Geniza Lab

Letter from Moshe b. Naʿim to his father Me'ir b. Naʿim. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dated: 3 Heshvan 5584 AM, which is 1823 CE. The letter is very long; needs examination for content. There is a lovely star design on verso.

Lower, small fragment: Letter from Natan b. Mevorakh ha-Kohen (aka Wahb b. Barakāt). Small fragment (upper right corner of recto). Concerning the leadership of the community in Ashkelon in the time of David b. Daniel, the head of the Jews in Egypt. Describes an attempt to close the synagogue, probably with the help of the Muslim leadership, in order to prevent the Ashkelonian group, with their leader Avraham ha-Hazan, from praying there. Following the closer of the synagogue, the Ashkelonian group asked David b. Daniel to help them and send them a new leader. (Information from M. Cohen, Shalem, 3, pp.105–07.) VMR

Recto: Letter from Ḥayyim b. S[..], in Damietta, addressed to a certain Yiṣḥaq, presumably in Fustat/Cairo. In Hebrew. Dated: שנת והלך לפניך צדקך, which is either 5404 AM (=1643/44 CE) or 5465 AM (=1704/05 CE), depending on whether the first word is meant to be counted or not. Needs examination for content. Verso: In addition to the address of the letter on recto, there is a draft of another letter in Hebrew.

Letters. Copies. The first letter is in Judaeo-Arabic, from the Shāmiyyīn to the Miṣriyyīn. The second letter is in Hebrew, from the Miṣriyyīn to the Shāmiyyīn. Dating: Probably no earlier than 15th century. The second letter gives a detailed explanation of the intercalation of the calendar and the observation of the aviv (barley crop), meaning that the writers are probably Qaraite. The first letter indeed mentions דת בני מקרא (line 17). Needs further examination.

Letter addressed to the brothers Yosef Yerushalmi Ẓaʿir and Eliyyahu Yerushalmi Ẓaʿir b. Elishaʿ, in Fustat/Cairo. The writer may be in Jerusalem and may be named Avraham; it seems that his father is named Moshe b. Shemuel ha-Levi. The introduction is in Hebrew and the body is in Judaeo-Arabic. Dated: Friday, 8 Sivan 5577, which is 23 May 1817 CE. The writer complains about the cessation of correspondence and provide a recommendation for his paternal uncle (unless this relationship is figurative) Seʿadya Levi who has traveled to Egypt and needs financial aid.

Letter. In Hebrew. Dating: Probably classical Geniza period. Most of the text consists of a panegyric poem for the distinguished addressee. The body of the letter is ~15 lines and quite faded. Needs examination.

Letter from Eliyyahu b. Seʿadya, in Fustat/Cairo, to the Ḥakham Avraham ha-Levi b. Moshe ha-Levi the Qaraite, in Jerusalem. Scribed by Yaʿaqov Ḥayna (? חיינה) al-Ḥazzān. Dated: Wednesday, 5 Tammuz 5587 AM, which is 1827 CE. (There is a problem here in that 5 Tammuz 5587 was a Saturday, not a Wednesday, but perhaps this can be explained by the discrepancy between Qaraite and Rabbanite calendars.) The introduction is in Hebrew and the body is in Judaeo-Arabic; the address is in Hebrew and in Arabic script. The letter concerns the visit of the addressee to Egypt and a cryptic business matter involving a payment of 11 maḥmūdiyya (gold coins minted by Maḥmūd II). Needs further examination.

Letter in Hebrew and some Judaeo-Arabic, 1839 CE (?). The letter is mainly a screed against evildoers and women who dress immodestly.

Letter from somebody to his brother-in-law Avraham ha-Levi. In Judaeo-Arabic. Of note, the script uses ק for כ and vice versa. Dating: Late. Reused for accounts. Contains regards to and from various family members.

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Fragment. Mentions a sum of 200 dinars.

Letter fragment, probably. Only the address is preserved. Addressed to Yeḥezqel ha-Kohen ha-Ḥazzan b. Ḥesed. The blank space on the fragment is entirely filled with Hebrew poetry.

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Only the upper right corner is preserved. Recommends the bearer for charity and mentions the Nagid. Might also mention Yemen. The name Abū Saʿīd ha-Levi appears at the bottom of the right marginal text.

Letter in Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic. In large, formal script. Only the upper left corner is preserved. Probably a fundraising letter for captives.

Business letter from an unknown writer in Damsīs. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Probably 11th century based on the hand and the names mentioned (Barhūn, Nissim, Abū Yūsuf). Needs examination.

Letter from an unknown writer, perhaps a provincial muqaddam, to an unknown distinguished person, presumably in Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic with interspersed biblical verses. The writer is defending himself against accusations of high-handedness and perhaps even having his name invoked in the reshut clause of documents and marriage contracts under his jurisdiction. He defends himself at some length and appears to mention Ibn al-Ṭaffāl, conceivably identical with the rival of Moshe b. Levi ha-Levi in the 1190s CE (see FOTM April 2020); however, the hand of this letter does not resemble that of Moshe or his brother Yedutun.

Letter addressed to a distinguished Nasi. In Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic. Congratulating him on the birth of a son.

Letter in Hebrew.

Letter fragment. In Judaeo-Arabic. This is the end of the letter. Greetings to Abū l-Faraj b. al-Daqqāq (or possibly al-Raqqāq). Very squiggly descenders.

Informal note. In Judaeo-Arabic. Giving instructions about transactions, involving a mould of cheese, a half-qadaḥ of rice, a chicken, sesame oil, the hire of a boat, and clothing. On verso there is another note or list in Arabic script. Needs further examination.

Recto: Document in Arabic script. Needs examination. Verso: Letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Mentions a number of people with grand titles, such as Saniyy al-Dawla b. al-Nezer Tāj al-Kuttāb and Tāj al-Dīn. Otherwise, the content of the letter is not clear.