Geniza Lab

Letter from a physician in Arabic script giving detailed instructions for the care of a sick man, especially about diet, baths, and regimen. It concludes in the margin, "By God! Take care of him... [do not let him eat?] chicken until he becomes stronger, God willing, praise be to God alone." Excerpts of the surviving text: "[he must not be excessive?] in anything, not air, not food, not drink, and not bathing. As for his food.... pomegranate syrup and bread and sugar. And he should be cautious in the bathhouse and not tarry there too long, rather he should enter for one hour and not.... shave his hair and pamper him and serve him and wash his hands in pomegranate blossom(?)...." ASE

Account of household expenses. In Judaeo-Arabic, Arabic script, and Greek/Coptic numerals. Meat, vegetables and produce (colocasia, sesame oil, coriander, pepper, date, chickpeas, hiera, radish), bath, bleaching of clothing (by the qaṣṣār, laundryman), and baking of bread. Mentions names such as al-ʿArīf; Fuḍayl; Abū l-ʿAlāʾ; Mufaḍḍal. (Information in part from Goitein’s index card).

Deed of acknowledgement (iqrār). In Arabic script. Concerns a debt of 2 dinars contracted by Abū l-Ḥasan b. Yaḥyā, the Christian bath attendant (al-ḥammāmī) from ʿAlī b. Ibrāhīm al-Ḥāris [...] b. Abū l-Qāsim al-[…] (ll. 4–5). Dating: ca. 11th century CE. (Information from CUDL and Khan.)

Letter from a sick man to a physician. In Arabic script. The verso is written at 90 degrees to the recto, which is unusual, but appears to be the same handwriting and the same letter. Mentions: "on Sunday... you wrote us a copy/prescription (nuskha)... my mother(?), another time to you, and compound for her... she/I entered the bath after two days... by your religion, prescribe me a medicine that will benefit me... I have / she has perished, we are all prostrated, I have no one to go out and bring me anything, and (your) kindness will not be lost on God the exalted. They said to me that it/he is a piece of flesh (qiṭʿat laḥm = a common phrase for describing a wretched sick person)... obtain(?) for me from the hospital (al-maristān) palm ointment (marham nakhlī, cf. T-S 8J20.26 and Yevr.-Arab. I 1700.22), and if I recover / she recovers... {your} kindness will not be lost on me. I salute/greet you (qaraʾtu ʿalayka al-salām)." ASE