Geniza Lab

Eight rough drafts of a petition to the Fatimid Caliph al-Mustanṣir from the followers of Shelomo b. Yehuda, probably the end of 1041 (according to Gil's estimate). Six drafts are in Judaeo-Arabic; one abortive draft is in Arabic script in the same hand as the Judaeo-Arabic drafts; the final draft is in Arabic script in a chancery hand. Join: S. M. Stern. The Rabbanite Jews write to al-Mustanṣir regarding a conflict that arose in the community because of two leaderships (riyāsatayn), this conflict was earlier addressed by the Caliph by appointing Dāwūd b. Isḥaq but he didn't do anything. The situation worsened to an extent that one schism of the community barred the other from entering their synagogue until the other faction forced themselves inside leading to violence between the two. The Jews urge the Caliph to resolve this issue by sending his royal command "al-ʾamr al-ʿālī".

Tax farming lease from the administration of al-Mustanṣir, dated 479 "kharājiyya" (1086/7 CE). Mūsā b. ʿĪsā takes upon himself a monthly payment of 8 dinars against the right to collect "the two zakāts" in the village of Qabīl (situated in the Buḥayra province in the western part of the Nile delta), under the supervision of Abū Isḥāq b. Namir (or Timur?) b. Munajjā (perhaps the finance director of the district). The taxes will be directed to the Imām al-Mustanṣir billāh and to his Amīr al-Juyūsh (Badr al-Jamālī). The salve of Badr, Ḥātim b. Faraj, is also saluted. The conclusion states that three copies were made, "identical in their wording and sense." The scribe is Zayd b. Jābir al-Sarūjī. "The two zakāts which form the object of the contract probably were the taxes on animals and on certain agricultural products. Information from Goitein's attached transcription and notes.

Bifolio in Judaeo-Arabic. Perhaps originally from a ledger of business accounts. Containing detailed records about the flooding of the Nile in 1054 CE and 1055 CE, as well as descriptions of the celebration of the opening of the canal (al-Khalīj) by the caliph Maʿadd Abū Tamīm al-Mustanṣir Billāh, the vizier al-Yāzūrī (called Sayyid al-Wuzarāʾ), and the latter's two sons Khaṭīr al-Mulk and Ṣafiyy al-Mulk. The dates are given mainly according to the Islamic and Coptic calendars, but Rosh Hashana and Sukkot (of the year 4815 AM) are also used as reference points. This document is apparently uncited in the literature. See T-S AS 144.187 for a much later example of a similar account. ASE