Geniza Lab

Fragment of a document in the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe.

Testimony of woman, Sittuna bat Hayyim about her husband, Farah ibn Banuqa who left her 'a widow in his lifetime.' She is indigent because he had sold part of her dowry and pawned the rest, and this was many years ago.

Ketubba from Cairo dated 22 November 1822 (8 Kislev 5583), for Khalīfa Pipa and Sulṭāna bt. Nissim Qanini (?). The grand sum of the ketubba is 32000 medins (מך).

Two pages of formularies for marriage-related documents, giving sample locations and dates as Fustat/Cairo, 1707 CE (Tishrei 5468). The scribe uses parentheses liberally

Partnership agreement from Fustat/Cairo, dated 23 July 1819 (1 Av 5579), between Gedalya Mughrabi and Shabbetay Vidal, to begin immediately and to last for a period of 6 months. They are in the sarraflık trade (בעסק הצירפליק).

Partnership agreement. Location: Alexandria. Dated: 19 Tishrei 5575 AM, which is 3 October 1814 CE. Between Yiṣḥaq ha-Levi from Istanbul ["Costa"] who pitched in 10,000 gerushim, Yiṣḥaq de Curiel from Fustat/Cairo who pitched in 17,500 gerushim, Avraham Cesana & Company from Alexandria, who pitched in 17,5000 gerushim, and Eliyyahu Ayilion (?) from Fustat/Cairo, who pitched in 1,500 gerushim, yielding a total capital fund of 46,500 gerushim (it specifies "Egyptian gerushim").

Recto: Legal agreement between Nissim Mosseri b. Ḥayyim and Yosef al-[...] b. [...], from Fustat/Cairo, September 1829 CE (Elul 5589). The document is mostly in Hebrew but is about al-ḥūjjah (the deed?) for al-vīlah (the house?) and a deposit of 500 gerushim arayot. Interestingly the deed is referred to as "the legal deed that is registered in the jāmiʿ al-ḥākimī." Verso: Accounts for 19 Elul 5589.

Fragment (lower left corner) of a medieval legal document including the names Aharon b. ʿAmram and the witnesses [...] ha-Kohen b. Saʿīd and [...] b. Yiṣḥaq.

Recto: Several drafts of legal documents. Item #1: Legal document regarding a business partnership (but not the original partnership agreeement), from Fustat/Cairo, dated January 1790 (end of Tevet 5550), between Yiṣḥaq Aripol b. Shelomo who lives in Fustat/Cairo and Moshe b. Nehoray Torongi (?) who lives in Istanbul ["Costa"]. Item #2: Drafts of a document regarding a partnership between the same Moshe Torongi and Yaʿaqov Bibas. Item #3, at a right angle: Draft of a betrothal document for Seʿadya Angel (?) b. Avraham and Galiya (?) bt. Ḥayyim Madikhah (?). Verso: Contains some text from a legal document with 5 elaborate witness signatures (but at least two belong to the same person--perhaps someone is practicing their signature?). Also contains an account, a draft of a letter, and medical prescriptions for an infertile woman, all at different angles.

Recto: Fragment of a medieval legal document mentioning 6 cold coins and "my brother Yiṣḥaq." Verso: In a different hand, jottings in Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic, significance unclear.

Fragment of a legal document.

Recto: Bottom half of a legal document in Arabic, probably late. Verso: Two columns of Arabic text with signatures underneath, probably legal documents as well. Needs further examination.

Legal document in the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. Fragment (lower right corner). Location: New Cairo. No details of the case preserved; might have to do with a house or construction ("...idhā ʿumirat...")? The phrase "mā yujtabā" is also preserved, but unclear what this means.

Court record about a debt. April 12, 1076. A person from the Ibn Awkal, declares that he owes 14 dinars to Yefet ha-Kohen b. Yeshua b. Kasasa, and commit to pay his debt one dinar a month. It seems like he commits not to use a different deed that was approved in a Muslim court. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 4, #844) VMR

Trousseau list for the marriage of Sitt al-ʿIzz and Yeter ha-Levi. On parchment. In the hand of Mevorakh b. Natan b. Shemuel. The value of the trousseau amounts to 530 dinars, plus 50 for the delayed marriage payment (meʾuḥar). Verso contains undeciphered Arabic script. (Information from Goitein’s index card)

Legal document. Written and signed by Hillel b. ʿEli Location: Fustat. Dated: Tammuz 1395 Seleucid, which is 1084 CE. Declaration by Abū Naṣr Avraham b. Yeshaʿya b. David b. Yeshaʿya that he has no claims against his father-in-law the pharmacist (ṣaydalānī) Abū l-ʿAlā Elʿazar b. Yosef nor against the latter's wife Ḥasana after having received from them seventy and odd dinars, out of the estate of his wife Dalāl bt. Elʿazar. Also signed by Shelomo b. Yosef ha-Kohen. (Information in part from Goitein’s index card.)

Marriage contract (ketubba). Written in a rudimentary hand (Goitein calls it a "most miserable script"). Location: New Cairo. Dated: Av 1[3]82 Seleucid, which is 1071 CE. Groom: Yaʿaqov b. Yeshuʿa. Bride: Dawra (? דורה) bt. Yiṣḥaq. Marriage payments: 1 + 2 = 3. No dowry. The payment 12.5 is also mentioned, indicating that this is not her first marriage. (Information from Goitein’s index card.)

Ketubba, illuminated, from 1840/41 CE ([5]601), left half only.

Bottom part of an illuminated ketubba, probably 18th or 19th century.

Ketubba, illuminated, from Rashid, no earlier than 1740 CE (55[..]).