Geniza Lab

Public appeal of a blind woman to the congregation of Fustat to pay the fee of 4 dinars charged by a Muslim physician for the treatment of either herself or her sick daughter, who suffered from dropsy (istisqā'). Her other children (or child) had been given as security for this sum. Probably written by Hillel b. Eli (dated documents 1066–1107). Information from Goitein's note card. See also Med Soc, II, Appendix C, #96 (p. 501), and Med Soc I, p. 259 on children as collateral. ASE.

Letter from Menashshe, in Damsīs, to Abū Hārūn Akhlābū ha-Kohen b. Hārūn, in Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: January 1, 1063. Regarding a purchase of shoes for Abu Nasr, the writer’ son. In addition, the writer mentions that he expects to receive letters from the Maghreb. Mentions the death of al-Muʿizz b. Badīs, the ruler of Ifrīqiyya. Menashshe has heard that Akhlābū has traveled to Fustat, and he conveys his worry and prayers because of what he has heard about the epidemic (amrāḍ) currently in Fustat. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #758) VMR. ASE.

Recto: Beginning of a letter/petition addressed to a judge named Peraḥya. In Judaeo-Arabic, with three Hebrew biblical citations at the top. The sender has sent this letter with his son Yosef, who is in difficult circumstances—something happened that made it impossible for him to live in Fustat, let alone earn a living there. It seems that Yosef wants to travel to al-Shām now. In the missing continuation, the sender presumably asks Peraḥya to help him. Verso: Beginning of a letter from 'your paternal uncle' to a younger man named Efrayim. In Judaeo-Arabic. The sender reports that he came down with a stomachache (tukhma) and nearly died and everyone despaired of his health—but now he is better.

Letter to the judge Peraḥya (b. Yosef?). In Judaeo-Arabic. The sender (also a judge?) woke up sick, so instead of coming to work he sends this detailed report on an ongoing court case. Needs further examination for content.

Note by Shelomo b. Eliyyahu addressed to Abū l-Rabīʿ (in the note) or Abū l-Barakāt (in the address on verso). Accompanying payment for rose marmalade. Shelomo apologizes and says he has been ill and is writing the note while lying down (or "(half-)asleep). (Information in part from CUDL.) ASE

Letter from a Jewish shipowner from Alexandria. Dating: ca. 1212 CE. He provides an exciting story about traveling to Cyprus but being diverted by a storm to Tarsus (then the capital of Lesser Armenia, a Christian kingdom ruled by Leon II (1187–1219)). The shipowner was afraid that the king would force him to take up his residence in Tarsus instead of Alexandria. But a Christian business friend, probably himself a native of Egypt, helpfully secured a strong letter of safe-conduct. The writer had a good time in Tarsus and would have remained longer, had not illness forced him to hurry back to Alexandria. The second part of the letter reports the successful treatment of the writer and mentions the name of four physicians. In the third section the writer alludees to an illustrious person of Sicily, Yiṣḥaq b. Avraham, who had been forced to leave his home. The community in Alexandria was unable to take care of him for at the same time a large company had arrived from France, and the cost of their stay in the town and the expenses for their travel (to the Holy Land) put a heavy strain on public charity. Information from Goitein, Letters of Medieval Jewish Traders (attached). The handwriting looks like that of Berakhot b. Shemuel (which, if correct, may simply mean that he was hired as scribe by the sender). ASE

Letter from Yeḥezqel b. Shemuel to an unknown addressee. In Judaeo-Arabic. He reports that Sitt ʿAnbar is very sick, and she has developed a delusion (takhayyul fāsid) regarding the addressee, namely, that he must be sick as well. Yeḥezqel asks him to come back or write back quickly with news of his health to alleviate her suffering. He also wants the addressee to ask Abū l-Majd the son of the judge whether Abū l-ʿIzz left the writer's copy of the commentary on the Mishna (of Maimonides?) with him, and if so, to obtain it and return it to him. ASE

Letter from Dā'ūd b. Shuqayr, probably in the Levant, to his son Shemuel b. Dā'ūd b. Shuqayr, in Cairo. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Catalogued as 15th century. The letter mainly deals with business matters and greetings. The currency cited is the ashrafī. The addressee's mother has had some sort of pain in her breast (mawjūʿa bi-buzzihā. . . nazala lahā shay' fī buzzihā) for the last two months, ever since she gave birth, "and she is with the barber (muzayyin)," (for treatment?). Needs further examination.