Geniza Lab

Legal register from the rabbinical court in Fustat, signed by Efrayim ben Shemarya in uncharacteristically calligraphic Hebrew letters. Recto has two entries from Ḥeshvan 1339 Seleucid, and verso has an entry from Kislev 1339 Seleucid (=1027/28 CE). The entry on verso concerns the same case of levirate marriage as found in T-S NS J51 from several months earlier (Elul 1338 Seleucid). Incidentally, it mentions someone named Ḥayyim Ibn al-Jāsūs.

Recto: court testimony, possibly a draft, in the hand of Efrayim b. Shemarya, right half only. Verso: left half of a letter in Arabic script. Does not seem to be the Arabic script hand of Efrayim b. Shemarya, which we know from other fragments.

very damaged. Probably a draft of a legal deed regarding inheritance of a land. Written by EFraim b. Shemarya. There is also a document in Arabic script on the other side. AA

Letter from Hillel b. Yeshuʿa ha-Ḥazzan, in Tiberias, to Efrayim b. Shemarya, in Fustat. Dating: End of 1034 CE, per Gil. Soliciting funds on behalf of the community of people with skin diseases. Mentions a previous emissary Khalaf the Aleppan (כלף הצובי) who has since died. L-G Misc. 25 and T-S 10J12.22 are two copies of the same letter.

Letter to Efrayim he-Ḥaver (Efrayim b. Shemarya), with marginalia in Judaeo-Arabic; address on verso. Information from FGP

Letter from Shelomo b. Yehuda, Ramla, to Efrayim b. Shemarya (=Abū Kathīr Efrāyim b. Maḥfūẓ), Fustat. Dating: 1040 (after Kislev). It is about a father who is constantly "complaining" (קובל בכל עת) to Shelomo b. Yehuda about his daughter, an aguna, who is constantly "screaming" (צועקת בכל עת) to be released from her condition. See Zinger's dissertation, pp. 319, 322.

Un-conserved, so no numbers allocated to each fragment yet. Among the five minute frgaments in this folder there is one legal document written by Efrayim b. Shemarya, in which Shlomo b. Yosef al-Dim[yati] approved as a representative for an orphan. Signed by Yefet b. Shlomo, Aharon Hakohen b. Moshe. Another minute fragment from with Arabic and Hebrew script, and another one probably from a legal deed. AA

Un-conserved, so no numbers allocated to each fragment yet. Among the five minute frgaments in this folder there is one legal document written by Efrayim b. Shemarya, in which Shlomo b. Yosef al-Dim[yati] is approved as a representative for an orphan. Signed by Yefet b. Shlomo, Aharon Hakohen b. Moshe. Another minute fragment from with Arabic and Hebrew script, and another one probably from a legal deed. AA

Long and narrow damaged fragment written by Efraim b. Shemarya. Probably court records. Not much text has survived (two entries on recto, one on verso). AA

Letter from Shelomo b. Yehuda, probably to Efrayim b. Shemarya, praising the addressee and complaining about a Fusṭaṭ man, probably Sahlan b. Abraham, particularly concerning the latter’s preference for the title bestowed by the Babylonian yeshiva to that of the Jerusalem yeshiva. (Information from CUDL)

Letter from Sahlān b. Avraham perhaps to Efrayim b. Shemarya. Dating: ca. 1030 CE. Written in a calligraphic hand and beautiful biblical style. Only the right side of the letter is preserved. Sahlān refers to his illness, a physician, and going to the synagogue. Information from Bareket and from Goitein's index cards. ASE.

Letter from Eliyyahu b. Aharon Ha-Ḥaver b. Yoshiyyahu, the president of court, to Efrayim B. Shemarya, approximately 1030.

Letter fragment from Yosef Ha-Kohen Ha-Ḥaver b. Yaʿaqov, the head of the Jewish community in Tyre, to Efrayim b. Shemarya, in Fustat, approximately 1040, concerning two sisters from the Tyre Jewish community, who are trying to claim their inheritance after their father, Ḥalfon b. Taʿlab, died in Fusṭaṭ in 1040 CE. Most of the details, such as the names of the sisters, are not preserved, but the name of the husband of one of the sisters, Ṣedaqa b. Ezra, is preserved, linking this letter with T-S 10J12.25 and T-S 13J18.1, which is five years later, dealing with the same case, and preserving more details including the names of the sisters. (Information from CUDL)

Letter from Shelomo b. Semah, Ramla, to Efrayim b. Shemarya, ca. 1030.

Letter from Hillel Ha-Ḥaver b. Yeshuʿa Ha-Hazzan, Tiberias, probably to Efrayim b. Shemarya, Fustat, approximately 1050.

Letter from ʿEli ha-Mumḥe b. Avraham, in Jerusalem, to Efrayim b. Shemarya, in Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic, with the address in Arabic script. Dating: ca. 1045 CE (Gil), and at any rate 1042–46 CE (Goitein), as there are no allusions to the conflict with Natan b. Avraham (which ended in 1042 CE) and Daniel b. ʿAzarya has not yet returned to live in Palestine (1045/46 CE). ʿEli complains about the lack of response to his previous letters and repeats his request for news of the cantor from Mosul, Abū l-Faraj, and for any developments with Daniel b. ʿAzarya, who was at that time in Fustat. He also says that "the Roshim" (=Eliyya and Yosef ha-Kohen the sons of Shelomo b. Yehosef ha-Kohen, who served as gaʾon for 6 months in 1025 CE) want to know the news of Abū l-Faraj and Daniel. The "Av" (=Yosef b. Shelomo Gaon, who then held the position Av Bet Din) has been staying in Jerusalem instead of Ramla (the usual seat of the Av Bet Din) because he bought a ruin in Jerusalem and is renovating it. Even though the letter is in the hand of ʿEli b. Avraham, he apparently is writing in the name of his father, Avraham b. Shemuel ha-Shelishi, as apparent from the Arabic address (ben ha-Shelishi). (Information from Goitein and Gil.)

Letter draft from Efrayim b. Shemarya to Shelomo b. Yehuda. Fragment: the upper part only. Dating: probably 1028 CE (Gil's estimate). The letter praises the army's victory. Written on the front and back of a chancery decree fragment (see PGPID 35179).

Decree fragment, Fatimid, 11th century. Reused by Efrayim b. Shemarya (see PGPID 1649).

Legal document, probably a form or copy, as there is no room for signatures. The parties are Ezekiel b. Abraham ha-Bavli and David b. Sha'ayah. Probably written by Ephrayim b. Shemarya Verso text is inverted in relation to recto text. AA

Fragment of a letter from Shemuel ha-Ḥaver b. Moshe, Tyre, to Efrayim b. Shemarya, Fustat, probably the middle of the eleventh century.