Geniza Lab

Sulayman b. Mahfuz frees Mufarrij b. Ya'ish and his wife from all obligations regarding an inheritance. Dated Sivan 1395/1084 (date in document) or 1375.1064 (date given in Mediterranean Society II, p. 570 n. 34). (Information from Mediterranean Society, III, p. 491, and from Goitein's index cards)

Legal document concerning a wife agreement to the reduction of her delayed marriage gift from 70 to 20 dinars and renounces the title of trustworthiness granted her in the marriage contract. Dated Nisan 1437/April 1126. (Information from Mediterranean Society, II, pp. 256, 412, 483)

Witness statement concerning a young man named Sedaqa the Meshorer b. Semah, an agent in a business venture in pharmaceutical plants, olive oil and gallnuts, amounting to the considerable sum of 90-91 dinars, who asks for witnesses on a Sabbath, because of the urgency of the matter. The witnesses accompany him to the house of a dying man, Abu al-Ma'ali al-Dhahabi Shelomo b. Yakhin, with whom he had a loan regarding some commodity Abu al-Ma'ali confirms that the sum mentioned was indeed all due to Sedaqa and declares that he is his trusted agent. Dated Kislev 1438/1126. (Information from Mediterranean Society, V, pp. 136, 543)

In a matter of inheritance, 'Ammar b. Makhlūf had been sued by a relative recently converted to Islam and had promised to pay him 20 dinars if he forced another relative, Abu al-Mufaddal, to give an oath concerning the same sum. Abu al-Mufaddal swore the oath, but 'Ammar was imprisoned in connection with this affair. In this document, 'Ammar withdraws his accusation that it was Abu al-Mufaddal who had caused his imprisonment and otherwise harmed him. Dated Nisan 1452/ March 1141. (Information from Mediterranean Society, III, 290, 491)

Legal document recording that Sitt al-Husn, daughter of Saadya, sought a gold tiara ('isaba) that she had pawned to the recently-deceased physician Abu al-Murajja b. Daniel against a loan of 24 dinars, from his heirs. A witness testifies that the deceased had forgiven the loan. Dated Tammuz 1440/ July 1129. (Information from Mediterranean Society, III, 487). Written by Halfon b. Menashshe Halevi.

Verso: A man who possessed five-eighths of a house gives one-eighth to his wife and her son as lodgings 'belonging to them forever.' Dated Shevat 1443/January 1132. (Information from Mediterranean Society, III, p. 259) Recto: Legal document recording that Sitt al-Husn, daughter of Saadya, sought a gold tiara ('isaba) that she had pawned to the recently-deceased physician Abu al-Murajja b. Daniel against a loan of 24 dinars, from his heirs. A witness testifies that the deceased had forgiven the loan. Dated Tammuz 1440/ July 1129. (Information from Mediterranean Society, III, 487)

On a Saturday, a dying man, Salim al-Halabi, a dyer was visited by friends, among them a creditor, who reminded him of a sum of 16 dinars and 4 qirats still owed to him. Salim assured him that he would get his money, but wished to discuss the matter after the Sabbath. When the creditor replied that he was unable to return, Salim reiterated his pledge, and his son, who was present, confirmed that he was ready to pay his father's debt, even if it was twice as high. Dated Iyyar 1467/ May 1156. (Information from Mediterranean Society, V, pp. 135, 543)

Copy of a will of Mahara bat Avraham ha-Kohen that had been made and dated in Alexandria in January 1143, issued at the request of her nephew, to whom his dying aunt had willed 10 dinars and also money to other family members. She stipulated that any money remaining after the payment of the burial expenses and of the sums bequeathed by her to relatives (with the exclusion of her son) should be given to the poor, but charged her executor with this task, not the officials of the community chest, while the court was to choose the charities worthy of consideration. Dated in November 1153. (Information from Mediterranean Society, II, pp. 111, 545)

