Geniza Lab

Verso: Informal note in Arabic script. ما هوذا يستقر لي معك قول صحيح امضي للحمام اليوم حتى اجي بلعشى واعرفك ايش افعل فقد جتني المرة الذي معها المعجر وقالت انه جاب ثلثة دنانير فقلت لها استقضي والسلم. The whole note is mysterious, but it may be approximately as follows: "I cannot accept that what you said is true. Go to the bathhouse today until I come to you in the evening and inform you what I will do. The woman who had the miʿjar (wimple or veil) came and said that it sold (or: would sell) for 3 dinars, so I told her 'go demand it!' And peace." ASE

Legal document. Partnership contract. In the hand of Hillel b. ʿEli. Location: Fustat. Dated: 1100. This court record notes the reorganization of a business venture after one of the partners absconded with some of the partnership capital. Abū Mansūr Aharon b. Mevasser al-Zayyat contracted a partnership in an oil and legume shop in Ḥamām al-Faʾr (the "Rat" bathhouse), also known as the shop of Ibn Shahrayn al-Jazzār, with Abū ʿImrān Moshe b. Mordekhay ha-Kohen and Abū Saʿd b. Abū l-ʿAlāʾ, the latter of whom may have been Aharon's brother. Moshe was likely the senior investor, collecting 5/12 of the profit; Abū Saʿd, an investor and the active partner, was to collect a third; and Aharon was to collect a quarter. When, to Aharon and Moshe's shock, Abū Saʿd absconded with the partnership assets, Aaron took Abū Saʿd's place. Aharon and Moshe reconfigured the partnership and agreed to split profits evenly. (Information from Lieberman, "A Partnership Culture", 45-46)

Legal document. Fragment of a prenuptial agreement written by Halfon b. Menashshe ha-Levi. Dating: 1100–38. The wife is permitted to leave her house only with her husband's consent, except for visits to the bathhouse and her family. See the discussion in Ashur, "Engagement and Betrothal," p. 121, n. 12. AA

Legal document. Prenuptial agreement in the hand of Halfon b. Menashse ha-Levi (dating: 1100–38) between a Rabbinate husband named Nathan ha-Levi and a Karaite wife, the daughter of Arah the elder. The wife is permitted to leave the house only for the well-known places (that is, the bathhouse and to visit her family). See Ashur, Engagement and Betrothal, p. 69, 120. 364. AA

Bifolio from an account ledger in Judaeo-Arabic. Possibly accounts of a grocer, or grocery lists and other notes of a customer. Dated: There are entries for most of the days in the range Thursday, 14 Ramaḍān through Thursday, 28 Ramaḍān 433 AH = 7–21 May 1042 CE. Numerous foods are listed, e.g., eggplant, green almond, onion, mulūkhiyya, starch, cucumber (faqqūs), eggs, apple, herbs (baql), meat, 10 pounds of offal (buṭūn), "oiled pegs" (? awtād madhūna), and something called צֿעפי or קטוע אלצֿעפי. There are also some additional notes, including a boxed note on Friday the 15th which mentions going to the bathhouse; that the faqīh will spend something; and that "he said, until I write you a ruqʿa after the sabbath." On Sunday the 17th: "because Barakāt has not slaughtered."