Geniza Lab

Marriage contract written by the court clerk Mevorakh b. Natan (dated documents ca. 1150-1180) mentioning a brocade sadr with two 'sidepieces,' and preserving the groom's name, Yahya ha-Levi. (Information from Mediterranean Society, IV, pp. 120, 382, and from Goitein's index cards)

Legal document written by Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. A father disinherits his younger daughter Sitt al-Nās (and her husband) with a 1/4 dinar and gives all he has to his daughter Dalāl. This is presumably because Sitt al-Nās did not look after him in his time of need (line 2: I perished from nakedness and hunger and [illness, probably]). Information from Goitein's note card. Mentioned in Med Sod V, p. 123, n. 419.

Legal document, extremely faded, perhaps regarding the sale of a house in Qaṣr al-Shamʿ. Possibly 10th century. Information from FGP.

Testimony by Avraham b. Kabir concerning the heritage of Yiṣḥaq b. Avraham. Qayrawan, 978 A.D.

Testimony of receiving a shipment that belonged to a person who passed away, Qayrawan, 978. Avraham b. Kabīr asks for an approval about a shipment of indigo to Qayrawan for the person who previously had the indigo in Fustat, Kimui b. al-Ḥasan. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, #106) VMR

Legal document fragment in the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe.

Marriage contract (ketubba). Dating: 13th century. Location: Fustat. Groom: Netanʾel. Bride: [...] bt. Yefet ha-Talmid. Marriage payments: 3 + 10 = 13. (Information from Goitein's index card.)

Ketubba (marriage contract). Fragment written in a calligraphic hand. Dating: probably late 10th or 11th century. Mentions the name חביבה מפרג כהנה. Witnesses: Natan b. Peraḥya; Kalev b. Yosef; Yehuda b. Efrayim; Menaḥem b. Efrayim; Avraham b. Yehuda; Ḥalfon ha-Levi b. [...]; Yosef b. [...]; Shela b. [...]; Zarʿa b. [...].

Marriage contract (ketubba). Written and signed by Hillel b. ʿEli. Groom: Seʿadya b. Efrayim. Bride: Turkiyya (? תרכיה). A few phrases from the dowry list are preserved. Also signed by Moshe b. Ṣalḥūn. (Information from Goitein's index card.)

Marriage contract containing a list of jewelry apparently of Syro-Palestinian manufacture, to be sold by Shemuel b. Ḥasan two months after the signing of this document by Yiṣḥaq b. Moshe, Shimi ha-Levi, and Avraham ha-Levi. Drafted in Damascus. (Information from Mediterranean Society, IV, p. 215, 426, 473, and from Goitein's index cards)

Legal document. In Judaeo-Arabic. Unusual format (written like a letter, with text going up the margins of recto and onto verso). Unusual hand, too (distinctive אל that looks like a curvy ט). This is a deposition made before the judges appointed by David ha-Nasi. Seems to be the settlement of a protracted dispute between ʿOvadya b. Ḥamīd(?) and his father-in-law Yiṣḥaq b. Shelomo, involving ʿOvadya's absence and his wife's property. (Information in part from Goitein's index card.)

Recto: Legal document involving a dispute involving Shemuel ha-Levi. Possibly 10th century, per FGP. Verso: Perhaps a writing exercise of Genesis 1, but this seems to be prefaced in Judaeo-Arabic: "[...] al-ṣalā [...] taqūl."

Legal document. Court ruling. Dated: July 1084. Written in the hand of Hillel b. Eli. Location: Fustat. Yaḥyā b. Samuel sues Amram b. Abraham for various commodities (wool, flax, and cinnamon in exchange for silk robes, silver scammony, and saffron) which represent the former’s investment with the latter. However, Amram seems to have placed the items in the care of Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Tinnīsī, who seems to have assumed responsibility for them by means of a power of attorney. Apparently, Aaron sold the items and prepared an account sheet, remitting the balance to Amram, who then settled his account with Yaḥyā. At the time the matter is to be adjudicated, Amram has left Fusṭāṭ and Yaḥyā asks for a continuance. Yefet b. Avraham, counterparty in the sale of a quantity of silver to Abū al-Ḥusayn, also appears in a number of geniza documents. (Information from Lieberman, "A Partnership Culture," 110). Verso seems to contain another legal discussion with the same partners over similar issues.

