Geniza Lab

Fragmentary record of communal dispute in which Shelomo ha-Kohen, Head of the the Yeshiva, became involved; written in Fustat.

Letter by Shemuʾel Gaon to Egypt appointing one disciple as receiver of collections for the Academy.

Letter from the Jerusalem community in Fustat, in the hand of ha-Hazan Yefet b. David b. Shekhanya in Tamuz (July) 1028. R. Shlomo b. Yehuda was appointed to be the new head of the Yeshiva in Jerusalem and the Jerusalem community in Fustat are writing to get his re-approval for their leader and judge - Efrayim b. Shemarya. (Information from Goitein, Palestinian Jewry, pp. 83-86). VMR

Decree (copy in Hebrew script) from the Fatimid caliph al-Ẓāhir to a governor of Palestine (probably Anushtekin al-Dizbirī) informing him of another decree that had come in response to a petition in the name of the Rabbanite Jews regarding a conflict with the Qaraites. That decree is referred to as muktatab lahum (registered with them). Ca. 1030.

Opening of a letter to the communities of Egypt from the community of Ramla.

Introduction to a letter to the Nagid Yehuda b. Saadya. (May be also a complete letter expressing a declaration of fellowship). (Information from Goitein's index cards) VMR Arabic text on verso, rather large lines.

Hayfa, daughter of Sulayman Ibn al-Ariq, writes to the Ḥaver Eli b. Amram, the spiritual head of Jerusalem congregation of Fustat, during the third quarter of the eleventh century. She asks him to write to Damascus (from Egypt) to her husband Said b. Muamar, the silk weaver, after he had deserted her twice. She was forsaken by her family as well. She had a boy from Said and she wants his compassion or that he will set her free. (S. D. Goitein, A Mediterranean Society; and Goitein's index cards) VMR

Letter concering the apperance of a prophet, and inauguration of the messianic age in 1226 with the appearance of Elijah, of the messiah in 1233, and of the kingdom of God in 1240 (5000 of the creation). Original letter was sent from Marseilles to Qabes; this copy went to Alexandria. The letter mentions that Elazar of Worms believed in this prophet. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Yehizkiyahu, the Head of the Gola, b. David to an unknown person. July 1036. The writer asks the addressee to keep their letter correspondence on a regular basis. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, #67) VMR

Letter to the head of the Academy, Avraham b. Mazhir, from [Natan] b. Shemuel ha-Haver. Dated Marheshvan 1453 sel. (October 1141).

Letter to Anatoli b. Yosef to remind him of a donation promised by his congregation for the repair of a synagogue. Sent by Menahem and dated Kislev 1212 A.D.

Beginning of a circular letter by Nisi b. Shemuel, head of a congregation (of Rabbanites? Palestinians? Babylonians? Karaites?) to all Israel, emphasizing the duty to act like zealots of the type of Phineas and Eliyyahu in religious matters. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Elḥanan b. Shemarya to the community of Malīj. He has received the petition (ruqʿa) of the Alexandrian woman whose divorced husband is not providing enough alimony. He is giving only two dāniqs, which is 1/3 dirham, when she needs at least 2/3 dirham. Elḥanan b. Shemarya orders the community of Malīj to assist her. Originally published in Abramson, Bamerkazim ubatefutsot bitqufat ha-Geonim (Hebrew), p. 116. See separate record for document on verso.

Beginning of the taqqanah (ordinance) of al-Mahalla, continued in T-S 16.135. This is an enactment passed by the Jewish community of al-Maḥalla, in which they pledge their loyalty to their judge Peraḥya [b. Yosef], to retain his position as long as he remains in the country and does not want to emigrate to the Land of Israel. Peraḥya was Avraham b. Peraḥya Ibn Yijū’s nephew (his brother’s son), and was married to his daughter Sitt al-Dar. He served as the muqaddam of al-Maḥalla. The enactment is authorised by Yehoshua b. Iyov, Moshe ha-Kohen b. Berakhot ha-Kohen, Shemuʾel b. Yefet, Natan ha-Kohen b. Mevorakh, ʿUlla b. Natan, and Berakhot b. Efrayim. The community passed this enactment in response to a power struggle that was taking place between Abū Zikrī Yaḥyā (later known as Mar Zūṭa), the head of the Jews, and local communities. Zūṭa had attempted to force the local judge Peraḥya to collect a tax from anyone approaching him for halakhic rulings - a fee that was to be passed on to Zūṭa. To prevent Zūṭa from appointing a different judge who would be loyal to him, the community of al-Maḥalla pledged their loyalty to Peraḥya in this enactment. (Information from CUDL) Ed. Blau, Teshuvot ha-Rambam, vol. 2, 516-518.