Deed of testimony. Location: al-Maḥalla. Dated: Monday, 16 Sivan 1471 Seleucid, which is 1160 CE, which is 23 May 1160 CE, under the authority of the Gaʾon Netanʾel b. Moshe ha-Levi. (This is the earliest known document to refer to Netanʾel as Gaʾon; see also T-S 8J5.21 from later in the same month.) A cantor named Sheʾerit b. Shemarya ("the glory of the cantors") testifies that he has borrowed 13 dinars from Abū l-Maʿālī Shemuel b. Yehuda against a collateral of jewelry. Witnesses: Yefet b. ʿOvadya and Shelomo b. Yefet. Witnesses for the validation (qiyyum): Meʾir b. Hillel b. Ṣadoq, Yosef b. Yaʿaqov ha-Kohen, and the teacher Natan b. Ḥalfon. (Information from Frenkel and Goitein, Med. Soc. vol. 2, pp. 541 n. 117).

Testimony that Abu al-Rida known as al-Subki had gifted all his property in Alexandria to his wife, Sitt al-Zaman bat Yiṣḥaq. Dated May 1185 in Alexandria. (Information from Mediterranean Society, IV, p. 359)

Betrothal deed, in which Yisrael b. Daniel (groom-to-be) betroths Sittuna bat David b. Avraham (bride-to-be), dated Sunday, 11th Tammuz 4767/1318 (= 1007 CE), in Fustat. The bride’s father is her representative, as witnessed by David b. Shemaʿya, and Kalaf b. Avraham. The marriage gift is 250 dinars, of which 100 dinars has already been advanced. (Information from CUDL)

Deed of sale of a female slave named Sa'ada. Dated Av 1501/ July 1190. (Information from Mediterranean Society, I, pp. 139, 140, 434, and from Goitein's index cards)

Calligraphic copy of release in which a grandson confirms having received from his grandmother, named Sitt al-Rida bat Saadya, the estate of his father. Dated Adar II 1524/ March 1213. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Dissolution of partnership, remarkable for its inclusion of female relatives. Dated 1539/ 1227-28. (Information from Mediterranean Society, III, pp. 45, 46, 436)

Legal document dealing with a debt of Hiba/Natan the dyer b.'Ulla to al-Sheikh Abu 'Ali Yefet b. David for two qintar of indigo he bought from him for 1000 dirhams and which he agrees to repay by the month of Nisan of the same year. Dated Tevet 1541/December/January, 1229-1230.

Legal document in which Mordechai ben Naʿim and David ben Naʿim settle the estate (particularly the terms of the ketubba) of the woman Ashkenaz, wife of David ben Naʿim, following her death. Signed by David ben Naʿim, and witnessed by Abraham Noah and Nissim Shelomo. Dated 1st Tammuz 5509 (= June 1749) in Egypt (Cairo). (Information from CUDL)

Magnificent Hebrew will in which a rich man gives his second wife and the mother of three of his children 200 dinars if she does not marry again, but only 50 dinars if she does get married. He also empowers the elder son to give his younger brother his share in the estate only when he, the executor--not the courts-- is satisfied that the boy is ready for the responsibility. Dated 18 Heshvan 1318/ October 1006. (Information from Mediterranean Society, III, pp. 251, 283, 411, 481)

A religious slaughterer who was careless in the exercise of his duties is flogged and forced to make a public confession. Dated 9 Iyyar 1339/ May 1028 in Cairo. (Information from Mediterranean Society, II, pp. 330, 568)

Deed of compensation to peqid ha-soharim (representative of merchants) in Tyre, January 1037. CUDL: Deed of indemnity, written by Yefet b. David, dated Monday, 27th Ṭevet 4797/1348 (= 1037 CE), in Fusṭāṭ, in which Isaac b. David (called Ibn Sujmār), confirms that he has received from Ḥalfon b. Moses (called Ibn Abī Qīda), in Tyre, a sum from the estate of the deceased Saʿadya b. Solomon, for the benefit of his sister Banīna bat Solomon.

Compensation bill from Fustat. April 7, 1055. Three witnesses approved (not in front of the court) that Yehuda b. Moshe b. Sugmar received money that Menashshe b. David al-Madini, the money exchanger, owed Yehuda’s uncle. The uncle is David b. Yehuda from Qayrawan. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #618) VMR