Geniza Lab

Legal document. Court ruling. Dated: July 1084. Written in the hand of Hillel b. Eli. Location: Fustat. Yaḥyā b. Samuel sues Amram b. Abraham for various commodities (wool, flax, and cinnamon in exchange for silk robes, silver scammony, and saffron) which represent the former’s investment with the latter. However, Amram seems to have placed the items in the care of Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Tinnīsī, who seems to have assumed responsibility for them by means of a power of attorney. Apparently, Aaron sold the items and prepared an account sheet, remitting the balance to Amram, who then settled his account with Yaḥyā. At the time the matter is to be adjudicated, Amram has left Fusṭāṭ and Yaḥyā asks for a continuance. Yefet b. Avraham, counterparty in the sale of a quantity of silver to Abū al-Ḥusayn, also appears in a number of geniza documents. (Information from Lieberman, "A Partnership Culture," 110). Verso seems to contain another legal discussion with the same partners over similar issues.

Mercantile letter in Judaeo-Arabic. The sender and addressee are unknown. Dating: Probably 11th century. Mentions people such as Abū Yaʿaqov the brother of Tamra(?); a poor old man (shaykh suʿlūk); Ibn al-Fakkāh. Mentions goods such as: pepper, cinnamon, brazilwood, wheat, oil, and Kirmānī indigo. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #835.) VMR

Legal document. In which Moshe b. Yehuda ha-Ḥazzan acknowledges receipt of a number of goods from [...] b. Salmān the broker. These include 13 dinars' worth of indigo, 35 1/2 dinars' worth of something else, and cinnamon. On verso there is very faded Hebrew text, likely literary.