Geniza Lab

Letter from Yosef b. Ezra to Yiṣḥaq Ashkenazi (not necessarily Luria, as more than one Yiṣḥaq Ashkenazi was active in trade at this time). In Hebrew. Dating: 16th century, based on Avraham David's assessment. The contents of the letter are quite difficult and merit further examination; there are a handful of words that do not appear to be Hebrew or Arabic and many place names, some obscure. The writer's father-in-law Avraham Sūsī arrived with the two documents (ma'marim) from the addressee, but these documents are useless. The first because it is for the Amir ʿĪsā, with whom relations are not good. The second is an order involving Rashid (the city?) and the slave trade but is missing some key feature. He then gives detailed instructions regarding documents to be sent to him, chiefly involving the trade in slaves "from the West" (1–11, 15–26). In particular, he writes that in Buḥayra, slaves from ״חריב״ are brought only once a year, in Elul, whereas slaves from the West, i.e., Awjila in Libya (אוגֿלה) arrive every month. During the year and 9 months that the writer lived in Buḥayra, not 30 or 40 days passed without Bedouin caravans arriving to trade slaves from the West for horses. In the remainder of the letter, the writer mentions various European currencies including peraḥim and coronas. In the margin he mentions trade in raisins (margin, 1, 6) and sulfur (margin, 5). Information largely from Avraham David, FGP. This document was also edited by Simha Assaf (see FGP for bibliography).

Letter from Labrāṭ b. Moshe b. Sughmār, in al-Mahdiyya, to his brother Yehuda b. Moshe b. Sughmār, in Fustat. Dating: July 30 (26 Av), 1057, based on Gil's assessment. (Gil dates ENA NS 18.35, written on 6 Elul, to the previous year. But both letters contain very similar congratulations on Yehuda's wedding, so perhaps they were sent two weeks apart instead of eleven months.) Labrāṭ opens with describing his great anxiety on account of his brother, because he had not received a letter from him all year. "My heart was preoccupied and I thought the worst, for he who loves is inflamed (muwallaʿ) with thinking the worst. On the eve of ʿAẓeret (Shavuʿot), Fityān and his associates arrived in a boat from Sfax to al-Mahdiyya. When I saw them, my soul almost left me and I went pale (? akhadhatnī ṣufra). I said to myself, perhaps they have news [of you]. . . . [Fityān] said, God bless him, that your letters were with him. I prostrated myself and thanked God for His favor" (r4–8). Labrāṭ then congratulates his brother on his marriage into a distinguished family (r10–19). He mentions a person of low morals whom he tries to avoid, but he recently had to go to this person's wedding in Sūsa (r19–21). When he returned to al-Mahdiyya, 'the boy' was sick (ḍaʿīf), and worsened, and almost died. Every day letters arrive from people in Sūsa, perhaps specifically from the man of low morals, blaming Labrāṭ regarding either this boy or that person's affairs (aḥwālihi). The next phrase is quite difficult, perhaps: "I considered that he was heedless (sahā), and I decided to completely despair of him (i.e., end the relationship). I am left with no eye to see light with, [and nothing] to take pride in, except for you, may God protect you (r21–24). (Gil reads it differently.) The remainder of the letter deals with business matters. The writer is much older than his brother. He asks him to fulfill his family’s duty by helping him with his business. He also mentions events in the Maghreb. Apparently there is a naval fleet besieging Sūsa. (Information in part from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #615.) See also Goitein, Med Soc III, viii, B, 1 no. 36. VMR. ASE.

Letter from Ṭoviyya b. ʿEli ha-Kohen (Bilbays, Lower Egypt) to his cousin and brother-in-law, the judge Nathan b. Shelomo ha-Kohen (Fustat), 12th century. Ṭuviyahu b. ʿEli sends ten samples of two qualities of wine, asking Nathan b. Shelomo to offer them to a Jewish wine seller in order to make a deal. (Information from Goitein notes and index card linked below and Goitein, MedSoc, vol. 4, p. 259.)

Letter from Seʿadya ha-Kohen b. Hillel (aka Saʿd b. Hilāl) Rosh ha-Qahal to Ṭoviyya b. ʿEli ha-Kohen ha-Ḥaver, the muqaddam of Bilbays (here called "muqaddam al-yahūd"). In Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic, often rhymed, with the address in both Hebrew and Arabic. Seʿadya praises Ṭoviyya in the warmest tones and asks what he has done wrong for Ṭoviyya (and Ṭoviyya's wife?) to cut off their letters to him. He was pained when a letter from Ḥalfon b. Sasson to his brother arrived in Toviyya's handwriting (reading חט as כט). The right margin deals with the logistics of correspondence. The upper margin mentions some debts and the dangers of travel (שיבוש הדרכים) preventing the sending of something or someone. Verso is mainly copious regards to and from family members and friends ("I can no longer burden people by carrying letters to each of you"—hence he includes all the greetings in one letter.) (Information in part from Goitein’s index card)

Family letter from Natan b. Yehuda (Alexandria, ca. 1160) to Moshe b. Ṣemaḥ and his brother (Fustat), the writer’s cousins-in-law. Natan b. Yehuda reports that everyone in the house was ill because of a great epidemic of sweating sickness (wakham) in Alexandria. He praises the brothers for their munificence but also politely reminds them that it was time for them to marry and wishes that their mother may see their “joy”. (Information from Goitein notes and index card linked below and from Goitein, MedSoc, Vol. 3, p. 61 and p. 440n61 and Vol. 5, p. 113.)

Letter from Shelomo b. Semah, Ramla (?), to Efrayim b. Shemarya,approximately 1030.

