Geniza Lab

Bifolium, probably from a literary compendium. Dating: Late, possibly 18th or 19th century. Two of the pages are a story about a female slave and a king—needs further examination. The other two pages are love spells in Judaeo-Arabic, apparently transcribed from Islamic/Arabic-script models, as one of them invokes the prophets Moses and Jesus(!).

Letter to Ibn Awkal mentioning a female slave (telling the addressee to send her without delay?); someone named Ḥayyān; the price of wax/candles; Yaʿqūb al-[...]; two qārūrahs, one containing nawāfij (?) and one containing musk.

A pregnant woman, seemingly well-to-do, complains to her sister in the city about neglect and expresses apprehension that part of her house will be taken by the military, the Ghuzz or Turkomans, in billeting (nazl). The ṣāḥib al-dīwān lives now in the neighborhing house and walks over the roofs and knows what is going on—particularly that there is plenty of space for soldiers in the house. The sister, who possibly had a part in the house, should come. Information from Goitein's note card and Med Soc, IV, p. 24. The letter was dictated to Ibrāhīm (the writer's father?) and addressed to Abū l-Ḥasan b. Ibrāhīm al-Ṣā'igh in the market of the goldsmiths in Fusṭāṭ. The first part of the letter is a rebuke for the addressee's silence. "We could all die, and still you would not ask after us. We hear news of you only from hearsay. If it were not for my pregnancy, I would have traveled [to Fusṭāṭ] to ask after you, because I am tired of sending letters without receiving responses. You now write to tell me, 'Come to us,' because my maternal aunt has died. You did not even write to tell me that you were sick [as well]. Even if I were your enemy, that much at least you would owe me. My cousin died, and you did not even write to console me or your paternal uncle. . . What is the solution to (or reason for?) this enmity? Please come and visit, for the house is derelict and empty. We fear the billeting—for the ṣāḥib al-dīwān lives next door in the house of Yūsuf and walks over the roofs—and that the Ghuzz will take it, and we will not be able to say anything. Even Ibn al-Sarūjī sold his house because of the Ghuzz." On verso: "By God, my sister, console the daughter of my maternal aunt on my behalf. I was sick and was unable to write to her to console her about her mother. As soon as you see this letter, send its response and whatever you see fit with whomever will deliver it. I will pay for it. All of my children have fallen sick, and the female slave is also sick, may God make the end good. By God, I do not need to urge you to send the response quickly, for my eyes are on the road and on every person who arrives. When I hear you are healthy, I will rejoice. I have taken a vow not to break my fast during the day until your letter arrives. I have perished from fasting. Perhaps you will come in place of your letter, and look into what you will do with your [share in the house?]. For Ibn Hilāl is not waiting for Ibn al-Qāḍī to arrive. He has already sent and made me take a vow regarding you. . . ." She concludes with sending regards to Abū l-Ḥasan and his siblings and his son, and to Ibrāhīm. ASE.

Legal document in Judaeo-Arabic. Fragmentary, so difficult to figure out the details. Sets out provisions for the care of a minor boy. Mentions a female slave (al-jāriya al-kabīra) twice, once in the context of someone being granted ownership (תצרפת פי גאריתהא תצרף אלמלאך).

Trousseau list to accompany a marriage contract. Groom: Abū Naṣr Elʿazar ha-Kohen b. Yaḥyā. Bride: Sitt al-Maʿālī bt. Abū l-Ḥasan al-Simsār. Real value: 57 dinars. Including a female slave (unnamed) worth 20 dinars. (Information from Goitein's index card.)

Abū Manṣūr Elʿazar b. Elʿazar al-Dimashqī gives the female slave Rahaj ("Arsenic") as well as clothing and household goods which he had inherited from his wife Fakhr bt. Abū l-Surūr al-Jashshāsh as a gift to his two daughters, Ḥasab and Kafā'. (Information from Goitein's index card.) NB: This portion of the document is on recto of Bodl. MS heb. f 56/46.

