Geniza Lab

Small fragment of a Judaeo-Arabic letter, cut into a triangle. Verso contains literary text.

Fragment of a letter in Judaeo-Arabic.

Difficult-to-read and very brief Arabic document, containing the common but mysterious glyph لے at the top of recto and phrases such as "mamlūkuhu", 'li l-sharṭ' and "inshallah," so probably a letter or a legal document. There are also a few words on verso, perhaps the remnants of an address.

Document in Arabic, perhaps a letter.

Letter in Ottoman Turkish. It begins "benim efendim" (my master). Several materia medica may be mentioned, including barberries (line 5), unless barbarīs means something else in Turkish. Needs examination by somebody who knows the language.

Late letter in Arabic. Needs further examination.

Long Arabic letter (22 lines plus 4 lines on margin) written in first person about trade (line 13: "wa-kāna fī l-balad jamāʿa min al-tujjār... fa-abāʿū...), (line 17: ...qabl al-safr bi-yawmayn...). Also mentions maṭāyā (riding animals/horses) at least two times. Dating: Probably 11th or 12th century. Needs further examination.

Recto: Letter/petition, or letter in the style of a brief petition, from "your student Bū l-Majd" to a high-ranking physician. In Arabic script. Dating: Probably ca. 13th century, based on format, typical name, and handwriting. The writer asks the addressee in formal terms to come visit him, because he has developed a pain in his leg. The door of the building is open. Verso: A few words in calligraphic Judaeo-Arabic, mostly "tajriba" repeated several times. ASE.

Recto: A brief note in Arabic addressed to David ben Naʿim and signed by [...] ʿUmar [...] Nāẓir al-Amwāl. There are also accounts/sums at the top of the page, naming Ḥasan al-Rashīdī as the party in some transaction, perhaps a rent (ujra) payment. The note is dated 7 April 1821 (4 Rajab 1236). The format is the same as AIU XII.106, from 6 months later, and involving different people. Verso: In Hebrew letters, presumably in the hand of David ben Naʿim or an assistant: "Ḥasan al-Rashidi" and "Rajab."

Letter in Arabic script. Dating: Likely 11th or 12th century. Fragment (upper right piece of recto). Most of what is preserved on recto consists of formulaic blessings. The bottom 4 lines and the upper margin may contain some of the substance but are difficult to read. On verso, the damaged address and many jottings of Greek/Coptic numerals.

State document, unknown date. Fragment of an Arabic petition (to ". . . al-ʿālī al-mawlawī al-sulṭānī. . ."). The titles suggest a date in the late Fatimid, Ayyubid or Mamluk periods. There is a tiny piece of a printed Pentateuch either peeking through or affixed to the paper, suggesting a date of 15th century or later. But it also possible that the printed paper is completely unrelated.

Recto: Letter in Arabic to Hayyim al-Ṣarrāf (moneychanger/banker) in the High Diwan. The writer's name is difficult to read, as is the date, which may be 28 Shawwal 1076 = May 1666 CE. This receives some corroboration from the fact that the seal on verso bears the date 1073.

Badly damaged late letter in Arabic.

Badly damaged late document in Arabic script, probably Arabic language, probably a letter. Needs further examination.

Portion of an Arabic letter from Alexandria to Fusṭāṭ, probably to a family member. Most of what remains consists of greetings to people in the family and urging the recipient to write back with a full update and to address his/her letter to [...] al-ʿaṭṭārīn or to the market of silver/goldsmiths (sūq al-ṣāgha) to a particular Ṣayigh, so that it reaches the writer. The writer has the curious quirk of writing the sun letter twice instead of writing the definite article (e.g. في هذا تتدبير).

Letter in Arabic script to a certain Abū l-Fakhr. Dating: 11th–13th century. The sender's name appears at upper left but is difficult to read. Business letter, mainly containing requests to be sent various commodities (e.g., mentions a small qumqum and rosewater). Needs further examination.

Two unrelated fragments. The first is a two-sided fragment of a bifolium of an Arabic medical treatise. The second has three lines in Arabic, probably from a letter. A few loose words from which read as رخام مليح برسم بادهنج "nice marble to structure the windcatcher", and زجاج يكون برسم .... "glass....", last word could be legible and connected to another architectural element. Also mentions "سرعة سرعة", which implies that this could plausibly be a letter fragment. Needs further examination.

Recto: A faded letter (of three lines only) addressed to Ibrahim al-Yahudi al-Ḥawāyirī (?) from [...] al-ʿAṭṭār, either addressed to or written in Wikālat al-[...]. Verso, with the address on recto: Ibrahīm al-Yahūdī reused the original letter to send a letter to al-Ḥajj ʿAbd Rajw (?) regarding a business transaction. The addressee's location is given but tricky to read.

Letter in Arabic script. Dealing with family and small business matters. Dating: Perhaps 12th–14th century, based on handwriting and language, but that is a guess. The sender complains about a lack of letters for the last 15 days. 4 lines from the bottom, he (or she) tells the addressee not to be too hard on Yūsuf regarding the ʿūd (=aloeswood?) and then mentions some prices and urges the addressee to respond. On verso, greetings to various people including the addressee's father. The letter was written on Tuesday, 10 Shaʿbān. A note underneath in a different hand may record when it arrived (last decade of Shaʿbān).

Recto Letter fragment. In Arabic script, with very large letters mentioning prior correspondence. The sender appears to be asking the addressee to graciously send him the books.