Geniza Lab

Letter sent from Alexandria by Farah b. Yosef to Abu Sa'd Khalaf b. Sahl in Fustat, dealing with buying and selling some goods. Dated October 1056. (Information from Gil)

Letter addressed to Nasi Yoshiyahu. The writer has many debts. Abu Sa'd and the son of al-Rayyis Sulayman are mentioned. In the last lines, the writer asks to know with whom the commentary on the Prophets had been pawned. Likely from ca. 1230s, as Yoshiyahu and al-Rayyis Sulayman are mentioned in the correspondence of Jalal al-Dawlah and Shelomo b. Yishai. ASE.

Letter by Mansur Kohen to Eliyyahu the Judge dealing in sugar candy (see also T-S 16.303). The page is divided vertically, and there is another letter in a different hand which requires further examination. Information from Goitein's note card.

Letter fragment in Judaeo-Arabic mentioning Alexandria. Greetings to the writer's sister and to Hilal on verso.

Letter from Abūn b. Ṣadaqa, Jerusalem, to Nahray b. Nissim, Fustat. Dating: 31 March 1059 CE, according to Gil. Deals with various business matters. He thanks Nahray for burning his last letter. He asks for news of 'al-kabīra' Sitt Murruwa, who had been sick.

Letter from an unknown sender to Nahray b. Nissim. Dating: around 1065. The sender asks Nahray to send him money, as he and the people with him have nothing left. Based on whom he wishes Nahray to greet on his behalf, the sender could possible have been a member of the Tahirti family and a relative of Nahray as well.

Letter to Yiṣḥaq b. ʿOvadya in Granada, Spain, from Yiṣḥaq b. Avraham b. Ezra (Toledo, Spain). "I believe Mar Joseph is traveling to your place to pass there the Passover with Ibn al-Fakhkhar, for the latter has made him desirous of spending the holidays in his house, where he would have a good time. Mar Joseph had planned to go to Seville, but he has changed his mind and is coming to Granada. Take notice of this. I decided not to let this letter go without some foolish poetry of mine. Last night I drafted the nonsense you will see. Mar Joseph has chosen them, and you will pardon me." (Mediterranean Society, V, pp. 16, 638.)

From Nahray b. Nissim (Misr) to Farah b. Isma'il Farah (Busir).

Letter from Salah b. Barhun al-Tahirti from Qayrawan, to Yosef b. Ya’aqov b. Awkal from Fustat. Around 1010. Regarding a shipment of silver which b. Awkal sent from Fustat to Qayrawan. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, #132) VMR

Letter from Ibn Barukh, in Almeria, to Ḥalfon b. Netanel ha-Levi. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: probably end of August 1138 CE. India Book 4 (Hebrew description below; full English to come)

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic from Yosef, who has no income except from copying books and who now turns to a friend for help. Information from Goitein's note card.

Letter from Abū Naṣr b. Avraham, in Alexandria, to Ḥalfon b. Netanel ha-Levi. Dating: February 1141 CE. In Judaeo-Arabic. This was written after Ḥalfon departed from Alexandria together with Yehuda ha-Levi. India Book 4 (Hebrew description below; full English to come) Alexandria

Fragment of an interesting letter sent to Abu al-Fadl Mevorakh b. Avraham by Shemarya b. Efrayim. Dated ca. 1070. (Information from Mediterranean Society, I, 388, and from Goitein's index cards)

Letter of recommendation from Yehuda to Avraham ha-Zaqen about a righteous silk weaver named Tahor al-Talmid from the pupils of Avraham Maimonides (min jumlat aṣḥāb sayyidinā), who has "left the world from his heart" and sought the service of the Creator. The letter discusses Tahor's altruistic intention to marry an orphan girl.

Last page of a letter from Abū Naṣr b. Avraham, in Alexandria, to a public figure, in Fustat. Identification is based on handwriting and style. The first page of the letter is missing. Dated: 9 Tammuz, apparently of the year 1141 CE (so the 8th of June). The letter contains information on ships that frequented the port of Alexandria. It mentions an attack of Bedouins on the passengers of the Sultan's ship in Tobruk (this note was added from Goitein) as well as general news and instructions of a commercial nature, dealing with spices, perfumes, books, pearls and gold. The letter reports the great distress in which the Jews of Alexandria found themselves. The leaders of the community, among them Abu Nasr himself, were under house arrest due to unpaid debts from previous years. The matter created 'hatred' (Heb. sinʾut) and general anarchy. The recipient is asked to intervene in the matter and petition a few Muslim public figures which might assist. (Information from Frenkel and Goitein's note card.)

Letter from Avraham b. Yosef al-Sabbāgh, Alexandria, to Yosef b. 'Awkal, Fustat. Dating: ca. 1020. Written by a copyist, Daniel ibn al-Shama. Includes details on government officials and commodities. Written on parchment.

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic to an important personage. Malij is mentioned in the body and in the address. The name Shemuel b. Hananiah appears after the date (Kislev) in the margin of recto.

Letter from Sitt Dhahab, in an unknown location, to Abū Naṣr b. Karīm, in Qāʿat al-Fāḍil, Fustat. She refers to herself as his daughter. Goitein suggests that he is her elder brother, although in that case it might be odd for a sister to refer to "the house of your brother" rather than "our brother." She reports that Abū l-Faraj b. al-Rayyis (Judge Elijah?) has arrived, with 100 dirhams for them. He is interested in buying wheat. She confirms that several consignments have arrived, including the balālīn (?), a frying pan (ṭājin), a robe (shuqqa), yarn (ghazal), and silk in various forms. She suggests that he send silver to Sitt Iftikhār, who has been seriously ill ("she has not lifted her head") already two months. She uses the word "iltaha'at" (bi-ruḥihā wa-maraḍihā) to describe Sitt Iftikhār; this word also appears in the context of distress in CUL Or.1081 J5 and possibly T-S 10J12.14. It might correspond to التهى, meaning "to be occupied with oneself" (Dozy). She reports on the sale of a female slave for 10 dinars, but this deal may have fallen apart: when "the man" came to fetch her price, "they returned to your brother's house, and they said they wouldn't sell her," and the female slave herself had to be bound with ropes. She then gives an update on the door for the vestibule (kumm). Abū l-Surūr bought one, but it is not suitable. Another worker came and took its measurements and is interested in doing the work. As for the old door of iron, Ḥusām took it down, and Salīm the carpenter didn't lift a finger to help. She urges the addressee to be diligent in forwarding the letters of Abū l-Maʿālī, because his mother and grandmother (or: mother and wife) are worried about him. She urges him to not forget to give an update on Najm in each of his letters, because when he does not, everyone is worried. The address is in both Judaeo-Arabic and Arabic. Information in part from Goitein's note card. ASE.

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic from the community of Sfax, largely consisting of prayers and praises for the recipient. Two letters from the recipient had arrived, and there was rejoicing in the synagogue with five Torah scrolls taken out of the ark, and foreigners from Tripoli were present. Signed by Ibrahim b. Sahlan, Yishaq b. Barhun, Shemuel b. [ ], Farah b. Ibrahim, Harun b. Ya'aqov (?). ASE.

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic; the names are missing.