Geniza Lab

Letter by Yosef Yiju, in Mazara, to his sons Perahya and Moshe, in Fustat or Alexandria. In Judaeo-Arabic and Hebrew. Dating: Fall or Summer, 1156 CE. India Book III, 49. "Contents: A. Complaint that the longing for the addressees was 'killing' their parents, who, in addition, suffered from all kinds or privations and illnesses (lines 1-9). B. The writer had hoped that Peraḥya would soon come back as a married man, for he wanted to participate in the education of his niece and future daughter-in-law (lines 9-17). C. The 'master' had refused to pen this letter (lines 17-26). D. The writer thanked God that his son Moses was rescued from the pirates and did not care about the loss of the goods (lines 26-37). E. The boys should have informed their father what merchandise and of what value they had sent with Ḥajjāj; cf. III, 44. The man had sent ninety rubāʿīs only a year after his arrival and another ninety some time later (lines 37-49). F. Admonition to bear the losses with submission to God's will (line 50 and margin). G. The religious importance of marrying one's cousin (verso, lines 1-10). H. Hope to see his sons again, despite present hardship (verso, lines 10-15). 1. Request that the Head of the Jews in Egypt write letters to the Muslim commanders of Mazara and Messina and to Jewish notables in Sicily to arrange for the travel of the Yiju family to Egypt (verso, lines 15-27). J. Greetings (verso, lines 28-36). K. Address of sixteen lines." Description based on India Traders (attached).

Statements by two Yemenite merchants about consignments shipped by Ibn Yiju. The first statement is by Madmun b. Salim and the second is by Avraham b. Fayyumi. The content of these statements should be compared with III, 12. The statements were written in India, probably around 1145.

Letter, mainly about shipwrecked goods, from Khalaf b. Yiṣḥaq to Ibn Yiju, India, Aden, almost certainly 1146.

Letter from Khalaf b. Yiṣḥaq in Aden to Avraham Ibn Yiju in India, probably from 1146. The letter contains much information on their commercial transactions. T-S 18J4 18 is the original letter written in the hand of Shemuel b. Moshe b. Eleazar. III, 13 and III, 14 are fragments from the same copy made from the original (III, 13 matches with lines 13-36 and III, 14 matches with lines 36-49). The copyist made a few corrections in the copying process without correcting the original. The other side of III, 13 was used by Ibn Yiju to copy a piyyut of Yiṣḥaq b. Giyat. In the other side of III, 14 Ibn Yiju wrote a business account (see III, 25). III, 13 = T-S NS J21 III, 14 = T-S 8.19

Letter (large but fragmentary) from Khalaf b. Yiṣḥaq in Aden to Avraham Ibn Yiju, around 1139-1140. The letter is written in the hand of Shemuel b. Moshe b. Eleazar. The letter contains information about their commercial ventures.

Detailed letter of Khalaf b. Yiṣḥaq to Ibn Yiju, India, Aden, probably 1140 [1139].

Prayer written by Ibn Yiju on fabric in India.

Letter from Khalaf b. Yiṣḥaq in Aden to Avraham Ibn Yiju in Dahbattan on the Malabar coast. Goitein dated the letter to after 1139, while Friedman to after 1138. The letter contains much information on commercial business and the report of a shipwreck in Bab al-Mandab.

Account written by Avraham Ibn Yiju in Yemen around 1149-52 detailing a compensation in kind to Khalaf b. Yiṣḥaq and Yosef b. Avraham.

Letter from Perahya Yiju to his brother Shemuel Yiju, complaining about his brother's failure to procure a responsum (see III, 55). Friedman-Goitein edited only the relevant lines (ll. 12-16).

Letter from Perahya b. Yosef Yiju to his brother Shemuel in Fustat, complaining of his failure to procure a responsum. Perahya also includes brief remarks on their mother’s illness and his apology for being unable to visit, a request for Shemuel’s assistance in collecting a debt and in paying the capitation tax, and a one-line inquiry about whether his brother has made a bible amulet or ankle for his son, to protect him. Probably sent from Mahalla, late twelfth century. (S. D. Goitein and Mordechai Friedman, India Book, 790-1)

Fragment of a letter from Perahya Yiju to Abu al-Fakhr Ibn al-Amshati. Written in al-Mahalla, ca. 1161-72.

Distrust between associates and disruption of family life, on the way to Egypt. Aydhab, probably 1152. (India Book III, 39)

Letter from Avraham Ibn Yiju, written in Aydhab, probably around 1152, while on his way to Egypt. The letter reveals the distrust between associates and the disruption of Avraham's family life.

Letter of Perahya b. Yosef Yiju to his father in Mazara Sicily, probably June 1154. (India Book III, 45)

Account by Avraham Ibn Yiju of Indian products sold for another merchant, Aden, ca. 1141-44.

This is not a formal letter, but a short memorandum written by Yosef b. Avraham in Aden to Avraham Yiju in Mangalore around 1134-1137. The document details various dealings of copper items.