Geniza Lab

Letter from Abū l-ʿIzz b. Abū ʿUmar, probably in Alexandria, to Abū l-Barakāt b. Abū ʿUmar, Abū l-Majd b. Abū l-Faraj (Abū l-Majd is also called אבו אלאם or אבו אלגם), and Abū l-Barakāt b. Abū l-Ḥasan(?), probably in Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic. (The addressees' names appear both in the body of the letter and the address.) Dating: Early 13th century. The letter deals with communal controversy in Alexandria and Cairo, which led to a public excommunication. See Friedman's edition and article for a detailed discussion. Also on recto (see separate record) is a medical prescription in Arabic script. Verso: Draft of petition for help from a noble woman (al-Sitt al-Fāḍila), edited by Oded Zinger in a forthcoming article. Goitein's transcription of the petition draft appears below as part of the transcription of the main letter, but it should be moved to a new record. Verso also has several lines of Arabic jottings (drafts of polite phrases from letters/petitions). (Information in part from Goitein's notes.) EMS

Beginning of a letter to a Rayyis: [...] b. ʿAzarya (ZL) the head of the yeshiva (raʾs al-mathība). In Judaeo-Arabic, with the address in Arabic script.

Letter regarding a debt?

Letter from a certain Avraham to a dignitary. In Judaeo-Arabic. Fragment (upper right corner of recto). Little is preserved of the content. The third line of recto is written in a different handwriting(?). Mentions merchandise and Ibn al-Sadīd.

Recto: fragment of an Arabic letter. Verso: fragment of a responsum regarding whether a man who has an emission of semen is permitted to come near his wife and in the morning recite the morning prayers. EMS

Letter to Eli ha-Kohen ha-Parnas dealing with money owed.

Letter fragment describing the visit of the Nasi in the Babylonian synagogue. (Information from E. Bareket, Shafrir misrayim, 25)

Letter from Shelomo b. Eliyyahu to an Abu al-Barakat whom he addresses as 'brother' and 'friend'

Letter from a Yehuda. Beginning only. The writer acknowledges receiving a letter from the majlis of 'our lord and crown of the heads' the 'Nagid' and Nasi Shelomo (b. Jesse? [see line 7] active first half of 13th century).

See PGP 3597

Letter. Little preserved of content.

Letter. Little preserved of content. Saffron, silk and copper mentioned.

Letter. Little preserved of content. Mentions 'the holy Rav, the Great Nagid.'

Letter to Abū Zikrī Yehuda b. Yosef ha-Kohen Sijilmāsī (d. ca. 1149). In Judaeo-Arabic. Mentions goods such as garments and soap. Contains a request to help with a shipment that it was in the hands of Nissim b. Yaʿaqov. Also mentions Mukhtār and Abū l-Barakāt. (Information in part from CUDL and Goitein notes linked below.)

Letter in which a notable to whom Abu al-'Izz b. Imran owed about 60 dirhams proposes, as a charitable act, to let him work off his obligation. A copyist had been copying quires of the Torah for the letter-writer, but had left for Palestine. Knowing that Abu al-'Izz has a good handwriting, the writer now wants to have him discharge his debt by taking over the project. He asks the Nagid to order him to do so, at a rate of at least two quires per week. (Information from Goitein's index cards and from Cohen)

Letter to a dignitary. The writer apologises for his part in a public disagreement between the writer and the addressee that had previously taken place in ‘the small market’ concerning the correct display of tassels. Pen trials in the margin on verso. (Information from CUDL)

Letter draft or writing exercise in a crude hand; on verso jottings and drafts in the same hand. (Information in part from CUDL)

Recto: commentary or treatise, with biblical citations such as Deuteronomy 30:14, Isaiah 51:5 and Proverbs 12:19. Verso: fragment from a letter, mentioning Abū l-Ḥasan. (Information from CUDL)

Description for T-S 6J10.12: Fragment of a letter from Amram b. Yosef, probably from Alexandria, to Nahray b. Nissim, Fustat. Around 1075. The writer informs Nahray about prices and quantity of textile that Nahray asks him to buy. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #678.) VMR. Description for T-S 8J26.15 (old PGPID 5972): Letter from David b. Amar Madini to Nahray b. Nissim. Around 1065. Maybe was sent from Alexandria. The writer sends his greetings to Abu Sa’ad, Nahray’ son. Regarding fabrics and a shipment of paper for Yosef (probably Yosef b. Musa al-Tahirti) that wants to copy the Bible (Mikra) with its translation. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #657.) VMR. Join: Oded Zinger.

Letter from Abū Zikrī b. Ḥananel to Abū l-Afrāḥ ʿArūs b. Yosef al-Arajawānī. In Judaeo-Arabic, with the address partially in Arabic script. Concerning business matters, and mentioning commodities such as sal ammoniac (nushādir) and purple fabric (arjawān). Refers to a ship that is apparently not traveling—not to al-Mahdiyya and not to al-Andalus. A qāḍī is sick, and the traders cannot trade. (Information in part from CUDL and Goitein's index card.)