Geniza Lab

Informal note in Hebrew. Asking for money for supporting the sick people (?חולין) in the writer's household. (Information from Goitein's index card)

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Late, perhaps Mamluk-era. Mentions al-Rashīd (in this context probably the city Rosetta). (Information from CUDL)

Verso: The letter was subsequently torn in half, and Moshe's father Abū Sahl Levi wrote his response on one of the remaining halves. Abu Sahl defends himself and says he had sent multiple letters with Ṣāfī. The 'triple' coat could not be sold for more than 13 dirhams. All the money Moshe previously sent arrived. They have paid all the capitation taxes. The kerchief fetched 12 dirhams. The daughter of Moshe's paternal uncle (=Moshe's wife) sends her greetings. ASE.

Recto and part of verso: Letter from Moshe b. Levi ha-Levi, Qalyub, to his father in Fustat. He is concerned about how they will pay the capitation tax. He is very irritated that he has not been informed about the following things: how much money they got for selling the kerchief that he sent them last week; how much they have already payed on his behalf (for his own capitation tax); how much remains to be paid; whether the dirhams that he sent with Bu l-Khayr arrived; whether the dirhams that he sent with his paternal uncle 'Imran arrived. They have sent him no letter at all; they only sent back the 'muthallath' (referring to a 'triple' weave?) coat with instructions to sell it in Qalyub, but why would he have sent it to Fustat in the first place if he wanted to sell it in Qalyub? So he is sending it back with Safi and wants them to sell it for 17 dirhams, and if they can't get that much, they should have the fuller work on it. In the continuation (T-S AS 145.195), there isn't much more of substance, but he mentions al-Shaykh al-Yesod on recto, and then again in a postscript: "please go to al-Yesod [and apologize for me] from him and tell him that I am only hiding because of [the capitation tax?]." Join: Alan Elbaum.

Recto: Letter in the hand of Avraham Maimonides, mentioning Yosef. Verso: Letter by Moshe b. Peraḥya, the muqaddam of Minyat Ghamr, concerned with a legal dispute over an inheritance, mentioning Ibn Kamāl from Bilbays and Minyat Ghamr. (Information from CUDL.) See also Goitein's index cards. Joins by Mordechai Akiva Friedman. (AA)

Letter in Hebrew. Only the first 6 lines are preserved, which are entirely greetings and blessings and verses, including the one generally cited for warding off illnesses (וכל מדוי מצרים הרעים...)

Recto: letter, mentioning Abū Manṣūr and Mūsā. Verso: Arabic jottings. (Information from CUDL)

Signature of the future Nagid Moshe b. Mevorakh ha-Nagid. Important. Mevorakh had 14 titles! The signature confirms that the title ha-Nagid was the official one. (Information from Goitein's index card)

Letter, written by a certain Shelomo. (Information from CUDL)

Letter mentioning the elder Abū Zikrī and [Abū l-]Faḍl b. Abū l-Najm. (Information from CUDL)

Letter fragment (right side of recto), very faded. What is left is mainly just the formulaic introduction. In the margin "al-Shaykh Abu l-Fadl" is named. ASE.

Letter fragment (middle third, missing both right and left sides). A lot of text remains, but it is frustratingly vague. The name(s) on verso may be decipherable. Needs further examination. ASE.

Letter fragment (right side of recto, part of the address on verso). Someone named [...] b. Dawud al-[...] is named on verso. ASE.

Letter, probably. Small fragment. Greetings to a Kohen.

Letter from Yaʿqūb b. Binyām (=Yaʿaqov b. Binyamin) to his mother. In Judaeo-Arabic. Complete. The letter concerns practical matters as well as excuses for why he had not visited his mother on the holidays. (Information from Goitein’s index card)

Letter or letters, possibly. In Hebrew.

Document, probably a letter, mentioning ʿAbd al-Karīm. (Information from CUDL)

Document, probably a letter, mentioning [Reuben?] al-Kohen and [...] b. Joseph. (Information from CUDL)

Letter to Nahray b. Nissim. (Information from CUDL)

Letter or note. (Information from CUDL)