Geniza Lab

Leaf from a court ledger. At the top of recto: Contract of debt. Abū l-Munajjā b. Abū Manṣūr ha-Kohen owes Abu al-Makārim b. Barakāt al-Khāmī 230 dirhams to be paid in installments of ten dirhams a month. Dated: Tuesday, 20 Shevat 1471 Seleucid, which is January 1160 CE. In the hand of Mevorakh b. Natan. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Leaf from a court ledger. On recto, written at 90 degrees to the other text blocks: Draft of the deathbed will of Abū l-Ḥasan. Dating: ca. 1160. He gives sums of money to rayyis Abū l-Najm, his son Abū l-Nabaʾ, and to the Nezer. He gives 1/6 of a house in Fustat to his older sister, Sitt al-Ḥasab, the widow of the rayyis Abū l-ʿAlāʾ, and 1/12 to his brother's son. To his younger sister, Sitt al-Riyāsa, he gives two houses in the Zuwayla quarter of New Cairo. He also manumits his two female slaves, Gharaḍ and Kashf (still a minor, so she will remain with Sitt al-Riyāsa until she comes of age, at which time she can decide to stay or to leave). Written by Mevorakh b. Natan. Goitein's index card indicates that Abū l-Ḥasan was the son of Abū l-Faḍl Shela ha-Levi Sar ha-Leviim; another document relating to the same family is Sitt al-Riyāsa's trousseau list, found in Yevr.-Arab. I 1700.25r–26r (PGPID 2725). (Information in part from Mediterranean Society, IV, p. 456.)

Letter, mostly faded (only the last words of each line are preserved) written by Mevorakh b. Nathan (Date: 1150-1181)

Court record. The proxy of Kulla d. Abu al-Rida al-Tawaf is suing Avraham al-Attar b. Zedaqa al-Hinawi. Written under the jurisdiction of Netan'el Halevi by Mevorakh b. Natan. AA

Letter, apparently by Mevorakh b. Natan b. Shemuel to the Gaʾon Netanʾel b. Moshe ha-Levi. Originally published by Mann. See M. A. Friedman's article on Zuta (p. 483) for analysis.

Legal record. Partnership agreement. Dating: 1156. Summary of contract terms wherein Abū al-Faraj b. Ghilāth invests 150 dinars and Tamīm al-Sukkarī, the active partner, invests 10 dinars in a trading agreement. Tamīm has total discretion over what commodities he will trade in when he travels to Upper Egypt. A “surplus of one-half dinar” is allocated, presumably to Tamīm as the active partner. This is a nominal amount allocated to the active partner above and beyond the even split of profits. The half-dinar mentioned in lines 9-10 may have been a per diem allocated to Tamīm, or it may simply have been a nominal supplemental payment "for his trouble". According to Goitein, this document is in the hand of the judge Mevorakh b. Natan, written between April and August 1156. (Information from Lieberman, "A Partnership Culture", 89-90.) NB: Lieberman identifies this document as "Document 28: Firkovitch II 1700 12 a II".

Legal document. Partnership agreement. Dating: 1156. An unsigned and undated non-compete contract between Abū al-Makārim al-Dimashqī Nadiv b. Mevaser and an unnamed party. Nadiv agrees not to be involved in the silk business in any manner whatsoever, and that he will incur a fine of 10 dinars if he breaks the agreement, which will go to "the poor". There is no information indicating Nadiv will receive any consideration for agreeing not to compete. Nadiv is “suspected” of having broken a previous agreement to this effect, which may explain the fine of 10 dinars. According to Goitein, this document is in the hand of the judge Mevorakh b. Natan, written between April and August 1156. (Information from Lieberman, "A Partnership Culture," 90-91.) NB: Goitein referred to this document as folio 13 (Firk. II NS 1700.13AI); Lieberman refers to the document as Document 29: Firkovitch II 1700 13 a I.