Geniza Lab

Karaite betrothal deed. The groom taking upon himself not to marry another wife for 20 years, unless his wife will become childless- than he can marry another after 10 years, and not to harm her or her relatives.

Karaite betrothal deed, contains the common stipulations found in this period: The groom is taking upon himself not to marry another wife for 20 years unless his wife is childless for 10 years. Also not to travel outside of Egypt-except for Jerusalem.

Karaite betrothal deed, contains the common stipulations found in this period: The groom is taking upon himself not to marry another wife for 10 years unless his wife is childless. Also not to travel outside of Egypt-except for Jerusalem for 10 years.

Karaite betrothal deed, contains the common stipulations found in this period: The groom is taking upon himself not to marry another wife for 20 years unless his wife is childless for 10 years. Also not to travel outside of Egypt-except for Jerusalem.

Karaite betrothal deed. The groom is taking upon himself not to marry another wife for 20 years unless his wife will be childless after 10 years - as commonly found in Karaite marriage agreements of this period.

Karaite betrothal deed. The groom taking upon himself not to marry another wife for 20 years, but if his wife will become childless he can take another wife after 10 years. He also can not travel outside Egypt 20 years but is permitted to go to Jerusalem.

Karaite betrothal deed. The groom taking upon himself not to marry another wife for 20 years, but if his wife will become childless he can take another wife after 10 years. He also can not travel to Damascus or Constantinople for 20 years but permitted to go to Jerusalem.

Unfinished Karaite betrothal deed. Contains mostly the monetary issues.

Karaite betrothal deed. The groom taking upon himself can not travel to outside of Egypt for 20 years but permitted to go to Jerusalem. The bride is described as deflowered.

Karaite betrothal deed. The groom taking upon himself not to marry another wife for 10 years, but if his wife will become childless he can take another wife after 5 years. The bride is deflowered.

Karaite betrothal deed. The groom taking upon himself not to marry another wife for 20 years, but if his wife will become childless he can take another wife after 10 years.

Betrothal document, Qaraite. Location: Cairo. Dated: Monday, 14 Kislev 5527 AM, which is 1766/67 CE. Groom: Moshe b. Yosef b. Aharon. Bride: Miryam bt. Yaʿaqov b. Moshe Melammed; not a virgin. Basic marriage payment: 25 silver pieces + a gold ring + 1775 large medins ("large halves"). Early marriage payment: 100 large medins. Delayed marriage payment: 400 large medins. Bride's agent: her father. She attests that she has received the basic and early marriage gifts. He attests that he will not take a second wife for the first 10 years if she bears a child, or for the first 5 years if she does not. Witnesses: Eliyyahu b. Moshe Rofe known as Ẓaʿir; Moshe Fayrūz; Yefet Fayrūz.

Betrothal document, Qaraite. Location: Cairo. Dated: Sunday, 20 Sivan 5448 AM, which is 1688 CE. Groom: Yeshuʿa b. Avraham ha-Ḥakham ha-Rofe b. Aharon ha-Rofe ha-Ḥakham. Bride: Esther bt. Yaʿaqov b. David ha-Ḥazzan, virgin. Basic marriage payment: 50 silver pieces + a gold ring + 1760 large medins ("large halves"). Early marriage payment: 200 large medins. Delayed marriage payment: 1000 large medins. Bride's agent: It seems her father's cousin, Aharon (but this is not completely clear). Among the conditions is that the groom agrees not to move away from Fustat/Cairo for 20 years, "for example to Damascus or Istanbul," except to Jerusalem. He will also have to pay her 15 silver pieces if he ever beats her in the first 20 years of marraige. Witnesses: Barukh Rofe; Yosef Rofe; Shemuel Melammed; Moshe Ḥazzan.

Betrothal document, Qaraite. Location: Cairo. Dated: Monday, 23 Tevet 5414 AM, which is 1653/54 CE. Groom: Yosef ha-Kohen b. Avraham b. Yosef. Bride: Badra bt. Shemuel ha-Levi b. Avraham ha-Levi ha-Melammed, virgin. Basic marriage payment: 50 silver pieces + a gold ring + 1500 regular medins + 60 large medins. Early marriage payment: 200 large medins. Delayed marriage payment: 800 large medins. The rest of the fragment is missing.

Betrothal document, Qaraite. Location: Cairo. Dated: Monday, 9 Shevat 5530 AM, which is 1769/70 CE. Groom: Ḥayyim b. Eliyyahu ha-Rofe b. Elishaʿ ha-Rofe. Bride: Raḥel bt. Aharon ha-Kohen b. Naḥum Kohen, virgin. Basic marriage payment: 50 silver pieces + a gold ring + 4050 large medins. Early marriage payment: 200 large medins. Delayed marriage payment: 1000 large medins. Bride's agent: her father's cousin, Shelomo ha-Kohen b. Elʿazar ha-Kohen b. Aharon ha-Kohen. Among the conditions is that the husband will not prevent the wife from visiting the homes of her family members when they need her. Witnesses: Shelomo Kohen b. Aharon Kohen known as Kanzī Dimashqī; Elishaʿ Ẓaʿir b. Yeshuʿa; Yehuda Naqqāsh; Yeshuʿa Maʿānī; and Eliyyahu b. Moshe Rofe known as Ẓaʿir.

Legal document. In Hebrew. Location: Fustat/Cairo. Dated: end of Sivan 5582 AM, which is June 1822 CE. Dissolution of partnership and settling of accounts between Eliyyahu b. Ẓahal and Yaʿaqov ha-Levi עכובס and Mordekhay Kapanton, who were partners in money-lending (sarraflik) and other forms of trade. A certain Khwaja Mikhā'īl is involved. Eliyyahu and Yaʿaqov sign, but not Mordekhay. AIU VII.D.99 and Yevr. II A 1292 are exact replicas of each other. ASE.

Marriage contract, template. Written in codex form. The original text is from a ketubba dated Wednesday, 21 Heshvan 5515 AM, which is 1754 CE. Groom: Yom Ṭov b. Nissim b. ʿAmram. Someone subsequently went through and changed the dates and names, probably as preparation for drawing up an actual marriage contract. The second document is dated: Wednesday, 4 Shevat, 5530 AM, which is 1769/70 CE. Groom: Moshe b. Avraham b. Yeshuʿa.

Karaite betrothal deed. The groom taking upon himself not to marry another wife for 20 years, but if his wife will become childless he can take another wife after 10 years. She is also allowed to go out and visit her relatives but should ask his permission to do so.

A draft of a Karaite marriage contract

Draft of a Karaite ketubah