Geniza Lab

Page from a letter sent by Abū Naṣr b. Avraham from Alexandria to Ḥalfon b. Netanel in Cairo on the 23 of October 1140. The letter includes a report on the social uproar caused by Yehuda ha-Levi’s visit in Alexandria when everybody was eager to invite him. The letter contains a request for Ḥalfon to come to Alexandria to settle the disputes caused by Yehuda ha-Levi’s presence in the city. The letter also refers to business matters arising from the India trade, in which both the addressee and the writer were involved. Abū Naṣr complains about his eye illness: "I only wrote these few letters as I was housebound with a flare of ophthalmia that came over me." At the end of recto and beginning of verso, this proves relevant: "The account is in the shop and I am at home, so I do not have the precise details to inform you." Finally, in the last few lines, "Please extend forgiveness, God knows that I wrote this with the kerchief (khirqa) draped (musabala) over my eyes." The use of a dark kerchief to protect the inflamed eyes from light was part of the standard treatment for ophthalmia (see the tag "khirqa" and the chapter on ramad in Tadhkirat al-Kaḥḥālīn). (Information in part from Frenkel, The Compassionate and Benevolent, p. 523; Goitein, Friedman, India Book 4, p. 417). ASE Alexandria; 10 of Marcheshvan; October 23, 1140

Page from a letter sent by Abū Naṣr b. Avraham from Alexandria to Ḥalfon b. Netanel in Cairo on the 23 of October 1140. The letter includes a report on the social uproar caused by Yehuda ha-Levi’s visit in Alexandria when everybody was eager to invite him. The letter contains a request for Ḥalfon to come to Alexandria to settle the disputes caused by Yehuda ha-Levi’s presence in the city. The letter also refers to business matters arising from the India trade, in which both the addressee and the writer were involved. (Information from Frenkel, The Compassionate and Benevolent, p. 523; Goitein, Friedman, India Book 4, p. 417). Alexandria; 10 of Marcheshvan; October 23, 1140

Form of a recommendation letter to the emissaries of the lepers of Tiberias, probably 1025.

Letter by Toviyya b. Eli ha-Kohen to his cousin and brother-in-law, Natan b. Shelomo, informing him that everything was done for al-Suri (from Tyre) as ordered by Natan b. al-Meshorer, who lost his wife and was unable to find a wife to look after his son and daughter. He also mentions two orphan daughters whom he wants to marry off to his sister's sons. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Yeshua b. Isma’il al-Makhmuri from Alexandria to Nahray b. Nissim, Fustat. August 12, 1062. Information that the writer heard from Jewish merchants that came to Alexandria from Sicily, regarding the situation in Palermo and the news about the passing of Nissim b. Ya’aqov. The writer expresses his sorrow for the latter. Also a complaint about an unknown person, Ta’ib, a slave or official, which does not work. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #312) VMR

Letter from Yiṣḥaq b. Nissim Farsī to Abū Zikrī Yaḥyā b. Mevorakh. Recto consists entirely of a panegyric and flattering rhymed prose in Hebrew. The addressee had previously sent a letter containing a poem either by Shelomo Ibn Gabirol or based on a model by Shelomo ibn Gabirol. Greetings are sent to the addressee’s father and mother, and he is encouraged to continue in his own poetic endeavors, said to be superior to those of the writer. On verso, the letter continues in Judaeo-Arabic. (Information from CUDL, Decter, and Mediterranean Society, V, pp. 197, 286–87, 562.) Recto was also edited by Ratzhaby, "שני שירים ספרדיים מאוצר הגניזה," Moznaim 6 (1992), 10–13.

Beginning of a letter with rhymed prose introduction. Verso: Judaeo-Arabic text, list?

Letter from Amram b. Yiṣḥaq in Alexandria to Ḥalfon b. Nethanel in Fustat. The letter was written in the 5th of April 1142. The letter contains details on the illness of Amram's wife (who is "dead on the face of the earth"; this is the third and final known letter of ʿAmram on the matter), his deplorable family situation, a request to borrow a book (tafasir Isaiah 'Commentary on the Book of Isaiah') and matters of an estate that Amram has dealt with. (Information from Frenkel).

