Geniza Lab

Letter from Natan b. Nahray, in Alexandria, to Nahray b. Nissim, in Fustat, mentioning various commodities including flax. Dating: ca. 1064 CE. Also mentions a paper price. “My lord mentioned buying paper from the Segulat (= Mūsā b. Abī l-Ḥayy), or from someone else. I haven't found Andalusī paper in sufficient quantities, since my lord mentioned that he wanted it to copy (a book). The Segulat has only small quantities of Andalusī paper. But he has Shāmī paper, wide and large, for 8 dīnārs per ream; if it pleases my lord, I will acquire some for him.” Information from Gil.

The beginning of a letter written by Shelomo b. Eliyyahu to the communities of Egypt, through al-Shaykh al-Makīn Abū l-Faraj. (Information from CUDL)

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Fragment (lower left corner). Mentions a woman who found the sender in Fustat and said something to him; something about sleeping in the evening(?); Abū Sahl the cantor; someone who died and wandering in the desert (a proverb?); a report on the addressee's son Abū l-Khayr; someone who said something about Ibn Bābā; giving the addressee money to redeem a plege; and the ghulām of Abū ʿImrān. (Information in part from CUDL.)

Letter in the hand of Yefet b. Menashshe perhaps to his brother Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. In Judaeo-Arabic. Fragment (lower left corner of recto). Someone arrived from Abyār. Yefet says he can't do something "for numerous reasons, not least of which is the shop. I can't (leave it) for a full week, and he knows it." He is in need of a friend who will do him a favor for the sake of ʿaṣabiyya. He mentions people who traveled with somebody; someone who was with him in the shop; his isolation and abandonment; "Muslims and Jews"; al-Qāḍī al-Muwaffaq; how he can no longer sit in his shop because of [...]. Regards to Sitt Naʿīm (Ḥalfon's wife).

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Fragment. Rudimentary handwriting and spelling. The writer is in some perplexity about 'what I should do regarding Rashīd, since I rarely come to Fustat.' He also asks whether the addressee has obtained something from Barakāt. And mentions Bilbays.

The main block of Judaeo-Arabic text is a portion of a letter. The writer reports that he arrived safely in Fustat and yearns for a letter containing news of the addressees. He wants to know which ships have arrived, the news of the merchants and the merchandise, and sends greetings to Abū Bakr and al-F[...] b. Ilyās (?). Fragment filled with Arabic script and Judaeo-Arabic and Hebrew written at all angles. The main blocks of Arabic script consist of lists, at least one of which might be a table of contents of a book (PGPID 33965). Needs further examination.

India Book II, 22a (T-S NS J240). See PGPID 5479.

Letter fragment in Judaeo-Arabic. The writer gives instructions to obtain various sums of money from various people: 3 3/4 dirham from [...] al-Sharābī, 10 dirhams from Abū l-Faraj b. Nabīqa, 4 dirhams from Sulaymān b. Dā'ūd. On verso he sends regards to his mother, his paternal uncle, the addressee's wife Sitt Kāfūr, and the addressee's brother Abū l-Faḍl. There are also some mysterious jottings around the margins.

Informal note in Judaeo-Arabic, with a few jottings in Arabic script. The writer asks the addressee (al-Muʿallim) to go to Abū l-Ḥasan, because the writer needs him to do something for him.

Bifolio containing multiple documents. Dating: Unknown. Recto, right page: Acknowledgment of a debt of 400 dinars owed by the Jew Naṣr b. Abū Saʿd to Abū l-Qāsim b. ʿAbdallāh. In Arabic script. Recto, left page: Oriented at 90 degrees, there is a letter or draft of a letter to an amir with many noble titles. In Arabic script. Verso, left page: Draft of the opening of a Judaeo-Arabic letter in a crude hand. Verso, right page: Writing exercises in both Hebrew and Arabic script. (Information in part from CUDL)

Letter fragment addressed to al-mawālī al-munʿimīn. In vocalized Judaeo-Arabic.

Letter of business in Judaeo-Arabic. Very faded. Mentions Abū l-Ḥajjāj Yūsuf and Tyre and the value of the Tyrian dinar. The address is on verso but too faded to read. ASE

Part of a letter, mentioning Abū l-ʿIzz and the sum of 10 dirhams. A note, in a different hand and ink follows and refers to the same Abū l-ʿIzz, as well as Mūsā b. Hilāl, Mūsā b. ʿAmmatī (‘of my aunt’?), Barakāt b. Abū ʿUmar and the sum of 20 dirhams. (Information from CUDL)

Letter. In Judaeo-Arabic. The writer seem to explain why he had not paid anything to the addressee. He has also sent him some money to make purchases, including of olives(?), seeds, sumac(?), and salt.

Recto: Letter fragment in Hebrew addressed to Peraḥya ha-Dayyan ha-Maskil. Wide space between the lines. Verso: Hebrew text, possibly belonging to the formulaic opening of a letter.

Informal note. In Judaeo-Arabic. The writer asks Abū Isḥāq to obtain for (?bi-rasm) Abū l-ʿAlā' a piece of fabric of high quality (jayyid rafīʿ) and close weave (ṣafīq) with the pattern (?ṭarḥ) of a grid, which he draws in the margin.

Part of a letter, addressing Shelomo, the wise and discerning. Verso contains just the name Abū l-Faraj al-Tinnīsī in a different hand and ink. (Information from CUDL)

Note from Shelomo b. Eliyyahu to Abū l-ʿAlā'. In Judaeo-Arabic. He asks Abū l-ʿAla' him to come together with Abū l-Barakāt in order to cut and tailor a piece of fabric for him.

Note from Shelomo b. Eliyyahu to Abū l-ʿIzz. In Judaeo-Arabic. He writes that he intends to come today with two witnesses to document how much the addressee still owes him. Specifically, he owed him 63 dirhams, paid 6, and now owes 57.

Letter fragment in Judaeo-Arabic. On verso possibly poetry in Judaeo-Arabic.