Geniza Lab

Legal document in the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. Three fragments from the lower part of the document. Dated: Ṭevet 1435 Seleucid, which is December 1123–January 1124 CE. Involves: A deceased Sar Shalom; Abū l-Faraj Yeshuʿa b. Menashshe ha-Levi Rosh ha-Qahal known as al-Jubaylī; Natan/Hiba ha-Levi; and Abū l-Riḍā. Abū l-Faraj agrees to deposit with Abū l-Riḍā a debt contract worth 75(?) dinars which are owed to him by Natan; the debt contract is dated the first decade of Dhū l-Qiʿda 517 AH, corresponding to Ṭevet 1435 Seleucid; its witnesses are Ibn al-Fāʾiqī and Ibn al-Amadī. Abū l-Faraj relinquishes his right to sue Natan for the total unless the government appropriates (yaʿtariḍ) from Abū l-Faraj anything pertaining to the estate of Sar Shalom, specifically the money that he (Abū l-Faraj?) transferred to his (Abū l-Faraj's? or Sar Shalom's?) son Zikrī. If the government does interfere, Abū l-Faraj has the right to retrieve the document from Abū l-Riḍā with the authorization of the court (i.e., after they have validated the claim that the government took the money), and Natan will have to pay. The witnesses testify that the debt contract has been deposited with Abū l-Riḍā. Two copies of the present document were drawn up, one for Abū l-Faraj and one for Natan ha-Levi. The witness signatures are not preserved on these fragments, though the top of one signature might be barely visible on T-S 8.153. Joins: Alan Elbaum. ASE

Letter consisting entirely of blessings for a distinguished addressee. The beginning and the ending are in elegant Arabic script. In between, there are blessings in Hebrew (including Isaiah 43:2) and blessings in Judaeo-Arabic. The sender repeatedly emphasizes his and the community's prayers on behalf of the addressee. (Information in part from CUDL)

Letter from the cantor Ḥalfon b. David (aka Khalaf al-Lādhiqī), in Jerusalem, to the elders (sādatī wa-mawālayya jamāʿat al-shuyūkh al-miṣriyyīn), in Fusṭāṭ. In Judaeo-Arabic, in a beautiful scribal hand. Very faded. Dating: Likely 11th century. This may be a letter of appeal for charity, since Ḥalfon/Khalaf leads by identifying himself as an elderly man with dependents (rajul kabīr tāʿin fī l-sinn wa-ʿalā ʿāʾila). He refers to praying, the Torah, and 'al-qiyām fī l-jibāya wa-l-kitābāt.' On verso there is the address of the letter and an explanation of calendar reckoning in a different, crude hand. (Information in part from CUDL.) Merits further examination. ASE

Recto: Letter fragment (or rather Hebrew poetry?), mentioning Abraham. Verso: Unusual text, possibly part of a prayer. Several words are written in hollow letters. (Information from CUDL)

Letter (draft) from individuals in physical discomfort, appealing for help. The writers may be lepers, as they refer to their flesh being damaged and their bones uncovered. (Information from CUDL)

Letter in Hebrew (possibly the upper part). Many lines of poetic-sounding Hebrew, then homage to a woman starting 6 lines from the bottom, then "our righteous master" starting 3 lines from the bottom, then it is torn off. Verso continues in the same vein as the beginning of recto. ASE.

Accounts with Arabic numerals. (Information from CUDL)

Letter in Ladino by Joseph [...], dated 5500 (= 1740 CE). (Information from CUDL)

Letter from Moses Ghaylioun (גאילייון) to Meʾir ben Naʿim, mentioning Abū Simeon. Dating: ca. late 18th century. (Information from CUDL)

Letter from an unknown writer, in Jerusalem, to his in-law (גיס) Saʿīd Bardaʿ, in Fustat/Cairo. In Hebrew. Dated: Thursday 28th Maṭmonim (=the Omer), which is 13 Iyyar. The year is כי תבואו אל הארץ, but it is unclear which of these words are meant to be counted (if all of them are counted, the year is 2012 CE). The hand of the letter and the currencies mentioned (gurush, dinar, real) suggests 16th or 17th century. The addressee *may* be identical with the Sehid/Seid Barda of AIU VII.E.240 and AIU VII.E.241. The letter is an update on the fortunes of the writer traveling to Ḥebron and thence to Jerusalem. He complains a great deal about the evil Zidan (זדאן/זידאן) who took the writer's woolen coat and is no longer to be trusted. He describes the costs associated with traveling and gives advice to the addressee should he decide to travel to Jerusalem. He describes some legal trouble with the parnas of Jerusalem; it seems that the writer failed to uphold the condition of his sheliḥut by sending a certain sum of money (קק גרו) each year. He sends regards to several people, including Mordechai קיבה(?), Moshe Bardaʿ, Ḥayyim, Avraham Yona, and Ḥanna and Lea. There is an elaborate signature of which only the word Levi is legible. ASE.

Letter from Abraham to Ṭurkiyya and his sister Masʿūda, concerning money. He sends greetings to his mother and to Aaron al-Ḡarbī. Mordechai sends greetings to his family and Saul. C. 17th century. (Information from CUDL)

Legal document with testimony concerning orphans and Isaac Horoshban (הורושבן), who died. Mentions various people including Isaac Shanji (שאנגו). Dated 1st Tammuz 1586 CE. (Information from CUDL)

Letter from Meʾir ben Naʿim, mentioning business matters and the name Abraham Ashkenazi. End of 18th century. (Information from CUDL)

Letter from David ben Naʿim to Moses ben Naʿim concerning business matters, dated 188 (5588 of the Era of Creation = 1827 CE). Mentions people including Shelomo Azulay and ישעייה עאניז (Isaiah Aniz ?). (Information from CUDL)

Legal document. Various draft legal documents on recto and verso (possibly from a court notebook), including one completely crossed out. People mentioned include Menaḥem Ṣarfati b. Moses and Ḥanuna wife of Shemuʾel [..], Jacob ha-Levi b. Rahamim and Isaac Reuben b. Jacob. A commodity is mentioned (14 raṭls of sikilianus (שכילייאנוס)). Dated Kislev 5455 (= 1695 CE) in Egypt. (Information from CUDL)

Letter from Avraham Haman and Gavriel Hefez to Karo y Frances concerning business matters. Dated 168 (5568 of the Era of Creation = 1807 CE), and mentioning people including Nissim Minyani (מנייני). (Information from CUDL)

Letter fragment written by Sahlān b. Abraham, quoting from Jeremiah 17:17 and Zephaniah 3:12. (Information from CUDL)

Letter. Commercial letter from Murjī to his son, Meʾir b. Murjī, listing repayments from various individuals, including Moses [...] and David [...]. Address on verso. (Information from CUDL)

Recto: Letter in a late hand. Verso: Address to Meʾir b. Murjī (מרגי). (Information from CUDL)

Letter fragment from Rashīd to Moses ha-Levi in Cairo, which is then reused for a halakhic treatise on shirṭuṭ (drawing up the lines) when writing a Bible. (Information from CUDL)