Geniza Lab

Fragment of a Judaeo-Arabic letter.

Small fragment of a Judaeo-Arabic letter.

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic dated 5 July 1836 (20 Tammuz 5596), from Rashid, addressed to Moshe Bunān, Fusṭāṭ. The address is in Arabic (al-Muʿallim Mūsā Bunān. . .). Verso also contains numerous lines and dots.

Recto: A few lines of an Arabic document, probably a letter. Verso: The introduction to a Judaeo-Arabic treatise, either identical with or merely citing Yaḥyā b. Dāwud's Kitāb al-Ibāna ʿan Ḥurūf [...] al-ʿIbrānīya. This was underlined in red, presumably in modern times.

"The three fragments known as JRL SERIES A 1053, JRL SERIES B 2699, and JRL SERIES B 2977 are from three copies of another invitation, printed in French, to the wedding of Mr. Moise Mosseri (c. 1855-1933) and Miss Henriette Nahmias (1868-1943). The Mosseris were a famous Cairene banking family,[2] which may give a sense of who could afford to have invitations professionally printed in the late nineteenth century. French documents are also rare in the Genizah,[3] but someone – a young Mosseri being the likely culprit – has re-used the back of these invitations to practice the Hebrew alphabet." Nick Posegay, FOTM June 2020.

Very interesting late letter in (middling) Hebrew from a certain ʿOvadya (or [... b.] ʿOvadya) currently in Hamadan (!) and planning to travel to Yazd. Only the bottom part (perhaps 2/3) of the letter is preserved. The writer is explaining why he did not go to Sina (?), stating that the congregation refused to let him go and told him he would lose his wages. Furthermore, there was no business there, and he had understood that the power of attorney (sheṭar harsha'a) the addressee had written was in effect in any place where revenue for congregations in Palestine could be raised, but there was no business there. "By the help of God and the merit of Rashbi (!) and by the goodness of the land of Israel, when I return, God willing, I will go there. With your permission, I will go to my city and gather [my belongings?] and leave quickly. Send me letters by way of M. Menashshe b. A(gha?) Yaʿaqov, and he will send them to me, and tell me where you are (?) so that I can send you letters there. If you go to Baṣra, send a letter with M. Shukri to Shiraz, and he will send it to me in Yazd. By my life, do not withhold the 'small powers of attorney' (?): enclose them with the letter and send them. Furthermore, for you to understand the account: I have acquired 600 Qurans (!?). I bought 20, which are for me (?). The remaining 580 Qurans will be taken by מ׳ א׳ Elazar until (or when?) ʿAbbās arrives. Forgive me, for time is pressing . . . if I have erred in the writing, [it is because] I wrote in a hurry. I cannot elaborate. Peace." Above the name ʿOvadya appears the word "qadisha." ASE.

First fragment: Prayer or poetry, Hebrew. Second fragment: Small piece of a letter in Judaeo-Arabic.

Small fragment of a letter in Judaeo-Arabic.

An Abu Zikri Kohen cheque.

Recto: letter fragment in Arabic script. Verso: letter fragment in Judaeo-Arabic. Mentions the 'rayyis' and kissing his hand (יבוסו אידה).

Fragment of a letter in Judaeo-Arabic.

Letter from Yedutun ha-Levi to somebody he calls 'brother.' In Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic. The letter consists mainly of poetical greetings and blessings for the upcoming high holidays. Regards to: Abū l-Faraj and his son; Abū ʿImrān; Hilāl and his son Abū l-Faḍā'il; the addressee's mother and brother; and Abū l-Yusr.

Fragment of a Judaeo-Arabic letter, probably mercantile, sent from al-Mahdiyya. The addressee is Abū l-Surūr [...] b. Natan.

Fragment of a Judaeo-Arabic letter, quite damaged.

The beginning of a Judaeo-Arabic letter to an important woman addressed in hyperbolic terms: she who confounds minds and blinds gazes, al-mutafaḍḍila, al-ʿazīza, al-rashīda, al-mufīda, al-sadīda, Sitt al-Umanāʾ Umm al-Kull (?) wa-l-Ḥusnā' . . . There are also jottings in Judaeo-Arabic and Arabic on recto and verso.

Fragment (left side of recto, left side of verso) of a letter in the hand of Moshe b. Levi ha-Levi. Not enough remains to make sense of it, but there are interesting phrases: "I had pity on the two of them. . . the two of them were fit for it and they pawned/deposited. . . because her poverty. . . I traveled. . . the witnesses, the Jewish neighbors. . . inform them about the sale. . . my dhimma (?) and the rahniyya (?) of the house. . . the qumāsh that is in their keeping. . . [something] for 9 dinars. . . four dinars. . . what is fitting for my cousin [=my wife]. . . the price of the house of Mūsā. . ." ASE.

Fragment of a letter in Judaeo-Arabic, mostly asking for news and wishing the recipient well.

Fragment of a letter in Hebrew apparently addressed to the brother-in-law of the writer. The addressee is asked to purchase a servant girl for the writer's sister, and reminded to safeguard a certain document, possibly connected with the writer's business partner, Shemuel (?). Verso is blank. No date.

Recto: Draft of a formal letter in Judaeo-Arabic to a superior by ha-Qaṭan Shemuel. After a long string of honorifics, "sabab iṣdār hadhihi l-khidma. . . ." Verso: Judaeo-Arabic literary work.

Fragment of a very faded family letter in Judaeo-Arabic.