Bill of sale for a female slave named חלל (Ḥalal? Ḥulal? In fact there is a vowel above the letter in the document, but it is not immediately clear whether a fatḥa or a ḍamma is indicated). Yosef ha-Kohen pays [..]ta bt. Shemuel either 23 or 26 dinars. Yosef may be identical with Abū l-Makārim. The buyer is Abū l-Makārim, who is purchasing the female slave for his sister (karīma), and the seller is Abū Saʿd al-Ṣayrafī. It is not clear how Abū Saʿd is related to the daughter of Shemuel. Abū Saʿd guarantees (ḍāmin) to the sister of Abū l-Makārim דרך אלחל of the female slave (whatever this means; as in T-S 8J8.4). The document seems to conclude with a provision that Abū Saʿd will reimburse the full price of the female slave to the sister of Abū l-Makārim in certain scenarios (אן יקים להא בתמן הדה אלגאריה . . . מתי . . . מן יעתרפהא או ירמי מלכייתהא ויסתכרגהא מן יד כרימה אלשיך אבו אלמכארם). The document is incomplete, and there are no signatures. Verso: Probably an archival note in Arabic script describing the contents of the document: يذكر فيها انه ضمن درك زوجته والصهر مسلم الى يده جامع عن حق السوق وجعل الدلالة. The buyer and seller may in fact be in-laws, e.g., maybe the sister of Abū l-Makārim is actually the wife of Abū Saʿd al-Ṣayrafī. Needs further examination. ASE.

Legal deed concerning a female slave, that is probably sold or given as a gift to a woman named Sitt al-Nas. Also mentioned Mevasser, Shemarya Hakohen. Written by Ḥalfon b. Menashshe Halevi

Letter from a woman, in Rashīd, to Yom Ṭov al-Buḥayrī (it seems her son-in-law) and his wife Esther (it seems her daughter), in Fustat/Cairo. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Probably no earlier than 16th century. The specific relationships are not entirely clear. She seems to use masculine verb endings when addressing each one of the two; she opens with "salām allāh taʿālā ʿalā a[l]-ṣihr(?) al-ʿazīz wa-ʿalā al-bint al-ʿazīza Esther min ummik" and there is no clear alternative to eading ṣihr, which can mean son-in-law as well as brother-in-law; but she also writes "greet your mother-in-law" (with masculine verb ending), a statement that has to be addressed to her own child. In any event, she congratulates them on acquiring a female slave (if אכצתי is indeed to be read as אכדתי) and urges one of them (presumably the daughter, but the verbs are masculine) to "take it with a gracious word" (khudhu bi-kalima ḥilwā). The remainder of the content is obscure. Greetings to Doña Sh[..]; to the aforementioned mother-in-law; and to Khuḍayr and Manṣūr. ASE.

Letter from חצרייה(?) and her mother to פוצילא. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Probably no earlier than 14th century. The writers report on the condition of the neighborhood, which is stricken with an epidemic (magefa) and, barukh ha-shem, various people in the addressee's family have been stricken (inḍarabū). No one is left in the house except for the writer, the daughters (באנת = בנאת?) and the female slave. There is a postscript, "Do not blame your mother, because your mother has no sense. This is Shuml (=Shemuel?)." Needs further examination.

Bill of sale for a slave. Abū al-[Man]ṣūr al-Kohen purchases a female slave named Ṭ[...] for the price of 25 dinars.

Letter from Natan b. Nahray, in Alexandria, to Nahray b. Nissim, in Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: ca. 1065 CE. It appears that Nahray and his family recently stayed in Alexandria, and Natan has heard that they arrived ome safely. Nahray plans to travel to Malīj, and Natan asks if he should send the female slave (jāriya) there (r13).

