Geniza Lab

Letter from a woman named Najma, in Fustat/Cairo (l. 4), to her father Moshe Perdonel. Dating: ca. 16th century. There is a detailed summary in Goitein, Med Soc V, p. 222 note 17. See also Esther-Miriam Wagner, “Goitein and girlish prose: T-S 13J 24.22," Fragment of the Month, Cambridge University Library, March 2012, for revisions/refutations of many of Goitein's beliefs about this letter.

Broach, India; 1134 This is a draft from the top of a letter that had to be sent from northwest India to Aden, to a Ramat Ma'alah personality known as רייס. As Goitein surmised, it can be assumed with certainty that the recipient was Masmun b. Hassan, the head of the Jews of Yemen and the 'official of the merchants' there. Some of the business was already arranged in Aden, 'in his seat' and in his presence. The writer stayed in India for a second year. He sends a large shipment of fabrics to Aden by Barakāt b. Mūsā al-Ḥalabi. (Information from Goitein and Friedman, India Book IV)

Letter from Ḥalfon b. Menashshe to Avraham b. Bundār. Location: Fustat. Dating: Early 12th century. Ornate thank you letter and narrative in which Ḥalfon b. Menashshe expresses gratitude for the wealthy Adeni merchants Avraham b. Bundar and the "Leader of the Congregations (either Ḥasan b. Bundar or his son Bundar II) who saved him from the debts that confronted him when he emerged from his life-threatening illness (r31–v2). "Ḥalfon was inflicted by a dangerous and protracted illness, and hopes for his recovery had already been lost. He did recover, but despite the helpfulness of the community and the devoted care of the physicians, he was forced to sell everything in the house, including his Sabbath clothing, and to incur debts to the amount of 12 dinars." Partial trans. Goitein and Friedman, India Traders, p. 44, and summarized in detail 306f.

Letter from R. Yaʿaqov to Ḥalfon ha-Levi b. Netanʾel, Cordoba. Yaʿaqov, who is otherwise unknown, writes regarding a dispute with Ḥalfon over the sources of a halakhic ruling, whether one should refer back to the talmud directly or to the geʾonim. Also includes ad hominem attacks. Yaʿaqov sought to bring the dispute to arbitration before Ibn Migash and Yehonatan Ben Ghiyat. Faded and difficult to decipher, in addition the usual problems of vagueness on matters well-known to both sender and recipient. (Information from Friedman and Goitein, Ḥalfon [India Book vol. 4]) Probably Lucena

Letter from a certain Yosef, in Alexandria, to his brother, an India trader. Mentions people including Avraham al-Miṣrī, Abū l-Maʿānī, Abū l-Surūr, Ibn Khalaf and Ibn al-Ḍarūra. The writer conveys a great deal of concern for the addressee and writes, "if I were not worried about falling ill or wounding the heart of the old man, I would have sworn to fast in the daytime until I saw your face again." ASE.

Letter from Abū Zikrī Kohen, in Fustat, to Ḥalfon b. Netanel. Dated: Monday, 1 Shevaṭ 1444 Seleucid, which is 9 January 1133 CE. (Information from India Book 4; full Hebrew description below.)

Alexandria (?); 15 of Iyar; April 17, 1139 Saʿdān b. Thābit Levi al-Baghdādī, a resident of Alexandria who is known to us from two letters he wrote to Ḥalfon (document ח85, ח88) and is also mentioned in document ח89, writes to Avraham b. Muʿṭī, a man from Tlemcen. Even though the addressee's father's name is missing, there is no doubt about his identity, because the writer addresses not only him, but his friend Abū Yaʿqūb Yosef, Yosef b. Ezra. The main part of the letter deals with the writer's great disappointment that the two mentioned merchants did not arrive in Alexandria on the ship in which Ḥalfon was traveling, and especially that they did not send with Ḥalfon the goods that Saʿdān ordered from them, and did not even send him a letter (as Ḥalfon thought they did). The letter was written in the middle of the month of Iyar, and it is possible to learn from this the time of Ḥalfon’s return from Spain. (Information from Goitein and Friedman, India Book IV)

Letter from Yosef b. Peraḥya Yijū, in Mazara, writing to an important merchant, also in Sicily., ca. 1154. Yosef states that his sins are the source of his misfortunes. These misfortunes include a swelling (waram) in the finger of his eldest son Peraḥya who assisted him as schoolteacher. They have been looking for an effective medicine for some time without success. ASE.

