Geniza Lab

Calligraphic letter from Sadoq Ha-Kohen b. Eliyyahu, Jerusalem, to his brother (probably Evyatar) in Fustat, June 1056 [13th of Tamuz, year 987 since the destruction of the temple]. Opens with a Hebrew poem. Sadoq's signature is surrounded by small Hebrew letters. There is a tiny note in the lower right corner apologizing for the bad (or: Arabic?) handwriting of the (now lost) address, which was necessary for the safe arrival of the letter. Information in part from Goitein's note card attached to PGPID 6192.

Segment of a letter from Shelomo ha-Kohen Gaon b. Eliyyahu, Damascus, to Ulla ha-Levi b. Yosef, Fustat, February 1116.

Leaf from a dossier containing later (maybe 14th-15th c) copies of rescripts or responsa from Muslim and Jewish authorities concerning a scholar who allegedly had slandered a Jewish judge. The end of no. 8, from a Muslim amir, dated 575H (1179–80 CE), no. 9 (head of the yeshiva in Baghdad) and the beginning of no. 10 (same as preceding). Information from Goitein's note card and from Marina Rustow.

Letter from Shemuel b. Hofni, June 977.

Beginning fragment of letter from Yeshu'a Gaon to communities in Fustat ca. 1010.

Legal document. Deed of compensation / bill of release. Dated: 1337 Seleucid (1025–26) CE. Location: Fustat. Written in the hand of Avraham, son of the Gaon. From a woman named Turayk ("Little Turk") to the wakīl al-tujjār Muḥsin b. Ḥusayn and a number of his family members: three sons, three daughters (Sarwa, Fāʾiza, and Nabīla) and his wife, Fahda. Turayk had lived in Muḥsin's house for more than 10 years, so her heirs might have been able to argue that she should have given part of it to the female members of the household, who had meanwhile come of age. (Information from Med. Soc. 3:45)

Memorial list of the Gaonic family of Evyatar Ha-Kohen, headed 'principals of schools' but including also names of people that were no Geonim, ca.969-1021. (NB: This dating seems erroneous, as the list includes Maṣliaḥ Gaon, who was in office 1127–39.)

Epistle from Shemuel b. Ḥofni, in Sura, to Yosef ha-Ḥaver b. Berakhya in Fustat. In Hebrew. Dating: Probably copied in the 11th century. It discusses a conflict, it seems now resolved, over monetary donations between the yeshiva of Sura (under Shemuel) and the yeshiva of Pumbedita (under Sherira). Still, some donations are appropriated entirely by one person, and others, if they do not have a specific address or are addressed to the Sages of the Yeshiva in general, are divided 50/50 "between us and our Ḥatan." It goes on on this vein and mentions a specific donation of 150 dirhams sent by a now deceased rabbi. Shemuel urges more donations (addressed correctly this time) and tells the recipient to write to someone named Yosef b. Yaʿaqov. (Information in part from Goitein's index card.) ASE

Letter from Shelomo b. Yehuda to Efrayim b. Shemarya, approximately 1028.

Letter from Shelomo b. Yehuda to Avraham Ha-Kohen b. Yiṣḥaq. Probably Ca. 1030

Fragment of a letter from Yoshiyyahu Gaon to Efrayim b. Shemarya, approximately 1020.

Court proceeding from the court of Yoshiyyahu Gaon, approximately 1010. Testimony of two business partners who quarreled. Original document of their partnership done in Fustat by Shemariyah b. Elhanan.

November 962. A letter from Neḥemya ha-Kohen, Gaon of Pumbedita, probably to the Babylonian community in Fustat. Asks for financial assistance to the academy. Mentions the death of the writer’s brother Ḥofni, av beit din of the academy. Reflects tensions between different factions within the academy. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, p. 54.) Neḥemya ha-Kohen complains that his former letter had been disregarded, and requests to show honour to his messenger, Shelomo b. ʿEli, known as b. Ṭavnay. (Information from the Bodleian Genizah site). On verso, a different hand identified the writer of the letter and copied a short phrase from the letter.

Letter from Shelomo b. Yehuda to Efrayim b. Shemarya, approximately 1035.

Letter from Avraham, son of the Gaon, to Efrayim b. Shemarya, approximately 1029.

Letter from Shelomo b. Yehuda to Avraham Ha-Kohen b. Yiṣḥaq b. Furat. Ca. 1030

Letter from Shelomo b. Yehuda to Abraham b. Sahlan, noting that in a previous epistle he thanked Abraham for the donation the Fustat community had sent through the elder Shelomo b. Sa‘adya, to Levi b. Menahem. The Gaon writes this current letter on behalf of a certain Sadaqa b. Menahem, who eulogizes Abraham for his kindness and repents his former misdeeds, furthermore relating that the "mighty elder" had promised to write to some his representatives to find Sadaqa some employment in Egypt. The Gaon requests Abraham to interest himself in Sadaqa. (Jacob Mann, The Jews in Egypt and Palestine under the Fatimids (New York: Ktav Pub. House, 1920-22; reprint 1970), 1:118, 2:134-5) EMS

Letter from Shelomo b. Yehuda to Efrayim b. Shemarya, 1040.

On recto a commentary responsa to Bavli Zevahim 118a. On verso a responsa on Bavli Nedarim 32b. Probably Geonic. AA

A legal query concerning a Kew living nearby a gentile.