Geniza Lab

Short letter from the judge Natan b. Shelomo ha-Kohen to his cousin and brother-in-law Toviyyahu b. Eli about business and family matters. Information from Goitein's note card. There is a partial transcription in Goitein's attached notes.

Letter from Ṭoviya b. ʿEli, in a provincial town, to his cousin Natan b. Shelomo ha-Kohen, probably in Fustat. Dating: 1122–50, based on the dated documents of the addressee. The writer sends thanks for the forwarding of a prescription from one physician, Abū l-Bahā', and reminds Natan to obtain a second prescription from another physician, al-Amīn, both for his sick wife. The latter physician was perhaps a Muslim or Christian, since the addressee is asked to transcribe the prescription from Arabic to Hebrew (but cf. T-S 8J16.19 + T-S NS 323.13, in which a Jew is asked not to use Arabic script). "Favor your servant with the answer to be given by my lord al-Amīn, may his reward be doubled. Please transcribe for me the prescription into Hebrew letters.") As requested, Ṭoviya provides an elaborate update on the condition of his sick wife: "She has six attacks (fawra) during the day and four during the night. Perspiration (ʿaraq) overcomes her from the sockets of her eyes (maḥājīr ʿaynayhā) to her chest (fu'ādhā). Owing to the high fever (min ʿuẓm al-nār) she has a feeling that her neck first burns (iḥtaraqat) and then becomes cold (yabrud). At the same time, she suffers pain in her knees (wajaʿ rukab). Owing to her grave sufferings (min ʿuẓm al-alam) her menses (al-ṭamth) have stopped. Finally, because of her great anxiety (min kuthrat al-takarrub), she is affected by mild palpitation (rajīf yasīr) of the heart." The same illness is also described in an earlier letter (T-S 12.234). From a later letter (T-S 13J25.15) we learn that she eventually began to feel better. Information from Mediterranean Society, II, pp. 254, 255; V, p. 106. It is possible that no fever is described, only a sensation of burning (nār). It is also possible that the phrase "knee pain" (wajaʿ rukab) should be read "pelvic pain" (wajaʿ rakab), especially as the next sentence describes the menstrual changes brought on by excessive pain. In the margin, changing the topic, Ṭoviya asks for a loan of the piyyut שיר השירים אסלסל (a liturgical poem for the Seventh of Passover composed by Shemuel b. Hoshaʿna the Third) from 'the rayyis,' sends regards to family members, and reports that the family's situation was very difficult when the tax collector arrived on Purim.

Large fragment of an interesting family letter in the handwriting of Toviyya b. Eli addressed to Avraham b. Saadya and another recipient. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Ṭoviya b. ʿEli ha-Kohen, in Fustat, to his father ʿEli b. Avraham ha-Kohen, in Banyas/Dan. Dating: May 28, 1112. The son and father had parted ways in Tyre. After a difficult sea voyage, Ṭoviya arrived in Fustat, where he found an epidemic (wabā'). The judge Avraham b. Natan Av became ill and narrowly escaped ("reached the gates of") death, while the Nagid Mevorakh b. Saadya succumbed. He died on Saturday, the new moon of Tevet, December 2, 1111. (See Cohen, Self-Government, p. 147, where Islamic sources describing the same epidemic are cited as well.) Ṭoviya had received a letter from the Nagid Mevorakh before his death and took it with him to the Rīf, where he stayed for five months. Ṭoviya reports that one of the dignitaries in Fustat—possibly Avraham b. Natan Av—is even more noble and pious than his father had told him. Ṭoviya tells his father to be assiduous in praying for him over Torah scrolls, perhaps because Avraham has not completely recovered from the illness. He also tells him to pray for Moshe Nagid b. Mevorakh. Ṭoviya writes, "Buy me an Aleppo izār (a large wrap or coat) in which I can pray all the time," probably referring to an inexpensive piece of Syrian cotton (Med Soc I, 196). He encourages his father and a certain Natan to join him in Fustat. He sends regards to his brothers Yaḥya and Meir, and to Avraham Pe'er ha-Qahal, and to Mevasser b. Ghālib, and to Yeshuʿa b. Ṣedaqa, and to Yehuda ha-Parnas, and to Y{ū}suf b. Namir. ASE.

Letter from Meʾir b. ʿEli ha-Kohen, in Damascus (חדרך סוריא), to his brother Ṭoviyya b. ʿEli, in Fustat. Dating: beginning of September 1127 CE. The letters deals with financial matters and the purchase of flax and indicates that the Gaon (Maṣliaḥ) was by then in Egypt. "Mutual affection was expressed by kissing the eyes" (Goitein, Med. Soc., viii, C, 2, n. 117). Cf. T-S 10J17.8. Also mentions someone who got very sick (balagha kathīr) but God sent health (recto, 8–10). Mentions the same Yaḥyā b. Najm who appears in T-S 6J2.13.

Legal testimony (קבלת עדות). Location: the testimony was collected in Sunbāṭ and the document was drawn up three months later in Minyat Ashna. Dated: Middle decade of Iyyār 1459 Seleucid, which is May 1148 CE. Written by Ṭoviyya b. ʿEli ha-Kohen. Signed by Ṭoviyya and by Shela b. Yefet. Testimony of Berakhot b. Aharon ha-Mumhe ha-Kohen and Avraham b. Yiṣḥaq about the sequestering of the belongings of Rafāʾīl b. Abu Runa, probably a Christian, which were deposited with a Jew named Musallam b. Yiṣḥaq by a government official ("ustādh"). The story involves a mule and the denouncing of people to the government. (Information in part from Mediterranean Society, III, p. 488.) Join: Oded Zinger. OZ. ASE.

