Geniza Lab

Letter from Yehuda b. Sahl, probably in Alexandria, to Nahray b. Nissim, in Fustat, ca. 1050. Mentions the sale of a house that may have belonged to Nahray. Also mentions flax and the copper trade. Yehuda b. Sahl’s wife (a relative of Nahray?) sends him regards for the holidays and prays all the time for his health. She was sick (tawajjaʿat), then Yehuda became sick, then he got better, then he relapsed, and also their daughter was sick (r14–18). His wife asks Nahray b. Nissim to send them an order of payment (suftaja) for 10 dinars (r22–23). The letter mentions Abū l-Surūr and Abū Iṣḥāq Barhūn. (Information from Gil.) ASE.

Letter of condolence from a certain Yaʿaqov to Eliyyahu the Judge ("wherever he is"). Dating: Early 13th century. In Judaeo-Arabic and Hebrew. The orthography, including of biblical quotations, is phonetic and idiosyncratic. It is not clear who died. The main text consists almost entirely of condolences and exhortations to have patience (ṣabr). Four lines from the bottom, Yaʿaqov writes, "As for Abū Zikrī, the world very nearly departed him. But he is still wretched. He had patience and was consoled. He was hardly able to write to you after the terrible blow, had we not made him him write to you. . . . He lay sick in bed for a period of three months. [. . .] took up his treatment . . . until God saw fit take to His trust." (For the strange-seeming phrase "lahu marīḍ," see also ENA 2738.37.) The context is unfortunately quite difficult to decipher. It is possible that Abū Zikrī died, or, perhaps more likely, the 'taking of the trust' refers to the same person whose death provided the occasion for this letter. There is no way to know for sure, but it is plausible that this letter is connected to T-S 24.72, a letter of condolence from Abū Zikrī to his father Eliyyahu in which he describes the terrible illnesses that afflicted him after he learned of the death of his brother. ASE.

One of two drafts (the other is T-S G1.26) of a curious and obsequious letter from a man whose handwriting is known, apparently to a man named Yahya b. Khalid who has a son named Abu l-Mahasin. In this version: he describes how he saw the recipient in the kitchen on Sunday and an idea occurred to him that the recipient approved of (possibly to travel to somewhere other than Bilbays?). However, the writer decided it would be better for him to travel to Bilbays. He has not traveled yet, because it is unthinkable to travel when the doors of the house are still in their sorry state: the main door needs to be fixed, and the door of the upper floor/apartment needs to be replaced completely. He alludes to his illness. He then gives his excuse for not having come to attend the recipient (before he traveled?) as requested. He has had a fever since Friday. When he heard that his presence was requested, he was in the middle of Musaf, having just reached Ashrei, and he rushed to fulfill the command but found only the boy Abu l-Mahasin, to whom he explained the matter. He concludes with blessings. Other letters that may be in his handwriting (distinctive in part for including Arabic diacritics over Hebrew letters, e.g. two dots for "t" and three dots for "th"): T-S 12.346, T-S 8J15.20, T-S 12.652 (dated after 1165/6), and T-S AS 151.22. ASE.

Fragment of a family letter, same writer and addressee as T-S NS 338.71, mainly rebuking the addressee for the lack of letters. "Your mother and sister send you regards and adjure you by God to not cut off your letters from us more than this, for you have burned our hearts with fires, especially when we see on this blessed [holiday]. . . everyone in health. And Muslim got sick and suffered hardship and, thanks to God, returned to health. You should send regards to him and congratulate him on his health, even if you do not see fit to write to any of us. . ." ASE.

Fragment of a business letter, probably sent from Qūṣ (between lines 1 and 2). Mentions "the 8th of Shuwwāl, which is Shevat"; the writer's preoccupation on behalf of the recipient's illness; al-Shaykh ʿAllān; a rubāʿī (quarter-dinar?).

Letter from a woman to a female family member. In Judaeo-Arabic. Mentions: Ibn al-Rayyis Abū l-B[arakāt] (=Shelomo b. Eliyyahu); the addressee's sister; "he does not read and does not pray..."; "I am at a loss..."; someone going up to the dīwān by foot; someone wasting his days in idleness; "yā sittī, here I am stuck with him..."; "the inflamed eye, and I have remained..."; "from al-Rayyis Eliyya (=Eliyyahu the Judge) all that we need..."; "my greatest need... for the cough and the syrup..."; expenses; a blanket; "I found that they had purchased wheat..."; regards to everyone in the family. ASE

Recto: Letter in Arabic script. Missing only the first couple lines. The writer mentions exchanges of goods (ll.2–3); the rent of a house (l. 3); the sad news of the boy's illness (ḍuʿf al-ṣaghīr, ll.4–5); and that he paid a visit (aftaqid) the addressee's wife and she is in good health (probably after an illness). Needs further examination. ASE.

