T-S 12.538
Legal document. In the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. "A suit was filed in court (ll. 1–2, 12) by the two sons of the late Abū l-Ḥasan (l. 5) against their step-mother, the widow ʿAshīra (l. 5). The formers charged in their suit that the latter took possession unlawfully (since a woman is not considered an heir) of a house in al-Qālūs which belonged to their father, the fact which probably was indicated in the original deed (kitāb aṣl) which was in their possession. Thus, they claimed to be the legitimate heirs of this house (ll. 3–5). However, the denials argued against the charges by the latter were that there had already passed 20 years from the death of her husband, during which she was in possession of that property (which was probably conveyed to her as her late portion of her marriage contract, l. 8). She accused her late husband's sons of stealing the document from her without her knowledge (ll. 7, 9). The woman probably took this opportunity to ask the court (l. 9) to issue a bill stating her rights against her rivals (l. 11). The ruling of the court was to arrange for a ḥerem setam, a general ban, against the sons (ll. 14–15). No signatures are preserved." (Information from Gershon Weiss.) This is potentially the same dispute as in T-S 13J13.6 (which in turn is related to T-S 10J16.4 and T-S Ar.18(1).107). But it does not seem possible to prove or disprove the connection.
Editor: Ed. Gershon Weiss, "Legal Documents Written by the Court Clerk Halfon Ben Manasse (Dated 1100-1138)" (1970).