Geniza Lab

Large letter from "the two congregations" of Alexandria to the Palestinian community of Fustat, and particularly to Efrayim b. Shemarya, regarding fundraising for the ransom of captives. They convey gratitude for 200.5 dinars that had already been sent. The tale is rather convoluted, but they are clearly in need of money again. In particular, "one of the Arabs" named Yubqī (or Yabqā?) b. Abī Razīn recently arrived with a new set of seven Jewish prisoners from Byzantium (מארץ אנטאליה), four Rabbanite and three Qaraite, demanding 33 1/3 dinars per captive. The head of the Alexandrian community, Netanel b. Elazar ha-Kohen redeemed one of them and suggested writing to all the communities of Egypt to raise the remaining total. Thus they have sent letters to both Rabbanite congregations and the Qaraite congregation of Fustat, to the elders in general, and to the Rabbanite and Qaraite congregations of Tinnīs and Damietta and Ṣahrajt. Some of the sermon included in the remainder of the letter seems intended for public reading in the synagogue (an insight from Frenkel, ha-Ohavim ve-ha-Nedivim, p. 190). There are ~17 signatures in addition to that of the scribe, Yeshuʿa ha-Kohen b. Yosef ha-Shofeṭ, and that of the head of the community, Netanel ha-Kohen b. Elazar. ASE

Letter from Yehuda b. Saadya to the leader of the community of Sahrajt demanding that the case of a widow, the sister of a prominent banker to the government, be settled expeditiously.

Recto: Letter fragment to a distinguished person named Abū l-Barakāt b. [...], titled Sar Menuḥa and Sar Shalom. Contains profuse well-wishes for the addressee's recovery from his illness (r5–12), and concerns a question about a bill of divorce (between lines 13 and 14). The letter mentions the town of Ṣahrajt (at the top) and Yosef b. Azhar (at the bottom). Verso: Letter fragment. In Hebrew, with two lines in Arabic script at the bottom. The handwriting is slightly different from that on recto. Probably 11th or 12th century. (Information from CUDL.) EMS. VMR. ASE.

Letter to the community of Ṣahrajt. In Judaeo-Arabic. Appears to be a letter of recommendation for charity for a certain ʿAllūn, to enable him to travel to Fustat with his brother, but it is rather faded and needs further examination.