Geniza Lab

Letter of recommendation sent by seven elders of the Jewish community in Minyat Zifta to the Nagid Avraham Maimonides, recommending Moshe, the son of a previous judge named Perahya, for appointment or confirmation, and describing his rival as the very opposite of the proposed candidate in every respect. Dated Tevet1531/ December 1219- January 1220. (Information from Mediterranean Society, II, p. 44; V, p. 199.) Alternate description: "Ruling from the Bet Din of Minyat Ziftā, addressed to the Nagid Abraham Maimonides, dated Ṭevet 1531 (= 1219-1220 CE). Despite vehement opposition from other parties in the town, Moses b. Peraḥya is cleared of charges against him and his appointment is recommended. Moses is reported to be 'extremely modest, bashful, humble, taciturn, forbearing, and inexperienced in trouble-making'. Signed by Ṣedaqa b. Šela, Solomon b. Benjamin, Solomon b. Yefet, Yefet b. Isaiah ha-Levi, Moses b. Ṭahor ha-Kohen, Moses b. Yefet, Ḥalfon b. Obadiah, and Judah b. [...]." (Information from CUDL)

Letter from David al-Qalʿī, perhaps in Minyat Zifta or nearby, to Yosef al-Faranji (it seems his uncle), perhaps in Fustat/Cairo. In Hebrew. Dating: mid-16th century, based on Avraham David's assessment and identification of the people named. The letter deals mainly with a request for the addressee to send wheat to the writer, and gives details about how the wheat market is faring in his location. Information in part from Avraham David's edition (FGP).

Letters in Judaeo-Arabic, probably copies of letters sent in the name of Avraham Maimonides. There are at least two letters sharing the same folio. Only the ending of the first one is preserved, and it helpfully ends with the date (Adar II 1535 Seleucid, which is 1224 CE), and "Avraham wrote this." The next one begins with the motto "hineh el yeshuʿati" (also used elsewhere by Avraham Maimonides). The letter is addressed to the congregation of Ashmūm and at their head, R. Moshe ha-L[evi]. It addresses the problem that there is no muqaddam in Ashmūm to oversee marriages and divorces, and as such, the people have been going to the Muslim courts. They are informed that this is wrong and that they should stop doing it. R. Moshe b. Peraḥya ha-Dayyan is mentioned. The text on verso seems to be a continuation, because it continues to discuss Ashmūm and brings in a certain R. Yehuda and Minyat Zifta. Needs examination.

Verso: Letter from Shabbetay b. Avraham, in Minyat Zifta, to the judge Zakkay b. Moshe, perhaps in al-Maḥalla. In Judaeo-Arabic. (Zakkay was in al-Maḥalla in 1147 CE, per T-S 13J3.6v.) Shabbetay asks Zakkay to assist the bearer Abū l-Surūr b. Abū Saʿd in getting his wife to come back with him to Minyat Zifta, as they need to pay the capitation tax there. (Information from Mediterranean Society, III, pp. 178, 464 and from Goitein's index cards.) NB: Goitein refers to ENA 4011.12 as ENA 4011.34.

Letter sent from Minyat Zifta by Abu al-Baha b. al-Mashmia to his father. The writer reports that his brother was caught by capitation tax collectors and that he had to pay for the entire family. The receipts were written in Ashmum, as they were inhabitants of that town. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter by the son of the judge (dayyan) of Minyat Zifta to a certain Peraḥya, requesting his intercession with a certain sayyidnā David. Dating: If this David is David Maimonides, the letter would be dated 1237 CE at the earliest. The letter is a litany of the the troubles of the writer's father and the acts of his enemies against him. The father's troubles include the following. His creditors are demanding that he turn over his house to the Muslim authorities (sulṭān). He fell sick one week (parshat Ki Tetze) and wished to take out the Torah scroll and say the blessing—evidently this was thought to be helpful against illness. But his rival humiliated him and took out and made the blessing over the Torah himself. Information in part from Goitein's note card. ASE.

Fragment of a document in Judaeo-Arabic narrating the situation of communal leadership in Minyat Zifta and Minyat Ghamr. "R. Moshe. . . on marriage and divorce due to his learning and excellence, he is the original muqaddam and authority in Minyat Zifta and Minyat Ghamr. Avraham ha-Kohen is the one whom we have left in charge of the prayer and slaughter. . . . We have received many letters from the haver R. Moshe regarding the letter which we wrote. . . ruling that except for marriage. . ." Though it deals with current events, the fragment has the layout of a literary work. Perhaps it is a copy of a letter. ASE

