Geniza Lab

Prayerbook in Spanish. 6 folios. Dating: Perhaps 15th or 16th century, based on the langauge.

"Comedia sobre el casa[mento?] de Ishaq Abinu con Ribca Imenu עה. Repartida en cinco cenas hecha por Franco S[...] del Le(?)." On verso there are doodles.

Letter in Spanish from Eliezer Bisque[?] to Sig. Mose Bisque, sent in June "Giunio" 5480[?] possibly Sivan 1720CE. The year is slightly fragmented in the heading with a final digit that is somewhat ambiguous. The place name "Casanova" appears in the letter's address section along with the phrase "En[?], nave que dios salve/by boat that God protects." The closing line on verso includes "tu padre" and suggests that Eliezer is writing to his son, as does "querido yjo [sic]" in the fragmented heading on recto. The closing lines also include code-switching to Hebrew blessings such as "ברכה" and "ושלום". The letter makes use of occasional Italianate spellings such as "biliete" (l.7-8). Lastly, Venice or "Venezia" is mentioned in line 22. MCD

Letter in Spanish from Jacob Nuñes de Paz to Los S[eñore]s Alpalas & Costa Aires in Alexandria (see tag for others in the group), probably ca. 1720 (25 Nissan is clear in heading but the year is lost). Discusses a variety of "caxas" and "caxetas", or "boxes" and "little boxes" of commercial goods as well as monetary payment, for example, in "fonduclis" (l.15r) an Ottoman gold coin that was commonly minted beginning in the early decades of the eighteenth century (which helps estimate the shelfmark's dating). On the recto there is also mention of the rental of a maritime vessel with terminology that was common for the caravan shipping system of the early modern Mediterranean. The author speaks of "procurando de nolejar una polaca" (l.21), which indicates his intent to formally rent a "polaca"-type maritime vessel (the verb "nolejar" in Spanish being a derivation of the more common Italian "noleggiare"). MCD.

Letter in Spanish from Abram Nunez (?) to Sehid Barda, Cairo, dated 1712 CE (4 Nisan 5472). The letter is on Page 1 and the address on Page 4.

8 pages from an alphabetically-organized index of a Spanish medical textbook.

10 pages of invoices (faturas) in Spanish.

Literary work in Spanish.

Letter in both Ladino and Spanish.

Letter in a Romance language, probably Spanish.

Prayerbook in Spanish or Judaeo-Spanish. In Latin script. Containing the yaʿale ve-yavo prayer for Rosh Hodesh as well as a portion of the liturgy for Shabbat afternoon. Likely 16th century, predating the Ferrara siddur. Edited by Eleazar Gutwirth, "Fragmentos de Siddurim españoles en la Guenizá," Sefarad 1980

Letter from Mose de Toledo and perhaps one other person, in Gaza. In Spanish. Dating: Probably 15th–16th century, on paleographic grounds (assessment kindly provided by Jesús de Prado Plumed and Michael Waas). Thus the sender cannot be identical with the author of "La Trompeta de Mose de Toledo El Sordo de Hierusalaim," which was published in Venice in 1643. The letter mentions debt and an intention to acquire some fruit (...pueda ganar una poca de fruta de...). Merits further examination.

Literary text in Spanish. Needs examination.

Letter in a Romance language, perhaps Spanish, signed in Hebrew: Yehuda Maḥriẓ (? יהודה מחריץ). An alternate reading for the surname is "Madin / מאדין".

Letter in Spanish with columns of numerical calculations at bottom that appears to be dated 5 Tamuz 5437 or July 5 1677CE (the "4" is faint and must be read at 140-200% zoom with high contrast on FGP). The fragment's verso folio is in fact the first page of the letter and that's where the dated heading appears which also indicates the letter's place of recording as Damietta/Dimyat. Just before the calculations begin, "ermano Aron de Abram" is mentioned in what may indicate familial ties to the fragment's author (l. 14r). In lines 8-9r, "en comienda" as separate words is mentioned for example in the phrase: "dara la inclusa con mil en comiendas. Below the accounts one "rais Fattiah" is mentioned, likely with the tile "rais" to indicate his status as a ship captain. MCD.

See JRL SERIES G 79.

Literary text in Spanish.

Text in Spanish and Hebrew. There are numerous tiny pieces from the same text or even the same page in the span of shelfmarks JRL SERIES G 79–99. Also JRL SERIES B 5344. Will probably need to be assembled in person rather than on FGP

Business letter in Spanish. Mentions Samuel. Perhaps 16th or 17th century.

Recto: Legal document in Hebrew. Late. Yaʿaqov ha-Kohen b. Barukh attests that he owes Yaʿaqov Esprial (?אישפריאל) 4,800 diwani muayyadis ('fine and good ones') for the merchandise and books ("los Shir ha-Shirim" are mentioned on verso) that he acquired. He will repay 60 muayyadis every 15 days. The date of the first payment ("paga") is given. Verso: Document in Spanish, related to recto. The year 5428 AM is mentioned, which is 1667/68 CE.