Geniza Lab

Letter from the office of the Nagid Yehoshuaʿ Maimonides (d. 1355) to a certain Rabbenu Avraham "the diadem of [...]." Yehoshuaʿ informs Avraham that Sayf al-Dīn Bahādur appeared (before the court) and sued ʿIwāḍ the Alexandria for silver that he was owed. ʿIwāḍ had taken a strict oath not to travel without his creditors' consent—but of course he has done just that. Yehoshuaʿ instructs Avraham to inform ʿIwāḍ's wife that if her husband is with her, and he does not come forth, she too will be placed under the ban, and she will be obliged to pay the 'tarsīm' on his account (this probably refers to paying the debt for him, rather than the other meaning of tarsīm, which refers to the government fees for house arrest). Yehoshuaʿ emphasizes that the creditor is a good man, so his word can be believed; plus, he took a mighty oath that he is not playing a trick. On verso there is the response in Hebrew, signed by Avraham ha-Sefaradi. The hand is distinctly sefaradi and would probably have been dated to a couple centuries later if it weren't for the context. The text is very faded, but some information can be extracted: Avraham found either ʿIwāḍ or his wife or at least people who knew him and threatened to place a ban on him the next day under the authority of the Nagid, unless he paid up the 120 silver pieces that he owed—but ʿIwāḍ refused. Then, "people... to us in the name of ʿIwāḍ that he said that if... him, he will pay... the religion. See [what] should be done in the matter, and inform your slave the son of your maidservant. Avraham Sefaradi." (A previous cataloguer also saw the word "convert" somewhere in here.) OZ, AA, ASE.

Official letter. In Judaeo-Arabic. Probably from the office of one of the 13th or 14th century Maimonidean Nagids, based on the motto and the hand. It orders ʿAbd al-Karīm to do something involving the qāḍī Shams al-Dīn and reporting to somebody.

Letter in the hand of Shemu’el he-Ḥaver ha-Meʿulle b. Moshe he-Ḥaver, in Tyre, to Efrayim he-Ḥaver b. Shemarya he-Ḥasid, in Fusṭāṭ, concerning two sisters, Sittān, wife of Ṣedaqa b. Ezra, and Sarah, wife of Ḥalfon ha-Levi b. Yefet, of the Tyre Jewish community, who are trying to claim their inheritance after their father, Ḥalfon, died in Fusṭāṭ, as well as other financial affairs involving members of each community. Dated to c. 1045 CE. Samuel writes his name surrounded by a motto at the foot of the page. (Information from CUDL)