Letter from the teacher Abū l-Khayr, in Minyat Zifta to his brother Abū Naṣr Maḥfūẓ, the brother-in-law of Abū l-Bishr(?) Ibn al-Abzārī(?), in Darb al-Dahhān, Ḥārat Zuwayla, Cairo. In Judaeo-Arabic, with the address in Arabic script. The sender has partnered with Abū l-Munā b. Ḥiyya in teaching, but they are earning only 6 dirhams each every week. They wish to know if there are better prospects in Cairo. The addressee is urged to come quickly and to bring wheat with him. If he cannot find passage from his location, he should walk to Banhā and catch a boat to Minyat Zifta for 1/2 dirham. The sender asks about the prices of fleawort, purslane seed, and caraway. (Information in part from Goitein's index cards and CUDL)

Statement concerning contributions to a public appeal in Minyat Zifta, a small town in the Delta, written in summer, 1266. A special drive was arranged in the town from September 1265 through April 1266 in support of the Jewish community of Cairo. Eighteen people contributed a total of 1,024 and three/fourths dirhams. The statement begins with the words, “We the congregation of Minyat Zafta Jawad, make the following declaration: When in the month of Av 1576 [1265], the decree of the King [that is, God] came upon us because of our many sins, necessitating a collection, we extracted strength from weakness and joined Israel in its tribulation, despite our inability to do so, our poverty and indigence.” (S. D. Goitein, Mediterranean Society, 2:44, 137-8, 501, 531, 532, 549, 606) EMS

Marriage contract from Minyat Zifta, circa 1120, opening with an excerpt from Psalm 92. The marriage gift was 40 Dinars and the dowry another 50. Information from Med. Soc. According to Reif, this document is also mentioned in Ashtor, Histoire des Prix, p.173

Letter from Avraham b. Shabbetay, the judge of Minyat Zifta, to Abu Ishaq, the jewelry-maker discussing gambling, news and other issues. (Information from Mediterranean Society, II, pp. 45, 531)

Legal document concerning claims of the wife of Abu al-Makarim b. Da’ud against him. The town of Minyat Zifta in Egypt and Muslim courts are mentioned. EMS

Recto: Note to a man with many titles. In the margin there is the actual information: someone had gone to Rashid and Abu l-Faraj and Abu l-[...] had gone to Minyat [Zifta, Egypt], but they had not found anything. Verso: Citation of Psalms 121:3-4, possibly part of a letter or note. (Information from the Cambridge Genizah Research Unit via FGP).

Letter from Yeshuʿa ha-Melammed b. Avraham, in Minyat Zifta, to Eliyyahu the Judge, in Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: 1236 CE (Iyyar 4800+196 = 4996 AM, line 16). The writer reports that the income from the ‘quppa’ was used as a school fee for poor children. Goitein also makes note of the greeting for an old man in precarious health in a high position: "May God not wound Israel through him" (line 4), i.e., may God not wound Israel by causing him illness or death. (S. D. Goitein, Mediterranean Society, 2:105-6, 515, 544.) EMS. ASE.

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic. The writer mentions Minyat Zifta; urges the recipient not to delay with something; mentions the wālī, the qāḍī and the mushrif; mentions a letter from the Nagid; says he will arrive in place of his letter as soon as he can; urges the recipient to bring a petition before the wālī of Damietta (רפע תוקיע); and offers congrulations for the holidays. The letter is addressed to Abu Isḥāq Ibrahīm.

Letter fragment mainly in Judaeo-Arabic. Mentions Minyat Zifta; blessings that God rescue someone from their enemies; the sender spending Shabbat in Malīj; and the news that the government (dīwān) in the addressee's location opposed or got in the way of 'some of our friends' (baʿḍ aṣḥābnā). (Information in part from CUDL)

Report about the inspection of a house in Minyat Zifta to assess the rent from a pious foundation. Dated Tammuz 1489/ June 1178. (Information from Mediterranean Society, IV, p. 373, and from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Barakāt al-Kohen to the cantor Moshe b. Levi ha-Levi (d. 1212). Barakāt has sent the volume which he found of al-Faraj baʿd al-Shidda. He found another copy with his brother's son in al-Maḥalla and plans to go get it and send it to Moshe. He will also send the two 'little qawls' (piyyuṭim?) which he'd mentioned, on the subject of love. On verso, he asks Moshe to send him two pots with dates, for those he received were spoiled, and he discarded them in Minya Zifta. He also sends his greetings to Abū l-ʿAlāʾ and Abū l-Maʿālī. (Information in part from Mediterranean Society, IV, p. 411, and from Goitein's index cards)

Marriage contract (ketubba) from Minyat Zifta, Egypt, 1093-4. The groom is Saadiah ha-hazzan b. Sedaqa ha-hazzan, a man known to have served as a cantor, judge, and scribe in Minyat Zifta. (Friedman, Jewish Marriage, vol. 2, 107-9) EMS

Very faded and damaged fragment, probably a court record. regarding a payment of a debt. On verso it is addressed to the community of Minyat Zifta. AA