Geniza Lab

Letter to Abu al-Ḥasan 'Allun the parnas (Eli b. Yahya, dated documents 1057-1107) about a case of inheritance, with a recommendation for a bashful young Jewish man as a flax worker. (Information from Mediterranean Society, V, p. 199, and from Goitein's index cards)

Letter addressed to Nahray b. Nissim from Marduk b. Musa about a shipment of threads sent from Fustat to Alexandria. Marduk notes that a baqyar (large-sized turban) 25 cubits long was made for Nahray, along with a shuqqa cloth 20 cubits long. He further reports that ‘Atiyya b. Shamma‘ brought to him a blue kerchief containing cotton, [linen] yarn, and unraveled flax, which would be combined with yarn previously sent - and currently in the hands of the artisan - to produce another cloth for Nahray. Alexandria, ca. 1070. (S. D. Goitein, Mediterranean Society, 1:90, 105, 125, 379, 412, 418, 429; 4:159, 179, 398, 409; and S. D. Goitein, Letters of Medieval Jewish Traders, 134) EMS

Letter from Mūsa b. Yaʿqūb, in Damascus, to Abū l-ʿAlāʾ Yūsuf b. Dāʾūd b. Shaʿya (aka Yosef b. David), in Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic, with the address in Arabic script. The sender states that he issued two bills of exchange on Yūsuf’s account for 250 dinars and gave them to Ibn Hazar as a prepayment on paper that contains the watermark of one Ibn Imām, a Damascus-based paper maker (Gil, Palestine I:235). Mūsa writes also that he turned over camel loads to Salāma b. Jaysh the week prior. Mūsa requests in the letter sixty golden boxes, to be packed with leather bottles, and sent to him immediately in a warship; along with a container of flax oil and information about the price of borage ("oxtongue"). (S. D. Goitein, Letters of Medieval Jewish Traders, 89–91.) EMS

Letter from an unknown merchant from Alexandria, to Nahray b. Nissim. April 20, 1064. The writer informs Nahray about the loading of their goods on ships. There is a doubt about the identity of the owners of several packages. Mentions shipments of flax, cotton, cloths, copper, and money. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #828) VMR

Business letter from Yiṣḥaq ha-Levi b. Simḥa al-Nīsābūrī to the parnas ʿŪlla ha-Levi. The writer recommends a young Jewish man and describing him as being very good at kattan work, indicating the scotching and hatchling of flax. Also mentions the silk market and prices. (S. D. Goitein, Mediterranean Society, 1:105, 402, 418, 455) EMS

Letter from Mūsā b. Yaʿqūb al-Miṣrī, in Minyatayn (the "two Minyas," Ghamr and Zifta, located across from each other on one of the Delta tributaries), to Abū l-ʿAlā' Yūsuf b. Dā'ūd b. Shaʿyā, in Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: ca. 1056 CE. The letter discusses the flax harvest and confirms the receipt of some clothes. There is a passing mention of someone's illness in the margin (line 3). (Information from Gil.)

Letter from Ya’aqov b. Nahum b. Hakhmon, from Tripoli (Libya), to Nahray b. Nissim, Alexandria. Around 1060. The letter contains details about goods that arrived from Fustat. It is hard to unload them because there are goods on top of them. The writer mentions the prices of several goods and selling goods that Nahray sent to Tripoli. He asks Nahray to send the flax he bought for him through Sicily if there is no ship that sails from Alexandria to Tripoli. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #691) VMR

Letter from Yosef b. Mūsā al-Tāharti, from Mahdiyya, written on New Year's eve to Nahray b. Nissīm, Fustat. Probably September 6, 1062. Mercantile letter regarding the shipments of goods and amounts of money that are about to be sent to Egypt, mostly flax. Mentions “the orphans of Jerusalem” for whom Yosef sends his daughter’s used cloths and a shipment towards Sfax. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #369) VMR, YU.

