Geniza Lab

A long letter of recommendation on behalf of Obadiah the Proselyte, by Barukh b. Yiṣḥaq of Aleppo, written in elegant and vocalized Hebrew. For more information, visit https://johannes-obadiah.org/navigator.php?Manuscript=Epistle%20of%20R.%20Barukh%20of%20Aleppo&PageNum=1.

Title page of al-Ḥāwī by David b. Seʿadya al-Ger ("the convert"). See David Sklare, ר' דוד בן סעדיה אלגר וחיבורו אלחאוי, Teʿuda 14, pp. 103–23. (Identification provided by Moshe Yagur.)

Letter by Shemuel b. Yiṣḥaq ha-Sefaradi to [Shemarya] b. Elḥanan. In Hebrew. Dating: Early 11th century, probably. Letter of recommendation for a proselyte of noble descent whom he met in Damascus and later in Jerusalem and who was in danger because of the powerful Christian scribes. Edited with extensive commentary (and speculative identifications) by Golb, “A Study of a Proselyte to Judaism Who Fled to Egypt at the Beginning of the Eleventh Century," Sefunot 8 (1964).

Letter from Abū l-Majd, in Qūṣ, to Abū l-Mufaḍḍal the judge, in Fustat. Mentions Egypt, Abū l-Riḍā, Ibn Ibrahim al-ʿArīf, Abū l-ʿAlā b. Ḥassūn, Abū l-Ḥasan and Abū l-Khayr. Dated: Wednesday, 23 Tammuz (1400+)145 = 1545 Seleucid, which is 21 June 1234 CE. (Information in part from CUDL.)

Legal document. The welfare official Eli ha-Kohen who was in doubt whether he could arrange the marriage of a proselyte freed woman with a Jewish man, was given a guarantee by the mother of Saʿd al-Mulk that she would take up the matter for him should any difficulty arise. Dated: Sunday, 23 Av 1402 Seleucid, which is August 1091 CE. (Information from Mediterranean Society, III, pp. 358, 507)