Geniza Lab

Letter in Hebrew dated 1778/79 CE (539 = ותקוה טובה) from the Jewish community of Jerusalem to the Jewish community of Pisa begging for financial aid. The sum of 75,000 arayot is named. Among other distressing events, there was a terrible famine in the preceding year. Their sheliḥim are Eliyyahu Ẓevi, Yaʿaqov Burla, and Yaqar Gershon. ASE.

Letter from the wife of Yehuda b. Moshe b. Sughmār, in Fustat, to her husband Yehuda b. Moshe b. Sughmār, in Alexandria. The letter was dictated to Abū l-Faraj, who gives his name toward the end of the letter (v9-10); Gil suggests that he is their son. The writer conveys her concern for what she heard of her husband's illness (wajaʿ). She describes her father's and her own misfortunes, and discusses the famine in Fustat. The sugar and the rose preserves that Yehuda said he sent never arrived. Dated September 26 (18 Tishrei), 1070 CE (Gil's suggestion based on the similarity between events described in the letter and those known to have transpired in 462H). ASE.

Letter from a prominent public figure in Alexandria to Fustat in the year 1200. The letter reports of terrible hunger as well as water and wheat shortage. This indicates that Alexandria suffered from severe food shortage before the great famine that struck Egypt in 1201/2. (Information from Frenkel. See also partial translation in Goitein, Med. Soc. 4:238-239, 5:550. Goitein notes on the document: Important letter dated September- October 1200, sent by a notable from Alexandria. The writer describes the great famine in Alexandria, orders ten irdabbs of wheat and gives personal greetings to Moses Maimonides and to the French Rabbi Anatoli).

Letter from Isma’il b. Farah, Alexandria, to his son Farah, Fustat. Dating: November 1056. The writer describes the terrible famine in Egypt, which even leads to cases of eating people. The writer also describes the epidemic in the area. Despite all that, business continues. He writes about pepper, linen, and oil. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #495) VMR. The part about the epidemic begins in line 14 of recto. "There is a great epidemic (wabā') in the cities of the coast. As for Qayrawān, no one remains there [alive? or who has not fled?]—may God preserve you in health. Do not go roaming about the villages, for these are difficult times. [Or, if you read mā instead of lā, "Difficult times have recurred in the villages."] By God, by God, be vigilant for yourself. 'Who is called wise? He who sees the consequences' [Tamid 32a]. Be vigilant in all things before you enter into them." The next sentence is difficult; Gil marks his translation as doubtful and suggests that Ismāʿīl is exhorting his son to be careful about whom he puts his trust in. But perhaps it reads instead, "wa-lā taṭam'an man yabqa li-yabqa wa-lā lī hūwa waqt yūjibuhu bihi lā ḥīla," meaning "do not trust in [the belief that] 'he who [is destined to] survive, will survive,' for in my view this time does not call for a 'nothing can be done.'" This would be an unusual use of "lā ḥīla," since usually the writer means to say, "nothing can be done [except trust in God]." But it would fit the preceding exhortation to be exceedingly vigilant and to consider the consequences of his actions instead of simply trusting in God. ASE. On verso in line 2, he mentions the arrival of some letters ḍabāratan, in a bundle or a file, possibly one pierced and loosely bound with string (on which see this short lecture by Marina Rustow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1nMtoEDbmc).

Letter sent by Ṭoviya b. ʿEli ha-Kohen, writing from the countryside to his cousin, the judge Natan b. Shelomo ha-Kohen. Dating: 1122–50, based on the dated documents of the addressee. In a mix of Judaeo-Arabic and Hebrew, the latter used especially for sensitive topics. The letter describes the pillage (nahb), famine, and the persecution of the Jews it entailed and describing many other public and private issues. On verso, Ṭoviya gives a brief update on his wife's condition: she is emerging from her illness (mysterious attacks of chills and burning sensations, see T-S 12.234 and Bodl. MS heb. d.66/141), but she cannot tolerate being near fire or in the kitchen. (Information from Mediterranean Society, V, pp. 106, 524.) ASE.

Letter from Yaʿqūb b. Salmān al-Ḥarīrī, in Ramla, to Nahray b. Nissim, in Fusṭāṭ. In Judaeo-Arabic, with the address in both Judaeo-Arabic and Arabic script. Dating: ca. 1066 CE, according to Goitein's estimate. In some respects it is a standard mercantile letter, mentioning various commodities and prices. The sender also mentions being caught in a storm while sailing from Jaffa, the port of Ramla. He asks about the price of wheat and bread in Fusṭāṭ, as it was ravaged by the massive famine (1062–70) and asks about the state of his father and family during these trying times. This letter shows that trade continued even during the famine years. (Information from Goitein, Letters of Medieval Jewish Traders, p. 45.) YU

Account of revenue from rent ca. October 1201. A double leaf of a notebook, of which only the upper part is preserved. It was originally an account of both revenue and expenditures, but only a few items are preserved of the latter. Its first part contains revenue for the month of Marheshwan, followed by that for Kislev. The account contains 27 names of inhabited apartments belonging to to 15 compounds, inclusive of the funduq. The total revenue of Marheshwan was 269 dirhams, as against the expected 555.5 indicating a loss in revenue of 286.5, i.e. more than half. This is of course one of the indications of the famine and distress of the period. (Information from Gil, Documents, pp. 388 #103.) In the hand of the court scribe Yosef b. Shemuel b. Seʿadya ha-Levi (c.1181–1209).

Letter from Yosef and Nissim b. Berakhya (Qayrawan) to Yosef b. Yaʿaqov b. ʿAwkal (Fustat), ca. 1020, on the death of the Nagid, Avraham b. ʿAṭā. According to the sender’s words, the Maghreb is in a state of decline. The situation is difficult in Gabès as well as in the western parts around Sijilmāssa. A famine and a drought are mentioned. Refers to financial matters, some involving the academies, others involving the people of Gabès who had sent 100 dinars to Fustat some years ago but the money was lost track of. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, p. 435.)