Geniza Lab

Letter from Mordekhai b. Yiṣḥaq to Ḥayyim Avraham Levi. Written in Judaeo-Arabic. Dated: 22 Iyyar 5565 AM, which is 1805 CE.

Recto: Late account in Judaeo-Arabic, mostly foodstuffs. Verso: A note naming David Medina and specifying the month of Muharram.

Recto: The main text is a Judaeo-Arabic sermon/exhortation that in order to avert the evil decrees and the plague and the economic depression, all members of the community must repent of their sins. There is to be a series of three fasts incumbent on all except pregnant and nursing women. All members of the community who are not otherwise occupied are to attend minḥa at either the synagogue of the Turks or the synagogue of the Egyptians. Every individual is also to give pidyon (redemption) money, including for babies in their mothers' wombs, 18 silver coins per person. The language is heavily colloquial, essentially modern. There are two additional blocks of text in harder-to-read handwriting. Needs further examination. Verso: The back of the original document was reused for documents of betrothal.

Page from register of Hebrew-language legal documents dating from Tishrei 5491AM which is 1730CE. The first document on the recto references the inheritance of a deceased man named Yehuda whose surviving relatives are mentioned, at least one of whom resides in Istanbul/Constantinople. The second document on the recto is related to the dowry of Sarah bt. Moshe Minyan[?] and also mentions her husband Shemuʾel Giyati[?], Shemuʾel Franko, and Shimʿon Franko. The third document mentions the spouses Masʿuda and Moshe Paredes who appeared before R. Yeshuʿa ___in[?]. The verso is more damaged but the middle entry records the betrothal of Yaʿacov ʿAlush and Qamr bt. Yaʿacov Zānī. The witnesses to the betrothal were "the brother of the groom Raḥamim ʿAlush and Avraham Barakha. The entry below that records the marriage of Yosef Metita[?] and Ḥanūna bt. Yaʿacov Dasa as well as a dowry list including: sandals, silk, embroidery[?] (מטרז), and many other items. MCD.

Late letter in Judaeo-Arabic dated 1802 CE (the 17th of matmonim i.e. the omer, 5562) from Yiṣḥaq ben Naʿim to his brother Me'ir ben Naʿim. Verso has been reused for some sort of betrothal/marriage document.

Recto: Late letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Verso: Possibly a legal declaration. The year 1727 CE (5488) is mentioned, as are several names (e.g. Sh[...] ha-Levi Skandari).

Late letter in Judaeo-Arabic from Avraham Dhabbāḥ probably to his sister in Fusṭāṭ/Cairo. He begs forgiveness for not yet having sent his brothers 27.5 qirsh and reminds them that he previously sent 50. He sends regards to their mother and asks for news of their nephew Ḥayyim. He mentions that he is cutting a garment (wa-aqṭaʿ qumāsh) that will be delivered soon.

Recto: Fragment of a late letter in Judaeo-Arabic from a son to a father. Verso: The page was trimmed and reused for what may be a legal record (?) in Hebrew drawn up in Fusṭāṭ/Cairo regarding the betrothal of a certain Yosef, dated 1720s CE (5480s, the last digit is unclear). The customs of Jerusalem and Eretz Yisrael are mentioned. Several other names are given, including Yehudah Masos (?) ha-Maʿaravi and a R. Yeshaʿyah. Needs further examination.

Document dated 21 December 1817 (12 Tevet 5578) in which Mordekhai Romano details the plan for medical treatment for the children of his niece Raḥel, who is the daughter of his brother Shemuel and the wife of Yāqūtī Yuʿbaṣ. Mordekhai will bring Dr. (al-Ḥakīm) Kaspa (?) to treat Raḥel's children who are blind from birth. The doctor is to receive 150 qirsh in advance (la-qūddām) and another 150 if he is successful. The last few lines are trickier to understand and may say that the second payment of 150 will come out of Raḥel's ketubba.

Late letter in Judaeo-Arabic from Moshe Bibas, Rashid, to Karo y Frances & Company, Fustat/Cairo. Longer than usual

Late letter in Judaeo-Arabic from Moshe ben Naʿim, to his father Me'ir ben Naʿim and to Se[nyor] David ben Naʿim. The letter also contains blocks of Arabic text. Needs further examination.

Late letter in Judaeo-Arabic with a few rows of writing exercises (?) in the margin. There are also a few words in Arabic.

Late letter in Judaeo-Arabic.

Late letter in Judaeo-Arabic to David ben Naʿim.

Late letter in Judaeo-Arabic.

A ledger containing copies of about ten business letters in Judaeo-Arabic from 1815–16 CE (5575–76). On verso, most are to Yosef Shammāʿ (or Shamānī?) & Company.

Late pair of letters in Judaeo-Arabic dated 30 November 1808 (11 Kislev 5569). The first is from Moshe Bibas, Rashid, to Karo y Frances & Company, Fustat/Cairo, sent with the bearer Aḥmad [...]. There is then a brief note in the margin signed by Eligo (? אליגו) (el hijo?) Frances, perhaps the response to be sent back to Moshe.

Late letter in Judaeo-Arabic from Moshe ben Naʿim, Fustat/Cairo, to his brother David ben Naʿim, Alexandria, dated 1820 CE (20 Rahamim [= Elul?] 5580). Mentions Yosef Levi Menashshe several times.

Late letter in Judaeo-Arabic dated 1817 CE from Yosef ha-Levi, Fustat/Cairo, to Yaʿaqov Yuʿbaṣ and Mordekhai Ḥako (?), Damietta (Kapotakia).

Late letter in Judaeo-Arabic dated 1822 CE (the 36th day of Matmonim = the counting of the Omer, 5582) from Moshe ben Naʿim to "my brother Moshe Ẓvi." There are greetings in the penultimate line to Moshe Ṭawīl and Moshe Maṣliaḥ. There are sums/accounts on verso.