Geniza Lab

Letter from Ya’qūb b. Ismāʿīl al-Andalusī, Sicily, to Nahray b. Nissim, Fustat. Around 1065. Mentions cinnamon, silk and linen; Abū l-Surūr b. Avraham Ibn Sighmar; the ship of Abū Abdallāh (Ibn al-Baʿbāʿ); the demand for Byzantine coins; and the passing of the Jewish judge of Palermo Maṣliaḥ b. Eliyyahu. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #576) VMR

Business letter sent from Qayrawan by Efrayim b. Ismail, probably to Yaʿaqov b. Yosef b. Awkal in Fustat (Gil) or from Ifrīqiya by 'Alush b. Yeshua to Ismail b. Avraham in Egypt (Ben-Sasson). The letter deals mainly with merchandise and shipments of goods. Dated to the beginning of the 11th century (Gil) or the first third of the 11th century (Ben-Sasson). (Information from Gil, Vol. 2, p. 312 and from Ben-Sasson, p. 219)

Letter from Yosef b. Ya’aqov al-Itrabulusi from Gabes (Ifrīqiya) to Yosef b. Ya’akob b. Awkal, Fustat. The writer traveled to Qabes after visiting Barka, Tripoli (Libya), and Qayrawan (Ifrīqiya). Describes his difficulties managing Ibn Awkal’s merchandise. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, #172) VMR

Letter from Nahray b. Nissim to Ayyash b. Sadaqa in Busir. Probably ca. 1050.

Business letter sent from Alexandria by Abu al-Ḥasan b. Khulaif to Abu Sa'id al-'Afsi in Cairo about business done for him in Spain. (Information from Mediterranean Society, I, p. 166, and from Goitein's index cards.) See also DK 232.2 (alt: VIII), a letter sent to the same addressee from the Binyām mentioned in r8–10.

Detailed commercial accounts for the year 1526/1215 of a silk merchant who served also as Parnas. His business correspondent was charged with collecting a yearly pledge for Rabbi Jophthan, wherefore this detail of communal finance appears in the private account of these two merchants. The sums collected are debited to the business correspondent, the monthly payments of four dirhams to Rabbi Jophthan are credited to him. (Information from Mediterranean Society, III, 465)

Letter from Yosef b. Yeshuʿa, in Tripoli (Syria), to Nahray b. Nissim. The letter mentions Nahray's pilgrimage to Jerusalem and shipments of emblic myrobalan and frankincense. A certain old woman has gone blind in one eye, and the other eye is in danger, so Yosef asks Nahray to send him tutty (zinc oxide) or whatever else might be beneficial.

Letter from Natan b. Nahray from Alexandria to Nahray b. Nissim in Fustat.

Letter from Natan b. Nahray from Alexandria to Nahray b. Nissim in Fustat.

Letter from Fustat to al-Mahalla with an urgent order to buy a turban in Damira and various other business related matters. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Yiṣḥaq Ibn Barukh, in Almeria, to Ḥalfon b. Netanel ha-Levi. Dated: Sunday, 29 Tammuz 4898 AM = 10 July 1138 CE. Concerning their joint business endeavors which are related to Yehuda ha-Levi as well. Ḥalfon had asked the writer to transfer 150 dinars to Yehuda ha-Levi, probably indicating that Yehuda ha-Levi invested in Ḥalfon's business. The sender will transfer the whole amount, when he receives it, to Yehuda b. Ghiyāth in Granada, who will transfer it to Yehuda ha-Levi. (Information from Goitein, 'Rabbi Yehuda ha-Levi in Spain in the light of the Geniza papers', Tarbiz, 24 (1955), pp. 136-137). VMR. See also India Book 4 (Hebrew description below).

Letter from Mūsā b. Abī l-Ḥayy, in Alexandria, to Nahray b. Nissim, in Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: November 28, 1062 (Udovitch). The writer recently returned from a long trip in Palestine. He suffered from illness during his trip. He visited Jerusalem, and had the time to manage trading, as he bought textile products, oil, nuts, and silk, and arranged shipments of coins. The writer also mentions the bad times in Egypt and the pressure that the community in Tripoli, Libya, is having because of the taxes. Goitein translation of the illness passage (r5–11), slightly altered, is as follows: "You have received no letter from me, because exhaustion (iltiyāth) did not leave my body from the very time I left. I arrived in Tyre, but was unable to do business there for more than five days and then remained confined to bed (lāzim al-farsh) for nineteen days. Finally God granted me recovery. I proceeded to Jaffa and from there went up to Jerusalem—may God rebuild it—and again I could not do there business for more than eight days and then was confined to bed (lāzim al-farsh), suffering from chills and fever (al-bard wa-l-ḥummā), during the month (of the High Holidays). By God I was unable to walk up the Mountain (of Olives) on the day of the Festival (21 Tishrei) but had to ride. I gave myself up. But God the exalted was merciful to me for the sake of His name and gave me health. I was able to leave the house, but the remnant of the weakness (or 'illness'; baqiyyat al-ḍuʿf) is still with me. The travel to Tinnīs, and from there home, was a great trial which to describe would take too much space. I praise God who turned the end to the good and brought me back in safety." Information from Goitein's note card (#27134) and Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #449. VMR. ASE.

Letter from Faraḥ b. Yosef, in Alexandria, to Nissim b. ʿAṭiyya, in al-Mahdiyya. The writer gives details about shipments of goods to al-Mahdiyya and asks the recipient to help sell them. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, p. 744)

Account of Abu al-Maʿālī(?), specifying weight and prices of goods. On verso there are further accounts, involving ward murabbā (rose petal jam). Someone with the title "al-Segulat" (אלסגלאת) appears in the header. There is one line in Arabic script at the bottom, probably part of the same reckoning.

Account of goods sent by Nahray b. Nissim to Abu Ishaq Barhun b. Ishaq ha-Tahirti, ca. 1046. It begins with an account of the balance of what remained from the previous year, and then summarizes Nahray's business activities and the shipments he sent to Abu Ishaq in the last two years, including goods like pearls, beads, clothes, and fabrics. It seems like Nahray partnered with ha-Tahiriti in addition to working independently. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, #273) VMR

Detailed accounts, written by Nahray b. Nissim, specifying private expenses as well as expenses of business done by the writer for Abu Ishaq Barhun b. Ishaq Tahirti. Dated 1046. (Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, 811)

Account of goods sent to Abu Ishaq Barhun b. Ishaq on the ships in (4)806 A.M. (1045-1046), beginning with an account of the balance of what remained the previous year.

Letter from Yahya b. Eli Kohen Fasi, from Fustat, to Abu al-Ifrah Arus (Avraham) b. Yosef, Alexandria. Around 1080. Yahya, probably Yosef’s younger brother, deals with trading lacquer, and asks Arus to handle three shipments of lacquer that he bought in Alexandria. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #406) VMR

Private account written by Nahray b. Nissim and one of his partners. Around 1059. Account for shipping wood from Egypt to the Maghreb via Mayadiya. Also mentions accounts about shipping varnish and buying flax. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, #288) VMR

Letter sent by Salama b. Asad the perfumer to Ismail the perfumer, accompanying a payment made to him and ordering eleven items, amongst which some uncommon ones. (Information from Mediterranean Society, II, p. 585, and from Goitein's index cards)