Letter from Ṭoviya b. ʿEli, probably in a provincial town, to his cousin Natan b. Shelomo ha-Kohen, probably in Fustat. Dating: 1122–50, based on the addressee's dated documents. Ṭoviya opens by expressing concern for his sister who is sick (as in T-S 12.298). Either Ṭoviya or somebody else in his household was ill with a fever, and is now feeling better. Recto is devoted to an intricate tale of levirate marriage (which merits further examination). Ṭoviya seeks Natan's advice and asks him to consult a legal authority regarding the matter. He asks for a bible (muṣḥaf), a loan of a parchment scroll (גביל = גויל), and several piyyutim. He concludes (starting in v13, middle of the line) with an account of the mysterious illness of his wife, whose name may be Bahā' (although בהא is an extremely common word, "in it" or "in her" does not seem to fit here). Natan must be somewhat familiar already with the illness. Ṭoviya here describes the 'tremor' (? rajīf) of her face, and the 'fever chill' (bard ḥummā) that makes her 'shake' (nāfiḍ kathīr) from her waist to her head. Ṭoviya asks Natan to obtain a prescription from a good physician. See Bodl. MS heb. d.66/141 (which contains the most detailed description) and T-S 13J25.15 (in which she is starting to feel better) for the next two installments in the story of his wife's illness. Information in part from Goitein's index cards. ASE.

Toviah b. Eli ha-Kohen to his cousin and brother-in-law Natan ha-Kohen, mainly to ask him to settle a debt of 12 dirhems before Shabbat. His sister is ill. Information from Goitein's note card.

Letter from Ṭoviyya b. ʿEli ha-Kohen to his cousin the judge Natan b. Shelomo of Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic. Ṭoviyya says that he is sending some wheat and asks for instructions about the price for which the rest should be sold. Dating: ca. 1140 CE. (Information from Mediterranean Society, I, p. 425; V, p. 516, and from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Toviyya ha-Kohen b. Eli ha-Kohen ha-Me'ulle to his brother-in-law, the judge Natan ha-Kohen he-haver ha-Me'ulle b. Shelomo ha-Kohen he-Hasid, regarding various errands concerning textiles and other matters. He also refers to a stepdaughter as 'bint al-mara.' (Information from Mediterranean Society, III, p. 311, and Goitein's index cards)

Letter by Toviyya b. Eli ha-Kohen to his cousin and brother-in-law, Natan b. Shelomo, informing him that everything was done for al-Suri (from Tyre) as ordered by Natan b. al-Meshorer, who lost his wife and was unable to find a wife to look after his son and daughter. He also mentions two orphan daughters whom he wants to marry off to his sister's sons. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Ṭoviya b. ʿEli ha-Kohen to his cousin the Judge Natan b. Shelomo ha-Kohen regarding alleged arrears in a compound of the Qodesh, ca. 1130. The two overseers of the qodesh who were in charge of an unnamed compound complained about arrears of two months owed by one of the tenants, Abu'l-Ḥasan b. al-Hazzan. The tenant in the meantime has left the apartment. The complaint was addressed to the gaon, the head of the yeshiva, himself. He asked one of the parnasim of the qodesh to inquire about the matter. The writer brings the results of his inquiry to the knowledge of the Judge. The inquiry has shown that there were no real arrears, but to make the matter totally right, a copper lid left by the tenant was to be handed over to Abu'l-Bayan, apparently one of the prominent leaders of the congregation of the Palestinians, in order to spare the parnasim his reproaches. (Information from Gil, Documents, pp. 251 #46)

Letter sent by Ṭoviya b. ʿEli ha-Kohen, writing from the countryside to his cousin, the judge Natan b. Shelomo ha-Kohen. Dating: 1122–50, based on the dated documents of the addressee. In a mix of Judaeo-Arabic and Hebrew, the latter used especially for sensitive topics. The letter describes the pillage (nahb), famine, and the persecution of the Jews it entailed and describing many other public and private issues. On verso, Ṭoviya gives a brief update on his wife's condition: she is emerging from her illness (mysterious attacks of chills and burning sensations, see T-S 12.234 and Bodl. MS heb. d.66/141), but she cannot tolerate being near fire or in the kitchen. (Information from Mediterranean Society, V, pp. 106, 524.) ASE.

Letter from Toviyya ha-Kohen b. Eli ha-Meulle, a traveling scholar, to his wife, asking her to take good care of their youngest son, Eli, especially concerning his food, clothing and study. Toviyya writes that Eli should spend nights at his uncle's home so that the latter may teach him more than he will learn from his elementary school teacher. (Information from Mediterranean Society, II, pp. 183, 558)

Letter from Ṭoviyya b. ʿEli to Elʿazar b. Yosef, the brother of "the great rabbi" Seʿadʾel b. Yosef. In Judaeo-Arabic with some Hebrew. Fragment (upper part of recto). (Information in part from CUDL)