Geniza Lab

Letter, consisting mainly of greetings, from Judah Levi to his family, including his brother-in-law Sulaymān, his brother Raḥamīm, his cousin Sawād, and the addressee’s sister, aunt and mother, all called Sitt al-Maṣūna. Also mentions Levi, Shelomo, Joseph, Elʿazar, and Shabbetay, among others. Dated 25th Sivan (probably 16th century). (Information from CUDL)

Strongly worded letter in which a young man is ordered to vacate the apartment let to his father and to remove his belongings by noon, for the place was let to his father, not to him. (Information from Mediterranean Society, IV, p. 96)

Letter to a Nagid, R. Yosef, from a community, mentioning that a certain orphan, the son of Avraham, has nothing left for food or clothing. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Meir, apologizing to al-Ḥaver Abu al-Ghayth for not being able to come to Minyat Zifta (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from Abū Saʿīd b. Abū l-Ḥasan al-Abzārī, in the Maghreb, to his brother Abū l-Barakāt, in Fustat. Dating: ca. 1098 CE. The writer traveled from Fustat for trading and arrived in Bijāya as intended. The Christian ship he traveled with encountered a Muslim fleet that captured Jerba. He describes the naval battle between Christians and Muslims. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #831.) VMR. Join: Oded Zinger.

Letter from Umm Isma'll asking Eliyyahu ha-dayyan to send her any money left in the collection for the poor. On verso are notes in the hand of Eliyyahu's son Shelomo.

Letter possibly in the hand of Abū Sahl Levi, possibly sent to Moshe b. Levi ha-Levi. Containing an answer to inquiry whether a family had left for Dammūh. (Information in part from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from a woman in Fustat to her sons. In a mixture of Judaeo-Arabic and Arabic written in an elegant scribal hand. The writer reports the dire conditions in Fustat, including the plunder of the Dār al-Fā'izī (in the Judaeo-Arabic portion) and conveys news of the sick children in the house who are worsening day by day (in the Arabic portion). On verso are jottings in Arabic script, unclear if connected to recto. (Information from Goitein's index cards and Renee Levine Melammed.)

Fragment of a letter. Mentions Shelomo b. Eliyyahu the judge (the writer?), who was a teacher and scribe in Fustat during the first half of the 13th Century.

Letter from Avraham b. Madlūb(?) al-Maqdisī to Abū Saʿīd b. Abū Naṣr, in the square of the perfumers, in Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic, with very rudimentary spellings. The letter also speaks about Avraham al-Maqdisī in the third person. Mentions various business transactions and people such as ʿArafāt al-Baḥrī, the addressee's neighbor, Yehuda b. Yeshuʿa, and Ḥasan. The sender wants a certain kind of burniyya (vessel) "of the Fayyūm make." (Information in part from Goitein's index card and transcription.)

Recto: Letter to Judge Elijah from Perahyah b. Joseph about a needed release for a business venture. Verso: Arabic jottings. (Information from CUDL)

Letter by Faraj b. Mansur, informing his brother of the death of his own boy and admonishing him not to open the writer's store. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter mentioning Reuben the apostate. In a late hand. Alternate description: Letter, mentioning Reuben ‘the proselyte’ and greetings to many family members, including the writer’s paternal uncle Zigdon and his maternal aunt Ḡarība. On verso are jottings which say ‘from ʿAmram אילא Zigdon’. C. 16th century. (Information from CUDL)

Letter conveying good wishes. See T-S 20.78. Addressed to Meshullam ha-Kohen b. Elʿazar Kelil ha-Yofi. (Information from Goitein's note card.) NB: This shelfmark does not exist. It is not clear which shelfmark Goitein's note card belongs to.

Left side of a letter of appeal for charity, from Shaul ha-Levi. What is preserved seems to contain learned discussion of charity. (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter from the office of Yehoshuaʿ Nagid (d. 1355) to the community of Fustat asking them to arrange a charitable collection (Information from Goitein, Tarbiz 54 [1984], 84)

Letter sent from Fustat by a father to his son, settling business accounts with him. The handwriting is that of the cantor Abu Sahl (Levi), and the addressee is probably Moshe b. Levi ha-Levi in Qalyub. Apparently Moshe had complained that his father had not sent him all the money that he was owed. This sharp letter goes through all the recent transactions and explains how no one has been cheating Moshe of some dirhams. "Calm down, even if they were dinars, God would make it right." If Moshe wants to, he can return to Fustat and they can go through the accounts together in person. Abu Sahl tells Moshe not to worry about the capitation tax, because God has helped and they already have enough money for him. "Don't let anyone look at these accounts, not Mahfuz nor anyone else." Information in part from Goitein's index card.) ASE.

Fragment of a letter in the hand of Shelomo b. Yehuda Gaon, confirming receipt of money, and two suftajas (payment orders), one if them which was shared by the Gaon, the av bet din, the 'Third' and a fourth person. This fragment combines with T-S 6J2 f.21 (Information from Goitein's index cards)

Letter segment from Shelomo b. Yehuda to an unknown personality, mentioning monies paid to Abu l-Faraj. Dated 1033-1037 CE. (Information from CUDL)

Letter, fragmentary, from Shelomo b. Yehuda to an unknown addressee. 1033 or 1037. Shelomo b. Yehuda informs that he receives money probably from Fustat. A part of the payment was divided between the Gaon, head of the court, and a third person, it seems like this is an inheritance. (Information from Gil, Palestine, vol. 2, pp. 210-212, #116). VMR