Geniza Lab

Calendrical calculations and jottings in Arabic. (Information from CUDL)

Colophon in the handwriting of Evyatar b. Eliyyahu Gaon b. Shelomo Gaon b. Yosef ha-Kohen Av Bet Din. Evyatar was titled "the fourth" (ha-reviʿi) at the time he wrote this. Location: Fustat. Dated: 1 Av 4827 AM, which is 1067 CE. The book contains the commentary on Ḥagiga by Hayya b. Sherira Gaon, as well as Sefer ha-Dinin of the late Rabbenu Ḥananel (who was still alive in 1053 CE, fourteen years before this colophon was written) and kinnushim(?) and legal queries. There is an elaborate blessing for anyone who returns the book and a curse for anyone who does not. (Information from Gil.)

Medical prescription in Judaeo-Arabic.

Verso: Medical prescription in Arabic script.

Public prayer for Moshe ha-Kohen, representative of the merchants, containing a prayer for his ancestors and other deceased relatives and praising him for his munificence towards the poor, scholars, synagogues and colleges. (Information from Meditterranean Society, II, pp. 162, 554)

Both sides of this folio are filled with miscellaneous jottings mainly in Judaeo-Arabic written in an idiosyncratic (unique?) cipher. Dating: no earlier than mid-13th century, based on handwriting and formularies used, plus the citation of a poem by al-Būṣīrī (dates: 1213–95). There are also two lines from the opening of a petition written in Arabic script, a few scattered words in Arabic script, and a single word(?) written in Hebrew script (כסתבאן). The text is written higgledy piggledy in various directions, and some Hebrew letters are represented by more than one glyph—perhaps the scribe was using these pages to develop the cipher. The contents include: (1) the alphabet written several times, both right to left and left to right; (2) the scribe's signature several times, al-faqīr Isḥāq al-yahūdī; (3) two verses from Qaṣīdat al-Burda by al-Būṣīrī (أمِنْ تذَكُّرِ جيرانٍ بذي سلمِ); (4) some legal jargon (jarā dhālika fī ākhir jumādā al-thāmī(!) sanat ar[...]; (5) and two pornographic sections, one of which ends "all this is lies" (כל הדה כדב). ASE

Medical recipes. In Judaeo-Arabic. Including for a human bite, for scrofula (khanāzīr), for colic (qawlanj), and for hemorrhoids (bawāsīr).

Instructions for writing a Torah scroll.

Recto: Karaite calendar giving the dates of the new moon by observation for a portion of the year 1362 Seleucid (1050/51 CE). Edited by Gil in his book on the Tustaris. Cf. ENA 4010.35 + ENA 4196.15, a related calendar for the years 1045–48 CE. This fragment was reused for business accounts in Judaeo-Arabic (see separate record.)

Ephemeris from 983 CE, the earliest known datable ephemeris in the geniza and one of the earliest in Arabic. Currently being published by Johannes Thomann (2022).

Ownership note in a liturgical book. "The property of the dear boy ʿAbd al-Khāliq b. ʿAbd al-Laṭīf b. ʿAbd al-Karīm (ZL) b. Yūsuf (ZL) known as Ibn [...]." Dating: Unknown; catalogued as 16th century

Karaite enactment on the gifts permitted to give in happy occasions and mourning.

Numerous pages of a handbook filled with someone's exercises for learning to write either Arabic or Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Unknown, probably Ottoman era. Of documentary interest in part because many of the writing exercises appear to be copies of actual letters. There are also many names of people and places, presumably in Cairo. Needs further examination.

Colophon of a Bible donated by a Karaite woman in the name of her dead son.

Colophon a Bible by a Karaite

Karaite colophon dedicated to the Karaite Nasi Yehezqiyahu b. Shlomo

Colophon of a Karaite Bible from Jerusalem

Colophon of a Bible

Colophon of a Bible

A colophon on a Bible. Was first acquired by 'Azaryahu Hakohen. It was later sold to Abu al-Faraj Hibat Allah Nethanel b. Halfon, and later on passed to Abu al-Faraj Nissim b. Mevurakh. AA