Geniza Lab

Copy of a letter from Shelomo b. Yehuda to a dignitary in Fusṭāṭ in the hand of Ghālib ha-Kohen b. Moshe (c. 1030 CE). Original leetter in T-S 13J19.16. (Information from CUDL.)

Recto: copy of a legal document detailing a financial agreement between Moses b. Meʾir, descendent of Ḡaʿim, and his mother. Dated Tuesday 1st Elul 5586 (= 1826 CE) in Egypt. There are no signatures. Verso: pen trials in square script. (Information from CUDL)

Letter from Natan ha-Kohen b. Yosef to Yiṣḥaq ha-Kohen b. Yaʿaqov the judge, whom he calls his son. He writes about some small business matters and asks about his sick wife (wajaʿ al-bayt, r8–9). (Information from Goitein, Mediterranean Society, III, p. 160, and Goitein's index cards.) Alternate description: Letter to ‘my son’ Isaac ha-Kohen b. Jacob the judge from ‘his father’ Nathan ha-Kohen b. Joseph (obviously not father and son in the strict biological sense, as he also sends greetings to Jacob the judge, the actual father), concerned with business matters, for example the trade of indigo. Mentions people including Abū l-Riḍā, Abū l-Ḥasan, Judah, Aaron and ‘my son’ (Abū l-)Wafā. (Information from CUDL.)

Letter to a notable from Abraham Kohen Sholel (שלאל). (Information from CUDL)

Recto: Fragment of a letter to a notable, ending with the motto "yeshuʿa qarov." Verso: liturgy in the hand of a prolific scribe (see Joins Suggestions on FGP for T-S Ar.52.237). (Information in part from CUDL)

Late letter from Judah Levi, mentioning people including Joseph and Sitt al-Maṣūna. (Information from CUDL)

Letter from Umm Makīn, the wife of al-Sadīd, in Bilbays, to Eliyyahu the Judge, in Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Early 13th century. The writer inquires from Eliyyahu about her son who was left under the judge's supervision, and requests release of money left to her other children. She is also concerned about the son's capitation tax.

An 18th-19th century commercial letter dated Friday 28th Adar I, mentioning Muhammed Ibn Umar who went on Hajj to Mecca, Raphael the Dragoman, Joseph פוגי, Jacob Ḥazzan, Shelomo סכאש, and the French consul in Cairo. At the head of the page are accounts related to the commercial letter. Verso: more accounts. (Information from CUDL)

Letter from Alexandria relating to Jewish prisoners from Byzantium who were brought to Egyptian ports. Detailed summary in Mann, Jews, vol. 1, p. 91. Recto: part of a letter, c. 1030 CE, from Yeshuʿa ha-Kohen b. Yosef the judge, in Alexandria, to Efrayim he-Ḥaver in the Great Sanhedrin b. Shemarya, in Fusṭāṭ, seeking financial help for Shabbetay b. Netanʾel, a ransomed captive who wants to return to his native Byzantium via Jerusalem. Greetings are sent to Efrayim’s son-in-law, Yosef. Verso: address in Arabic script. Information from CUDL.

Part of a letter, c. mid-16th century, from Abraham Sagis, in Jerusalem, to Joseph Qorqos, who is normally resident in Jerusalem but is currently visiting Egypt, regarding the distribution of funds sent to Jerusalem by various Egyptian donors, including the dignitary Shelomo Alashqar, from which support was also given to the Ashkenazi yeshiva and the recipient’s own yeshiva, both in Jerusalem. Mentions David Zulati, Jacob Galican, Jacob Hami, Judah, Abraham, and Mordechai. (Information from CUDL)

Letter to Moshe b. Hini ‘the lesser’, mentioning business affairs and people including Abraham Leon (c. 17th century). (Information from CUDL)

Letter to Mattia Ashkenazi and his brother Shelomo, from their father. (Information from CUDL)