Business letter in Arabic script from an unknown trader to another unknown trader regarding textiles: Siqillī, Ṭabarī, and Sūsī cloth. Second half of the eleventh century.

Letter in the hand of Yehoshuaʿ b. Yosef to Yehuda b. Sighmar. The letter reflects the economic difficulties of the Jewish community of Alexandria due to the heavy expenses of freeing captives. These financial obligations were so straining that the community was unable to properly host 'The Prince (Heb. Nasi) Daniel b. Azarya.' The letter was written in 1060-1061. Daniel b. Azarya resided in Fustat and, apparently, planned to visit Alexandria at the time. (Information from Frenkel. See also Gil, Ishmael, 4:671 which describes the document as following: Letter sent from Alexandria by Yeshua ha-Kohen b. Yosef to Yehuda b. Moshe b. Sighmar in Fustat, dealing with ransomed captives. The writer complains about damage caused to his vineyard by one of the leading Christians in Alexandria, Abu al-Khayr b. Hanun, and notes that he has complained about it to the Amir Abu Mansur. The Christian is behaving in an ugly manner, "as if I myself killed Christ." Dated ca. 1040.

Letter from Yeshua b. Isma’il al-Makhmuri from Alexandria to Nahray b. Nissim, Fustat. Around 1060. The writer traveled safely from Rashid to Alexandria, after he had to leave a large part of the goods in Rashid. Mentions several relatives. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #304) VMR

Letter from Barhūn b. Yiṣḥaq ha-Tahirti, in al-Mahdiyya, to Nahray b. Nissim, probably in Alexandria. Dating: ca. 1045 CE. Nahray is sending goods to the Maghreb and selling goods that he receives from Barhūn and vice versa, Barhūn sells goods in the Maghreb and sends goods to Egypt. They both also buy goods. The writer mentions a business collaboration with Abu Naṣr Ḥesed ha-Tustari and a partnership with Abū l-Qāsim ʿAbd al-Raḥmān in trading gems. T-S K25.253 (PGPID 8595) is another copy of the same letter (from l. 31 onward). (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #377 and Goitein's index cards.) VMR

A letter from Faraḥ b. Ismaʿīl, probably in Fustat, to his father Ismaʿīl b. Faraḥ in Alexandria. Ca. 1057. Faraḥ b. Ismaʿīl writes that he is sending a pouch of dinars with the bearer of the letter and asks his father to exchange them for a different currency. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, p. 691.)

Letter written by Nissim b. Ḥalfon on behalf of Marduk b. Salih Tahirti (Gil) and sent from Alexandria to Abu Ishaq Barhun b. Salih Tahirti in Fustat. The letter contains details about goods bought by Marduk for Barhun, and describes fighting, probably taking place in Sicily. Dated ca. 1057 (Gil's dating). (Information from Gil, Kingdom, and from Ben-Sasson, Sicily)

Letter from Yosef b. Khalfa from Alexandria, to Nahray b. Nissim, Fustat. Around 1062. Regarding a large deal of pearls, which the writer has a part in. Mentions that he received fabrics. He states that although his business is wide, he cannot support himself in Alexandria, and he considers coming to Fustat to work as a tailor. In the handwriting of Yehuda (Yahya), Yosef’s brother. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 3, #563) VMR

Letter from Avraham b. ʿAmram to Nahray b. Nissim (and Barhūn b. Ṣāliḥ?), Fustat, 1067 CE. The letter includes information about the Tahertis who are in Jerusalem, and about the death of one of them. The writer requests urgent action regarding obtaining witnesses in Fustat, in particular from Yūsuf b. Yannai al-Baradānī, regarding the rights of a woman to property that remained in Qayrawān. A letter is mentioned that reported difficult news about the events in the Maghrib, apparently Qayrawān. Information from Gil.

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic to a certain Shemuel, also mentioning a certain Yosef. It opens with a poem. The story conveyed in the letter is difficult to follow, involving a disagreement, writing a letter but not sending it, someone arriving to the synagogue, someone leaving for Alexandria, and sad news that made the writer and Yosef cry and scream in sympathy. The writer asks the addressee to thank the teacher Natan on his behalf and to ask him to take care of the writer's son Moshe. The number "תשא" appears here, perhaps a date, perhaps 1701 = 1389/90 CE.

Letter from Alexandria to a merchant in Fustat. Around 1065. The letter contains a list of different goods’ prices. Mentions collecting debt in Adan, and persecution of merchants from Genoa in Alexandria. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #794) VMR

Letter from an unknown writer, in Alexandria, to an unknown recipient, presumably in Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: written in mahzor 275, which spanned the years 5207–25 (1446–65 CE). The writer greets the addressee as his 'brother', excuses his imposition (al-tahajjum (!) ʿalā faḍlikum) and mourns that the people of Alexandria have lost the science of intercalation, and requests that the addressee send him a calendar, starting with the upcoming Tishrei and extending to the end of mahzor 275. He sends regards to the addressee's wife, to his son Yehuda, and to Elazar Sofer. ASE.

Very faded document in Hebrew, probably a letter of appeal, as it mentions the writer's misfortunes and how he falls upon the mercy of the addressee and of God.

Recto: Fragment of a faded Judaeo-Arabic letter signed by Menaḥem. Mentions that the addressee lived in Jerusalem; that someone came to stay in the writer's location and married Ghāliya the sister of R. Numayr; and may mention Tiberias. Verso: Draft of the beginning of a legal testimony, "What occurred before us, we the witnesses Abū Saʿd Avraham b. Shela and Abū l-Faḍl b. Sahl. . ."

Letter from Shelomo Ha-Kohen b. Yosef, Dalton, to Hillel Ha-Ḥaver b. Yeshua Ha-Hazzan, Tiberias, approximately 1030.