Marriage contract (ketubba) from Ramla, mid-eleventh century, that describes the appointment of the bride's agent. (Friedman, Jewish Marriage, vol. 2, 361-4) EMS

Legal document fragment mentioning "his travel to al-Andalus," various sums of money, a widow named Umm al-ʿAysh, and Yefet ha-Zaqen. ASE.

Legal document. In the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. Dated: Tuesday night, 22 Kislev 1435 Seleucid, which is 1124 CE. Contract in form of acknowledgement of a debt concerning the cancellation of a "sale" of a house which served as a mortgage. A certain David (l. 7) and his son (ll. 5, 21–22) bought a house from the husband (l. 10) of a certain woman named Jayyida (ll. 23, 27). The transaction was executed by David's son while David was away (probably on a business trip). The son and father invested unequal shares of 12 and 38 dinars respectively (ll. 21–22). When David returned, he was informed that the house he bought was "donated to the pious foundations" (ḥubisa) (l. 7), or more likely was confiscated by the government. Coming upon this information, he immediately reacted by requiring the cancellation (fasakh) (l. 11), of the purchase, and asked for their money back (l. 8). The course of arguments was long, during which the woman argued that they had fixed the time of remittance 2 years from the day the deal was agreed upon, and that the money was not available. to her at that time (ll. 8–9). David firmly insisted on the cancellation of that deal against a written acknowledgement by the woman (her husband was probably away), that the purchase sum of 66 dinars would be a debt upon her to be repaid after 2 years (ll. 10–12). These terms were agreeable to both sides (ll. 13–14, 16–18), and acknowledged by them. Since the deal between the two parties was off, a compromise (l. 24) was reached and as a gesture of good will, the buyers decided not to collect the "rent" which was the previously intended "hidden interest" (ll. 24-25), but the 50 dinars borrowed. (It is understandable that they were happy to get out of this deal, if not with a gain at least without a loss.) The signatures preserved are of Avraham b. Shemaʿya and Yiṣḥaq b. Shemuel. Lines 19–25 are very important to our knowledge about the rate of interest charged in those days. David and his son, by that fictitious purchase, lent together the sum of 50 dinars, which was to yield in interest 16 dinars (ll. 21–22) over a period of 2 years (l. 12), i.e., 8 dinars a year or 16 per cent, which was a very high rate of interest." (Information from Gershon Weiss.)

An individual claims that his house was destroyed and that he rebuilt and renewed its interior and exterior.

Legal fragment written and signed by ʿImmanuel b. Yeḥiel (active ca. 1231–79). Deed of sale with provisions about the right to buy back a house on(?) a mill on Darb Ḥudayjī (or Ḥadījī). The Arabic-script deed of sale (כתאב ביע ערבי) and a document called כתאב אצלהא were given to the buyer, who will bear expenses (maghārim) for the house as well as repairs. Parties are Avraham and Seʿadya. (Information from Goitein's index card.)

Recto: Very faded document, appears to be a fragment of a late ketubba. Verso: Calligraphic biblical text in two columns.

Legal document. Agreements on prepayment of rent ca. 1180-81. Twenty years after agreements on repairs to be made jointly were signed between the qodesh and al-Nadiv, Abu'l-Makarim, we have such agreements now with Judge Shemuel b. Saadya, and three elders signing for the qodesh. These are three consecutive agreements covering together a period of four years. Again, the matter of repairs made jointly is settled. Abu'l-Makarim first advances the rent owed by him for a period of two years for the lease of al-Burj; this compound, as shown by its name, was probably originally some stronghold and was no completely owned by the qodesh. Abu'l-Makarim rents it both as a dwelling place and for the purpose of his business, which is mainly rose water. The first of the three agreements is for a period from June 1180 to June 1182; the third is from May 1183 to 1184. The second of the three is missing, but certainly covered the lunar year from June 1182 to May 1183. (Information from Gil, Documents, pp.314 #74) (Probably written by Mevurakh b. Nathan. AA)