Geniza Lab

Letter from a synagogue dignitary to a donor. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: early 13th century (during the period of Eliyyahu the Judge and Avraham Maimonides). Concerning the restoration of a Bible codex called al-Jāmiʿ, "the brother of the codex called the Tāj (i.e., the Aleppo Codex," which was in need of restoration and could not be replaced even for 100 dinars. "For work requiring special skills, the usually low tariffs would not do. An ancient model codex of the whole Bible, which had been written, it seems, in the ninth century and was the property of the synagogue of the Palestinians in Old Cairo, needed to be restored at the beginning of the thirteenth century. Three experts were invited for the task, but declared themselves unable to carry it out, for "the resurrection of the dead is more difficult than bringing a human being into existence." Finally, a fourth scribe undertook the restoration of sixty particularly bad leaves, for which he asked a compensation of 1 dirham per leaf. This demand, as stated in the document, was far more than expected. (Information from Goitein's index card and Mediterranean Society II, p. 239, note 52.) Ed. S.D. Goitein, “New Documents from the Cairo Geniza,” in Homenaje: Millás-Vallicrosa, vol. 1 (Barcelona: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, 1954), 713–16, 719–20.

Recto: Letter from Yehuda b. Aharon b. al-ʿAmmānī, in Alexandria, to Abū l-Majd Meir b. Yakhin, in Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dated 23 Shevat, 1208 CE. Yehuda copied for Meir dirges (qinnot) and liturgical poetry (piyyutim). The whole letter deals with the exchange of professional news and information between the two cantors. In particular, R. ʿOvadya the cantor from Damascus was meant to deliver certain piyyutim, but he departed suddenly without warning, which is why Yehuda is sending them with the present letter (r6-12). Yehuda rebukes Meir for sending him vague requests without specifying the opening lines of the piyyutim, which cools Yehuda's ardor for fulfilling his requests (r12-17). He also asks Meir to send back the note about the reading of Deut. 1:44, which Yehuda had seen in the Tāj (the Aleppo Codex) (r17-19). He also wants Meir to send him the fatwa that relates to Yehuda's court case against a judge (r20-22). He asks if ʿOvadya is planning to travel again (r23-24) and concludes with greetings. See Goitein, Med. Soc. II, 548 n. 59, for an explanation of the date in this letter and in T-S 16.287. Yehuda writes 168, with 4800 implied, so the year is 4968. On verso is a draft of a legal query in a different hand. Information in part from Frenkel and from Goitein's note card. ASE.

Folio 1: Haggada. Folio 2: The book of Numbers, including its conclusion and verse count, followed by a note in Judaeo-Arabic that mentions "the Tāj that is in the Palestinian synagogue in Fustat."