Draft of an oath to be taken by Yosef Lebdi in which he enumerates his assets. Due to the litigation between Yosef Lebdi and his nephew, David b. Shelomo, following Shelomo's death, Yosef Lebdi was to make a formal oath stating that he had cheated neither his brother nor nephew. The draft is incomplete, probably because the elders of the community intervened and prevented such a respectable merchant as he from the shame of making such an oath. There is reason to believe that the detailing of Yosef's assets and dealings is complete.

Copy of a letter from Madmun b. Ḥasan to Avraham Ibn Yiju (Aden, 1133-1140). For the other copy, see PGPID 5457.

Brief letter from Yosef b. Avraham in Aden to Avraham b. Yiju, ca. 1147 or 1148. The letter discusses some business matters and mentions the supposed arrival of Ibn Yiju's brother, Mevasser.

Short letter from Yosef b. Avraham to Ibn Yiju, India, Aden, ca. 1147 or 1148.

Letter from the rabbinical court of Fustat to Madmun b. Ḥasan regarding the estate of Ibn Jumayhir. Fustat, 1146.

The widow of Abu al-Barakat, the son of Yosef Lebdi, buys a sixth of two adjacent stores for 53 and three/fourths dinars. The widow was Sitt al-Sada, daughter of Abu Nasr al-Tinnisi. This same share of the two stores was bought at an earlier date by Abu al-Fadil, a physician, from his two nephews. These nephews retained the right to buy.

Awaiting description

Legal document. Record of release; partnership renewal. Written in the hand of Hillel b. ʿEli. These two fragments are part of single document, which contained a partnership release (T-S 16.23) and renewal (lines 23-39 of T-S 16.23; and T-S 10J5.2). Amat al-Qādir, widow of Shela, and her son Yefet (likely a minor), release ʿArūs b. Yosef from a partnership he had with Shela. Shela’s investment of three hundred dinars is to remain on account with ʿArūs. Amat al-Qādir seems to be acting as trustee for her son, but also seems to have a financial interest in the partnership; since she would not have ordinarily inherited from her husband, her equity in the partnership may represent payment of her ketubba. The widow and son are to receive two thirds of the profits from the investment, and ʿArūs is to receive the balance "as a claim for his service". Following the commenda model, ʿArūs assumes no responsibility for loss. Yefet is to travel between Fusṭāṭ and Yemen with the funds and has discretion in choosing the commodities he trades; he promises that he will work "with caution ... as if [he] were working with [his] own assets." (Information from Lieberman, "A Partnership Culture," 122)

Awaiting description

Letter from Moshe b. Labrāṭ, in al-Mahdiyya, to the Head of the Jews of Egypt (Moshe b. Mevorakh) asking him to assist the son of Yaʿaqov II b. Nissim I, who was murdered on his way from Dahlak to Yemen. The son is trying to retrieve his father’s belongings, as well as the goods carried by him for Muslims and Jews. Dating: ca. 1100 CE. (Information from CUDL.) See also Goitein notes linked below.

Letter by Yosef Yiju, in Mazara, to his sons Perahya and Moshe, in Fustat or Alexandria. In Judaeo-Arabic and Hebrew. Dating: Fall or Summer, 1156 CE. India Book III, 49. "Contents: A. Complaint that the longing for the addressees was 'killing' their parents, who, in addition, suffered from all kinds or privations and illnesses (lines 1-9). B. The writer had hoped that Peraḥya would soon come back as a married man, for he wanted to participate in the education of his niece and future daughter-in-law (lines 9-17). C. The 'master' had refused to pen this letter (lines 17-26). D. The writer thanked God that his son Moses was rescued from the pirates and did not care about the loss of the goods (lines 26-37). E. The boys should have informed their father what merchandise and of what value they had sent with Ḥajjāj; cf. III, 44. The man had sent ninety rubāʿīs only a year after his arrival and another ninety some time later (lines 37-49). F. Admonition to bear the losses with submission to God's will (line 50 and margin). G. The religious importance of marrying one's cousin (verso, lines 1-10). H. Hope to see his sons again, despite present hardship (verso, lines 10-15). 1. Request that the Head of the Jews in Egypt write letters to the Muslim commanders of Mazara and Messina and to Jewish notables in Sicily to arrange for the travel of the Yiju family to Egypt (verso, lines 15-27). J. Greetings (verso, lines 28-36). K. Address of sixteen lines." Description based on India Traders (attached).

Commercial letter sent from Isaac and Joseph (probably in Babylonia) to Judah ha-Sar, mentioning a voyage to India and commodities including gold and silver slag (iqlīmiyā' tibriyya and fiḍḍiyya respectively). Information in part from CUDL. See also Goitein's notes below.