Geniza Lab

Poorly preserved letter containing biblical verses and a request by Abu Mansur for assistance from Saniyy al-Dawla, the supporter of every troubled person. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Dāʾūd, the muqaddam of Bilbays, to Eliyyahu the Judge. Dating: early 13th century. He describes how he saved an estate of an Alexandrian woman (who died in Bilbays) from confiscation by the government. He also mentions the arrival of Ibn al-Maqdisī from Gaza together with a convert, and he hopes to study Qiddushin with Ibn al-Maqdisī. (Information from Goitein's index card.) The blank space on verso was reused by Shelomo b. Eliyyahu for writing exercises in which he praises and blesses himself; see See Amir Ashur, "A Memorial list of Elijah b. Zechariah’s family: T-S 10J18.2" (Fragment of the Month, December 2020).

Letter in which Avraham Maimonides (1205-1237) recommeds to the judge Perahia and his sons a man who wishes to marry the judge's daughter.

Letter (fragment) containing greetings and copious praises for Shemuʾel Rosh ha-Seder. (Information in part from CUDL.)

Fragment of a business letter to ʿAllān b. Ḥassūn announcing the arrival of a large ship from Spain and two other ships from Mahdiyya and Sfax. (Information from Goitein's index cards and from CUDL) Address in Judeo-Arabic and Arabic on verso.

Letter fragment by Avraham, son of the Gaon.

Letter from Abū l-Surūr b. Ṭarīf to Abū Naṣr b. Yosef. In Judaeo-Arabic. Informing him that Abū l-Najm Hillel had sent him five jars containing qaṭāra (honey with sugar), each weighing about 50 pounds, in the boat of the Rayyis ʿArafāt. (Information from Mediterranean Society, I, p. 463, and from Goitein's index cards.)

Letter from a Kohen, possibly a family member of Shelomo ha-Kohen Gaon b. Yosef, to Efrayim b. Shemarya, consisting solely of praises and florid phrases. Dated after 1030. (Information from Bareket, Yehudei misrayim)

Letter possibly from Abū Zikrī the physician to his father Eliyyahu the judge. Written in rhymed Judaeo-Arabic, with the address in Arabic script. Goitein comments, "One hardly knows where phraseology ends and facts come in. E.g., complains about his bad salty ???." He gives a cryptic update on the (his?) mother ("not used to the state in which she is"). (Information in part from CUDL and Goitein's index card.)

Letter fragment from the Yeshiva directed to 'all the communities of Israel in Palestine and in its fortresses, its town and villages...which have remained in Palestine and to those in the land of Egypt calling themselves Palestinians', i.e. to the Jewish communities of Palestine and Egypt, dating from the end of the 10th or the beginning of the 11th century.

Letter from al-Mubārak b. Yosef b. Yazdād, Yosef b. Binyamin, and Ḥasan b. Tayyib in Fustat, to two former partners of a deceased man asking them to appear immediately in order to settle the estate of that man's orphan. These three men had been appointed the orphan's guardians by Abū Avraham Ismāʿīl b. Avraham. Related to T-S 16.27. (Information from Bareket, Shafrir misrayim)

Letter possibly from the ḥaver Yehoshuaʿ b. ʿEli, in Ramla, probably to Yehuda b. Seʿadya here called Rosh Kalla, in Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: ca. 1060 CE (per Gil). The sender was identified by Gil on the basis of handwriting; however, Goitein identified the sender as a Tunisian scribe named ʿAyyāsh. This was evidently written before Yehuda gained the title Nagid. His brother Mevorakh b. Seʿadya is also mentioned (l8). The sender asks for employment in copying books. "This country on account of our sins now has few scholars, and nobody seeks any of the works/knowledge (? maʿnā min kathīr al-maʿānī) which these lands are famous for...." (Information from Gil and Goitein's index card.)

Letter written by a man on behalf of his wife to her brother, inviting him to come out to the countryside for a full month to find relief from his stress and also to bring his boys with him, who would be better off in the countryside than in bible school. (Information from Mediterranean Society, V, p. 532)

Personal letter in which the writer asks the addressee for assistance. The top portion is missing; lines 10 to 15 contain biblical verses. (Information from Goitein’s index card)

Letter from a family member, in Alexandria, to Eliyyahu the Judge, in Fustat. Dated: 23 Shevaṭ [4800 +] 175 = 4975 AM, which is 25 January 1215 CE. Eliyyahu's nephew bought a riding beast in Gizeh (or Gaza? v13) and rode it to Alexandria. Also mentions Marseilles (מרשיליה v5), but the context is too faded to read.

Letter from an unnamed business agent (fattore), in Egypt, to his employer Yosef Naftali. In Hebrew. Dating: Second half of the 16th century. The addressee appears also in T-S Misc.28.168. The letter concerns trade with Venice, where scammony (אשקמוניאה) is in high demand. Mentions spices and pepper and silk from Safed. Mentions Rabbi Moshe D'Larya of Safed, who is the representative of 'the holy congregation of Turkey'; Yehuda Masʿūd; and Yaʿaqov Albo. Dated Sunday 29 Adar. (Information from CUDL and A. David's edition on FGP.)

Letter from Yeshuʿa b. Mevorakh the Alexandrian, in Malīj, to an unidentified addressee. In Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic. Fragment (upper right corner of recto). The hand of the scribe may be known. (Information from Goitein’s index card.)

Letter from Simḥa ha-Kohen, in Alexandria, to Abu ʿImrān Moshe "The Pride of the Priests" (Tifʾeret ha-Kohanim). In Judaeo-Arabic, with the address in both Judaeo-Arabic and Arabic script. Dating: Probably early 13th century. Reporting the arrival of two Venetian ships with wood, the anticipated arrival of a Venetian ship with no merchandise but with an ambassador (? rasūl), and a ship from Trapani (אטראבנש) with a Jewish proselyte. Some personal requests. (Information in part from Goitein's index card.)

Letter from a man to his father-in-law. Fragment. In Judaeo-Arabic. He offers an update on mercantile transactions, mainly in garments, each transaction on the order of tens of dinars. Evidently he is complaining about not receiving as much money/goods as he was anticipating. Mentions Salmān, Ḥassūn b. Farrāj (who is dead), Ḥassūn, Ibn Faḍl, and Ibn Mardūk. The addressee had previously cursed the sender (תסובני ותקול הדא קביח), who insists that he has done everything his wife (whom he calls "your daughter" or "the girl") demanded, though she and her paternal aunt are crying day and night. The addressee should send her money/goods. The fragment ends with an update on Ibn Maḥbūb; it seems that the sender wants to send letters to various destinations (kutub ilā l-buldān) with him. (Information in part from Goitein’s index card and CUDL.)

Letter fragment. In Arabic script. 6 lines well preserved, with portions of 2 more lines. Mentions ʿAbd al-Raḥmān and the arrival of Sayyidnā al-Ajall (l. 5). Needs further examination.