184, an inventory of items found in the home of a certain Yosef after his sudden death, also in the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. (Information from CUDL.)