Informal note addressed to Abū l-Afrāḥ requesting that he urgently send the writer 5 dinars with the bearer. Also mentions sending it with the jāriya (female slave?). Verso: "We will pay you by Sunday at the latest"; the handwriting is different than that of recto, and it is unclear if this is a postscript (promising repayment) or the response to the request on recto.

Bill of sale for a female slave, probably a draft. In Judaeo-Arabic. Al-Rayyis Abū Saʿd Seʿadya sells a Nubian female slave ([...]da) and her daughter (Shamīma?) and her son (Rayḥān?) to R. Eliyya b. Ṣadaqa known as Ibn Ḥiyya(?) for [...] dinars with 'ṣarf of 40.'

Fragment of a Judaeo-Arabic letter. Includes the intriguing instructions: "Please go to . . . [and find] the female slave named Ḥidhq and greet her . . . and give her the letter and tell her to deliver it to the house where she slept. . . This is my greatest request. Do not give it to someone who will deceive me and [deliver it] to the mother of the boy (?)." ASE.

Small fragment of a letter, probably from a Moshe, mentioning the yeshiva (al-matība) and a female slave (jāriya).

Legal fragment. Appears to mention a jāriya belonging to a woman, who may be making arrangements for after her death. But needs examination.

Business letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Probably 12th century. The handwriting may be known. Deals with trade in pepper, brazilwood, saffron (zarnaba), dragon's blood (qāṭir), a flask of sorrel (baṭṭa l-ḥummāḍ), and other items. Also mentions the zakāt (here: customs?), someone who died in Beirut, someone who works as a goldsmith in the citadel of the sultan, the purchase of a female slave ('to be imported from [...]'), various amirs, the Qāḍi Jaʿfar, and someone referred to merely as "the accursed one (al-arur)." Underneath the letter on verso, there are several additional lines in Judaeo-Arabic, in a different hand, probably business accounts added later (בקית אלחסאב אלדי ענדכם פי אלאוראק...). And there are the remnants of a few words in Arabic script, probably from the address of the letter. Merits further examination.

Letter from Marduk b. Musa in Alexandria to Nahray b. Nissim in Fustat asking him to find a Jewish maidservant for the writer, ca. 1045-1096

Letter from Sitt Dhahab, in an unknown location, to Abū Naṣr b. Karīm, in Qāʿat al-Fāḍil, Fustat. She refers to herself as his daughter. Goitein suggests that he is her elder brother, although in that case it might be odd for a sister to refer to "the house of your brother" rather than "our brother." She reports that Abū l-Faraj b. al-Rayyis (Judge Elijah?) has arrived, with 100 dirhams for them. He is interested in buying wheat. She confirms that several consignments have arrived, including the balālīn (?), a frying pan (ṭājin), a robe (shuqqa), yarn (ghazal), and silk in various forms. She suggests that he send silver to Sitt Iftikhār, who has been seriously ill ("she has not lifted her head") already two months. She uses the word "iltaha'at" (bi-ruḥihā wa-maraḍihā) to describe Sitt Iftikhār; this word also appears in the context of distress in CUL Or.1081 J5 and possibly T-S 10J12.14. It might correspond to التهى, meaning "to be occupied with oneself" (Dozy). She reports on the sale of a female slave for 10 dinars, but this deal may have fallen apart: when "the man" came to fetch her price, "they returned to your brother's house, and they said they wouldn't sell her," and the female slave herself had to be bound with ropes. She then gives an update on the door for the vestibule (kumm). Abū l-Surūr bought one, but it is not suitable. Another worker came and took its measurements and is interested in doing the work. As for the old door of iron, Ḥusām took it down, and Salīm the carpenter didn't lift a finger to help. She urges the addressee to be diligent in forwarding the letters of Abū l-Maʿālī, because his mother and grandmother (or: mother and wife) are worried about him. She urges him to not forget to give an update on Najm in each of his letters, because when he does not, everyone is worried. The address is in both Judaeo-Arabic and Arabic. Information in part from Goitein's note card. ASE.