Letter from Saʿdān to ʿEli. In Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic. The sender reports that he is prostrated in his house (maṭrūḥ fī l-bayt) and the doctor comes twice a day and "cuts his flesh with scissors" (wa-yaqṣuṣ laḥmahu bi-l-miqaṣṣ). Even worse is the poverty. The sender seems to be asking for money -- perhaps some of the money owed him by Abū Saʿīd -- in order to pay the doctor's fees. ASE

Letter from Yaʿaqov b. Salmān al-Ḥarīrī, in Alexandria, to his mother and father, in Qayrawān. Dating: ca. 1050 CE. The address bears the name of the writer's father Salmān b. Ibrāhīm, whom Yaʿaqov addresses at the end of the letter, but he addresses his mother for the bulk of the letter. The writer expresses his disappointment in the Maghrebis in Egypt, who did not assist him as he expected when he was newly arrived in Fustat and very ill for one month. He recovered and is now healthier than ever. When he returned to Abū l-Faraj Ibn ʿAllān who had previously promised to employ him, he found that Abū l-Faraj had lost his mother and his sister, "and was too preoccupied for me" (ishtaghala ʿannī). Yaʿaqov set out on his own and started to trade flaxes. He is planning to travel to the north, perhaps to al-Lādhiqiyya (a plan he carried out: see CUL Or.1080 J17, which he wrote from Tripoli, and T-S 8J19.27, which he wrote from Ramla). But he will wait in Alexandria until he learns what his family thinks of this plan, and he will follow their counsel. The end of the letter has the curious line, "Abū Yaḥyā is well, in complete health, and aṣḥābunā are in complete health, no one died except Abū l-Khayr b. Barukh in Tinnīs" (verso, lines 22–23)—which, along with the illness of Yaʿaqov and the deaths in Abū l-Faraj's family, suggests that there was then an epidemic. Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #661. See also ENA 2738.34, a very similar letter which Yaʿaqov wrote at the same time and addressed to his sister. VMR. ASE.

Recto: Letter fragment in Judaeo-Arabic. Mentions a sick woman. Verso: A few words in Arabic script.

Letter of appeal for charity addressed to Rabbenu Ḥananel. In Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic. The writer has been paralyzed (marīḍ bi-l-fālij) for two and a half years. On verso is another note in Judaeo-Arabic mentioning ha-Zaqen ha-Yaqar, but too faded to read much else.

Letter fragment in Judaeo-Arabic. Mentions a serious illness (marḍa shadīda).

Letter from She'erit to Abū Isḥāq Ibrāhīm al-Talmid. In Judaeo-Arabic. The writer heard from Abū l-Barakāt that the addressee is sick (ḍaʿīf) and is very preoccupied and hopes for a letter with news of his recovery. Abū l-Munā is also anxious for news of the addressee and his wife. The bearer of the letter, Yūsuf, is a friend of the writer, and the addressee is to help him sell the items he has with him. Regards are sent to Abū l-Faraj. ASE.

Letter from Saʿīd, probably in Alexandria, to his brother Bū l-Majd Meir b. Yakhin, probably in Fustat. Dating: early 13th century. In Judaeo-Arabic. Rudimentary handwriting and spellings. The main purpose of the letter is for the writer to convey his distress when he heard that Meir was sick (tawajjaʿta). ASE

Letter of condolence from Ḥalfon b. Menashshe to his brother-in-law Abū l-Ḥasan ʿAlī b. Hilāl (=ʿEli b. Hillel) al-Ḥazzan al-Baghdādī. Headed by 'בשמ' רחמ and four lines of biblical quotations. Halfon reports that Sitt al-Gharb was very sick for 13 days and died on Wednesday, the 17th of [...] and was buried on Thursday. (Information in part from CUDL.) Join: Oded Zinger. NB: Goitein's index card does not seem to belong here.

Recto: Note from a sick man to a physician, it seems beseeching him to assist an older family member who is also sick. "By the Law, if I revealed the state of my master (father?), you would mourn him on account of his distress and the cares that are upon him. For you are the skilled physician and I am the sick man in your care. Act with me for the sake of your Creator. Protect my master in any case, for I am sick, and I don't know if I will die or if he will die while we are separated, going to the grave with terrible grief (? reading חצרה as חסרה). By God, act with me for the sake of Heaven and have mercy on me." Verso: Two orders of payment, written at right angles, one to Abū Isḥāq and one to Abū l-Ḥasan. ASE.

Letter fragment from Ḥalfon b. Menashshe's wife, in Fustat, to her brother Abū l-Ḥasan ʿEli b. Hillel, probably in Bahnasa (based on T-S 13J21.18). In the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: 1100–38. The writer thanks the addressee for a gift of 12 dirhams (r9). She urges him to come together with his son Yisrael to her, in a hurry, it seems to escape from the smallpox (judarī) about which everyone is anxious (r10–24). Without the join, the part about the smallpox remains ambiguous: someone in the writer's location is "in a difficult state from it" (r14), but this could either mean that they have smallpox or that they are worried about the outbreak in the addressee's location. Turfa and her husband send their regards (r28–29). (Information from Goitein, Mediterranean Society, III, p. 22, and Goitein's note card.) ASE.

Letter from Peraḥya b. Yosef Yijū to Saadya b. Avraham Ibn al-Amshāṭī. Fragment. Dating: ca. 1160s. Same writer and addressee: Moss. VII,152.1, ENA 4020.1, ENA 4011.32. He expresses hope that someone will make a complete convalescence (yanqah naqah kullī) and asks the addressee to send a letter on his behalf to the son of the faqīh Manṣūr, it seems to ask for a prescription.

Business letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Fragment. The writer excuses himself from something on account of his illness (ḍuʿfī) and worry (shughl sirrī).

Letter from Ibn al-Nasr (the son of the eagle?) to Abū l-Maḥāsin al-Tājir, in Alexandria. In Judaeo-Arabic. The writer includes a request for medicinal substances. He also urges the addressee to return quickly to his mother, because she has been afflicted lately with 'what cannot be described,' and she would have perished were it not for the solicitude of friends. (Information in part from CUDL.) ASE.