Geniza Lab

A bizarre treatise entitled Mar'e Ha-Ofanim, referring both to the angels of Ezekiel's vision and to the circles described in the treatise. It gives instructions for drawing up sundry circles within circles with magical or divinatory properties. In this section, each entry is prefaced with the name of a category (e.g. "meals" or "Gentile sages") and two rivers (one "outside" and one "inside"), and then the entry consists of specific elements from that category paired with a biblical prophet and the number of a verse ("Bread, go to Ezekiel verse 1"; "Bartholomeo, go to Elisha verse 25"; etc.). Each entry concludes with a list of significant numbers.

Bizarre fragment containing what seem to be nonsense rhymes in Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic ("they will excommunicate Aziz | he will eat the coins (al-fulūs) | and Saʿīd the poor man | is imprisoned (maḥbūs)"). The same writer has written a very similar text in purple ink on verso.

A bizarre Judaeo-Arabic composition reminiscent of "clanging" in schizophrenia: disorganized thoughts associated on the basis of sound rather than content. Notable phrases include "for every plague there is a plague," following "ʿibarah destroyed 'atarah | al-fajārah destroyed al-hijrah | al-maskadah destroyed al-Mahallah." Also "If Efrayim puts out my eye, they'll ban | if Sa'id kills me, they'll cut off | if Salim strangles me, they'll topple." There are religious preoccupations as well and some gematriyah with names of God at the end. At least 15th century, if not well after, since it mentions a finjān of qahwah. ASE.