Geniza Lab

Business letter in Arabic script, long, possibly from Daniʾel b. ʿAzarya to Ḥussām al-Dawla.

Letter from a muqtaʿ praising his wakīl for informing the wālī that most of the sugar canes had been distributed among the peasants instead of being given to him. (Information from Goitein’s index card)

Letter to a qāḍī (addressed "al-jināb al-ʿālī"). In Arabic script. Dating: Maybe Mamluk-era. The letter concerns a horse that was purchased for 17 dinars; also mentions "money for the dīwān." Needs further examination. On verso there are accounts in Arabic script and Greek/Coptic numerals. (Information in part from Goitein’s index card)

Recto: Letter in Arabic script. Fragment (bottom part only). Needs examination for content.

Letter from Musāfir b. Wahb (aka Araḥ b. Natan) to Abū l-Faḍl Hibatallāh Rosh ha-Qehillot. In Arabic script, with one line of the address in Hebrew. Dating: Early 12th century. Frenkel states that only the address has survived, but there are also five lines preserved of the main text on recto and additional text in the upper margin. This part awaits transcription. (Information in part from Frenkel.)

Letter in Arabic script. Needs examination. On verso there are a few lines of accounts.

Letter fragment in Arabic script. The writer's name may appear between lines 2 and 3 (ʿabduhu Khalaf....?). Needs examination for content. On verso there is a copy of the beginning of the ʿAmida in very rudimentary Hebrew.

Recto: Letter from Abū Saʿīd to (his brother?) Sibāʿ and Munajjā and Abū l-ʿAlā'. In Arabic script. Unclear if the text on verso is part of the same letter or another letter. Needs examination.

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Very faded. Mentions Yosef b. Ṣadaqa.

Recto: Informal note in Arabic script. "These are black ones (سودا) I have sent to my master.... increase or loss...." It is unclear what "black one(s)" refers to—maybe "black" dirhams (see Goitein, Med Soc I, p. 388)? But possibly a garment or another commodity or even a human. Underneath, in a different hand, probably the response: "...to increase... as for the kafiz (a unit of measure)...."

Possibly part of a letter (needs examination)

See PGP 20795

Note from Shemuel to a distinguished addressee. In Arabic script, except for the name Shemuel which is written in Hebrew. Begins with the glyph. The sender very politely and eloquently asks the addressee to take on the bearer as a pupil.

Mercantile letter in Arabic script. Dating: Probably 11th or 12th century. The sender mentions requesting the 'marsūm' and something which came out to 700 dirhams; 21 'fingers' of something; the qāḍī Fakhr al-Dīn; how the 'ḥāmila' is delayed; and "if the government..." (law kān al-sulṭān...). On verso there are jottings and pen trials in Hebrew, Arabic and Judaeo-Arabic.

First-person report about a discussion, possibly a polemic between the writer and other people. This fragment begins in Arabic script, switches to Judaeo-Arabic for the remainder of recto, then switches back to Arabic script for all of verso except for a name written in Hebrew script. It begins: ". . . he was overcome by distress. . . and this is what the rabbis said, 'Do not get angry and you will not sin' (Berakhot 29b), for the man with such a character should attempt to get rid of it with the guidance of Solomon in Proverbs and with other (texts). I only said this to him by way of affection and 'love your neighbor as yourself.' As for what the master needs to know without doubt: I was passing through the square (al-murabbaʿa) and found Bū l-Ḥajjāj al-Ṭabīb (the physician) talking with Ibrāhīm al-Jābī. They saw me and Ibrāhīm said, 'This is so-and-so.' I said, 'What are you up to?' Ibrāhīm said. . . ." The continuation of the narrative on verso requires further examination. There is a lot of reported dialogue, followed by the sender visiting R. David(?) and telling him about the story, whereupon R. David may have told him that he was in the wrong. FGP. AA. ASE.

Note from an unidentified sender to Abū Manṣūr. In Arabic script. Dating: Likely 12th or 13th century. The sender reports that Abū ʿAlī b. Dāʾūd has demanded money from Hiba al-Ḍāfir. In turn, Hiba has sent a letter demanding money from the sender and from the funds which Ṣadaqa pays to the addressee; the addressee now has to pay 10 dirhams to Hiba. On verso there are accounts in Arabic script and Greek/Coptic numerals. These mention Hiba several times, so they are probably related to recto. Other names mentioned include: Mufaḍḍal; Manṣūr; Ibrāhīm. ASE

Letter addressed to a woman (al-sitt al-jalīla). In Arabic script. Fragment (right side only). Not much of the content is preserved. On verso pen trials of some opening pharses of a letter in Judaeo-Arabic. AA, ASE.

Fragment of a letter in Arabic script. Maybe business-related. Mentions some names and refers to 'the Jews.' Needs further examination.

Possibly a scrap of letter, Only few words preserved.

Scrap of a letter, only few words preserved.