Recto: possible letter dealing with preparations for marriage, quoting BT Ketubbot. Verso: pen trials including various doodles. (Information from CUDL)

Letter to Shemuʾel al-Jibālī from his cousin (15th-16th century). (Information from CUDL)

Letter, c. 16th century, written on behalf of and signed by Joseph Karo, in the land of Israel, to Jacob Villarreal, in Egypt. Joseph requests repayment of a loan, and that payment should be made through Shelomo Sirilio and Isaac Alashqar. (Information from CUDL)

Letter, from Shemuʾel ha-Kohen, in Jerusalem, to various community leaders in Fusṭāṭ, in which the writer asks whether he can use a sermon to discuss his financial needs. Mentions Abraham Ashkenazi, and Isaac Ezmeralda. (Information from CUDL)

Legal document concerning houses that are part of the estate of the deceased Abraham Castro. At the time of writing, Mordechai רקאק is renting one property, and Shemuʾel Ibn Yaḥyā rents another. The document also mentions the following individuals, who have a family connection to the estate of Abraham Castro: Jacob Castro he-Ḥakham, Isaac Castro, Joseph Saʿadya, and Esther the sister of Isaac. This document refers to several previous documents that were brought to the judges for authorisation. The first of these was dated Thursday 3rd Nisan 5402 (= 1642 CE), signed by Habib דנון and Moses [...]. The second document was dated 1643 CE, signed Moses Reuben the scribe, Isaac Castro and Judah [...]. The following judges approved the previous documents: Judah (?) b. Hezekiah ha-Kohen, Menaḥem ha-Kohen, and [...] Barukh, dated Monday 8th [...] 5416 (= 1656 CE) in Cairo. The document is signed by Shelomo b. Shemuʾel, Somekh ha-Kohen (scribe), and Shelomo b. Ezra (?). (Information from CUDL)

Letter in Ladino by Abraham Palieche to his sister, dated Elul 5324 (1564 CE). He is in Egypt/Cairo and wants her to come to meet him with the first ship to Alexandria. (Information from CUDL.) He begins by informing her that he is in Misrayim, i. e. Cairo: "Esta sera fazer vos saber komo esto aka en Misrayim. Ke por korer tanto la mi fortuna despues ke de vos me aparte . . . ." He then informs her of his wish to be reunited with her: ". . . kiera el shem itbarakh ke de aki adelante sea akabada la fortuna . . . ." He tells her to board: "la primera nave i veni vos por aki ke el shem itbarakh nos apiadara aki." He assures her that they will manage to subsist: "aki estaremos ganando . . . vos por vuestra parte y yo por la mia," pointing to a certain economic independence on the sister's part. After having thus solved any possible objections he turns to tell her what she is to bring with her: "esa tabla buena aki traeres una vasia para mi eskritura." If she does not understand she is not to worry: "vuestro hermano R. Ishaq YSU el vos enkaminara en todo esto y mira lo ke fazes no vos partais sin dinero . . . ." He ends by sending his "enkomiendas a vuestro hermano y su mujer a mi nina la bezares de mi parte el ke desea vervos mas ke eskrivirvos." He then adds a long postscript again telling her what to bring. On the journey she is to take a companion if she so wishes: "no receles de tomar algun hombre nekhbad o mujer . . . lo ke avreis menester tomares y abasares en Alexandria ke luego abasara vuestra hermana." From Eleazar Gutwirth, "The Family in Judeo-Spanish Genizah Letters," 212.

Letter from the brothers Shelomo Cesana, Ḥayyim Cesana, and Avraham Cesana to Merkado Karo and Avraham ha-Levi. Dated: 4 Shevaṭ 5566 AM, which is 23 January 1806 CE. Mentions numerous business partners, including the relatively well-known Daniel Mondolfo ha-Levi. (Information in part from CUDL and Khan's edition.)

Responsum, including financial matters relating to inheritance and to purchasing property. (Information from CUDL)