In the form of a legal document (see lines 3-4), a fragment of a petition to a Nagid from a small town, signed by twenty-six persons in different hands, of whom seven were opposed and three were out of town. (Information from Mediterranean Society, II, p. 62; V, p. 118)

List of donors to charity on the back of piece of vellum (fragment of an ancient marriage contract), headed by Avraham 'The Cherished,' al-sagul. This is an abbreviation, used also on letter CUL Or.1080 J265, ll. 6, 16. of the unique title 'The most cherished and esteemed of the People of Fustat,' borne by the notable Avraham b. Mevasser (dated docs. 1028-1-45), see Mann, Jews, II. pp. 98-100). Avraham al-Tahirti could stand for any of 4 cousins (usually called Barhun) from Qayrawan, all of whom frequented Egypt. Avraham Tahtahi is probably from Ifrīqiya, since tahtaha = 'open space,' probably a place name, is Ifrīqiyan. (Information from Mediterranean Society, II, p. 475, App. C 9)

Letter in Hebrew by the muqaddam (head) of the community of Minyat Zifta, announcing that he had excommunicated a debtor according to an instruction by the Nagid. The Nagid had previously arranged for the debtor to repay part of what was owed to his creditors, but he reneged on his agreement and an excommunication was about to be enacted against him as per the Nagid’s instructions. The muqaddam, however, asks for a respite of one or two months for the debtor. Ca. 14th century. (Information from Mediterranean Society, I, 465 and CUDL)

Letter in which a Naib of Alexandria in the days of Saladin reports to the Nagid of Alexandria of two cases he took care of. The first a case of a Jew who publicly offended the religion and was punished by the Muslim authorities. After deliberating whether to bring the case to the qadi or the wali, the writer sent a secret message to the muhtasib (to whom he was not personally known) asking that the offender be lightly punished. The muhtasib then had the offender brought before the wali, who ruled that the man should be publicly flogged. He was then dragged around Qamra, a Jewish quarter of Alexandria, while the wali's messengers announced his crimes against religion to the public.The second the matter of two brothers who pressured, through threats and blackmail, the previous fiance of one of them not to engage to someone else. The letter reflects the organization of authority and management in the city. (Information from Frenkel and CUDL)

Letter from Shela b. Mevasser to the Nagid Mevorakh b. Saadya. Shela mentions complaints and rumors spread about him. He asks the Nagid to act against two silk dyers who have been troubling his brothers, Shealtiel and Yosef. Written after the year 1094. (Information from Frenkel. See additional information in Cohen, Self-Government, 150, 250, 256 and 268. Cohen: Letter from Shela b. Mevasser (Alexandria) to Mevorakh b. Saadya reporting on local affairs. The local community was happy to hear that the Nagid and his son would be joining the Fustat elders on the upcoming holidays, and the writer led the community in prayer thanking God for this. The writer bemoans the fact that he has been maligned by someone. He reports about his two brothers, Shealtiel and Yosef, silk dyers, who for years have been favored by the authorities on account of the Nagid and who bear some communal responsibilities; for the past three years they have been vexed by two Shamiyyun.

Letter to Efrayim b. Shemarya on behalf of the lepers of Tiberias, approximately 1050. People with skin ailments were drawn to the hot springs of Tiberias and those without means to support themselves were sent with letters appealing to the generosity of communities such as Fustat by describing their sufferings in graphic terms. (Information from CUDL)