Very short letter of recommendation from Abu 'Ali son of Abu al-Ma'ali on behalf of a stranger, a 'Ra'is on his way to the addressee's city on some matter and beginning with good wishes for Rosh ha-Shana. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Late letter to Abd al-Karim Kashani dealing with orders for goods. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter perhaps addressed to a Nagid. Poetical. Praising the Levites. Contains decorative elements at the end of the widely spaced lines. (Information from Goitein's index cards).

Letter from Nahray b. Nissim, Egypt, to Abu al-Faraj Yeshu'a b. Isma'il.

Letter sent by Perahya the second b. Yosef the second to Shelomo ha-Nasi, dealing with various matters, including an ordinance (taqqana). Mentions the Nagid R. David. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Efrayim b. Ismail al-Jawhari from Alexandria, to Yosef b. Ya’aqov b. Awkal, Fustat. April 2, 1030 (the addressee received the letter in April 8, 1030). Information about loading ships in Alexandria. Also details about the merchandise’ prices in the Maghreb. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, #182) VMR

Letter from Shelomo b. Yehuda to Avraham Ha-Kohen b. Yiṣḥaq b. Furat.

Letter sent by Mubarak b. Hanina to Abu Yusuf Yaʿaqov b. Musa, giving details about persons who perished or survived an earthquake, most probably in Ramla. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Moshe b. Abū Zikrī to his relative, Araḥ b. Natan, on matters of commerce. Moshe expresses his concern about the fact that Araḥ left for a journey without a travel companion (rafīq). Moshe asks Araḥ to assist him in delivering a debt of one dinar and not to withhold the wheat he posses, since the condition of the people is difficult. Moshe also expresses desire to accompany Araḥ in his next commercial voyage. The writer is, apparently, the second son of Abū Zikrī Yehuda b. Saadya the Nagid, a previously unknown son. (Information from Frenkel.) Notes from Frenkel in Hebrew.

Letter from ʿEli b. Hillel to his brother-in-law Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. In Judaeo-Arabic. The writer opens with expressions of mourning for the death of a woman. Goitein suggests it is his own wife, but perhaps it is a woman from Ḥalfon's side of the family. ʿEli writes, "I could hardly eat bread due to crediting it (? li-ṣidqihi)," and the last phrase seems like it would be out of place for one's own wife. ʿEli then conveys his preoccupation and relief on account of his sister Sitt al-Fakhr, who was sick but recovered. He then mentions some notebooks (karārīs) and a segment of the Torah (juz' Torah), which Ḥalfon probably copied for him. (Information from Goitein's index cards.) ASE.

Letter from the Jerusalemite Yosef b. Moshe ha-Levi to Yefet ha-Neʾeman b. Elʿazar, the representative of the community of al-Maḥalla. Dating: Late 11th or early 12th century, as the same Yefet b. Elʿazar appears in T-S 6J2.25 (a legal document in the hand of Hillel b. ʿEli). Yosef reports that he stopped in (New) Cairo, planning to continue to Jerusalem via Alexandria. He was sick (wajiʿ) when he entered Cairo. The Nasi in Cairo honored him by letting him lead the congregation in prayer—"may God answer my prayers in my illness (ḍuʿfī) for the whole congregation, small and great." See e.g. ENA NS 6.24 for the notion that it is good for a sick man to lead prayers. Yosef sends greetings to a very large number of people by name, then apologizes, "As I write this, I am in a different world (?). Please forgive me for not being able to name everyone." (Information in part from Goitein's index cards.) ASE.

Important business letter sent from Alexandria by Farah b. Ismail to his father in Fustat, containing details about delivering money, commodity prices, and ordering goods from Fustat. Dated November 12, 1050. (Information from M. Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, p. 670)