Letter from Salama b. Nissim b. Ishaq al-Barqi of Busir to Abu Ishaq (Barhun) b. Ismail al-Tahirti, dealing with the production of flax and linen. The writer complains about the difficulties he has obtaining flax and gives details about the processing of flax. (Information from Mediterranean Society, I, pp. 105 and 418, and Gil)

Letter written by Saadya to Shemuel the Nagid conveying information about flax and other items kept in store at the request of the addressee. This information was probably needed for an inheritance case. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Fifty-two closely written lines of a legal verbiage written by Hillel b. Eli, dealing with the settlement of the debt of half a dinar owed after the purchase of one and one/half hundredweights of flax (worth about 14 dinars). Dated 1088. (Information from Mediterranean Society, I, pp. 252, 463)

Letter from Ḥayyim b. Amar Madini, from Palermo, probably to Yosef b. Musa al-Tahirti. Around 1055. The letter contains details about damage to goods (flax and indigo) that were sent from Egypt to the island. The merchants are facing problems of taxes and bribes. The judge Masliah b. Eliyahu is active in the trading matters. In addition, mentions details about goods that are being sent from the island: silk, leather, oil, and lead. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #651) VMR

Letter from Yosef b. Eli Kohen Fasi, from Busir to Nahray b. Nissim, Fustat. The writer deals with purchasing flax. He approves that he received coins but he cannot weigh them because he does not have a scale. Writes several instructions for payments. Expresses his opinion that the flax market in Busir is not in a good condition. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #401) VMR

Letter from Barhun b. Salah al-Tahirti, from Fustat, to Nahray b. Nissim, probably in the Delta area. Around 1050. Nahray arranges flax for shipments, flax that he owns as well as the Tahirti family. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #331) VMR

Letter written and sent from al-Mahdiyya by Musa Tahirti to his brother Barhun in Fustat, containing details about trade in the Maghreb and advising his brother about buying flax. (Information from M. Gil, Kingdom, Vol. III, p. 198)

Letter by Yosef b. Musa Tahirti from Alexandria containing details about shipments of flax including. List of expenditures. (Information from M. Gil, Kingdom, Vol. III, p. 260)

Bill of release. Location: Minyat Zifta. Dated: Monday, 23 Ṭevet 4864 AM, which is 24 December 1103 CE. Shelomo b. Yiṣḥaq ha-Kohen had sent with Yāsīn Ibn al-Khabbāza a bale of flax and empowered Abū ʿAlī b. Fahd (al-wakil), known as Ibn Khulayf, to sell it. Abu Bishr Shelomo b. Furqan al-Kohen was present and reported the price garnered for it. One qintar belonged to Yiṣḥaq b. Yehuda. (Information from S. D. Goitein, Mediterranean Society, 1:188, 446; Med Soc 2:532, n. 41; Goitein’s index cards; and Norman Golb, “Topography of Jews of Medieval Egypt,” JNES, 33 (1974), 145.) EMS

Fragment of a letter from Nahray b. Nissim, probably to Busir to an unknown addressee. Around 1055. Mentions several products and sends greetings, including to the people who were involved in buying flax. Verso contains illegible lists in the hand of al-Tahirti (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, #259) VMR

Letter from Yosef b. Yaʿaqov b. Yahaboy, probably in Amalfi, to a partner, in al-Mahdiyya. Dating: ca. 1040. Describes a long sea voyage that lasted about 70 days on board a Christian ship. The journey probably started in Alexandria and went through Constantinople, Crete and Amalfi. Yosef b. Yaʿaqov b. Yahaboy asks his partner to sell some flax and indigo and instructs him what to do with the money that he will receive. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, p. 390.)

Private account written by Nahray b. Nissim, about his partnership with Barhun and Yosef b. Musa ha-Tahirti. 1059. They sent different merchandise to the Maghreb including flax, camphor, ruby and other products. Details about the dinars that they received for the goods. The accounts are for three years, 1056-1058. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, #287) VMR