Geniza Lab

Court record acknowledging a debt from the year 1591

Bill of debt. Dated: Tuesday, 28 Elul 5406 AM, which is 8 September 1646 CE. Rahamim b. Ya'aqov Qayyim and his wife Muhja acknowledge that they owe 15 Abū Kalb gurūsh (=esedi kuruş) to Aharon b. Elʿazar Rofeʾ the cantor. Their collateral is the right to the "Raḥamimāt" for several parshiyot.

Recto: Court record dated Adar II 5334 AM. Involves Yosef b. Yehuda al-Naqqāsh and perhaps his elderly mother. He says he can't support two houses any more, so she should move in with him. Then a woman named Ḥabība bt. Ṣedaqa al-Ḥawwāsh is mentioned, and one of the women agrees to a maintenance of two medins (nuṣfayn) each week. Verso: Incomplete court record regarding a dispute over items kept in a chest. Dated: Thursday, 20 Sivan 5335 AM = 29 May 1575 CE. Mentions 19 gold coins, of which (half were?) אשרפי קרונא and half were אשרפי דהב גדיד.

Cpurt record approving a payment for Ya'aqov Berakah the cantor b. Moshe for his service in the evening prayers. Dated Tuesday, 12th Nisan 5402. Signed by Avarham Qridilo, Barukh b. Nasi and Aharon Mu'amar.

Bill of debt dated Thursday, 29th Tammuz 5417 taking place at the Dar Simha synagogue. Moshe Levi b. Ishaq Qudsi is demanding a debt from Zedaqa b. Ya'aqov Qayys.

Legal contract between two partners. From 5453 Era of documents

Karaite bill of release from 1692

Legal testimony. Written in Judaeo-Arabic. Dated: Thursday, 24 Shevat 1816 Seleucid = Shaʿbān 910 AH, which is 1505 CE. The document first lists the assembly that convened in the hosue of Yūsuf b. Shaykh al-Yahūd Rosh ha-Ḥazzanim: al-Shammās ʿAbd al-Laṭīf al-Rayyis, Shemuel Ibn al-Berakha, ʿAbd al-Raḥīm al-Maghribī, and Sulaymān al-Skandarī. Then al-Shammās ʿAbd al-Wāḥid b. ʿAbd al-Raḥīm Ibn Fayrūz appeared together with his brother ʿAbdallāh. In the presence of the assembled, ʿAbdallāh declared that from that day onward he would not speak against his brother ʿAbd al-Wāḥid or intend his harm. Likewise ʿAbdallāh's wife Ṭurfa bt. Mūsā b. Ṣafiyy committed to not speaking against him or doing him any harm. ʿAbd al-Wāḥid also declared that he would not speak against or harm his brother. He then gave his brother ʿAbdallāh a gift of 40 ashrafīs for the latter to support himself and defray his debts. An addendum states that Ṭurfa further declared that she would not tell ʿAbd al-Wāḥid, "Take your brother's children," nor ask him for support for them. Witnesses: ʿAbd al-Laṭīf b. Ibrāhīm al-Nasi, Yūsuf Ibn Ṣaghīr, ʿAbd al-Wāḥid b. Kātib al-ʿArab (the same as the ʿAbd al-Wāḥid in the document?), and ʿAbdallāh Ibn Fayrūz. The first two witnesses are presumably identical with the ʿAbd al-Laṭīf and Yūsuf named in the body of the document.

Legal document. Written in Judaeo-Arabic. Location: Cairo. Dated: 934, which seems that it should be read as a Hijri date, which would correspond to 1527/28 CE. But the document is catalogued as 1572 CE. Scribed by David ha-Ḥazzan. Involves [...] b. ʿAbd al-Karīm b. Abū l-Faraj and [...] bt. al-Nasi. Mentions the neighborhood of Zuwayla and the neighborhood of the Qaraites. Has to do with legal rights to different dwellings. Needs further examination.

Legal document, Qaraite. Written in Judaeo-Arabic. Dated: Sunday, 15 Iyyar 5418 AM, which is 1658 CE. Involves Aharon Rofe Rosh Mishmeret b. Elʿazar . . . ha-Ḥazzan and Avraham Qudsī Rosh Mishmeret b. Yaʿaqov Levi Qayyim. They donate 1000 half-silver pieces for the benefit of Jerusalem. The document goes into depth on the functioning of the mysterious institution of 'mishmarot' ('watches') of which these two men are heads. It may have to do with burial arrangements. Periods of 6 years and 12 years are mentioned. Needs examination.

Trousseau list. In Judaeo-Arabic. Location: Jerusalem. Dated: Goitein's notes and the NLI catalogue both give 1459 CE. The tens digit is very faded, but the date appears to read 23 Ṣafar 853 AH, which is April 1449 CE.

Legal document. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dated: Monday night, 13 Iyyar 1744 Seleucid, which is 1433 CE. Concerning repairs in a house that is a pious foundation for the poor (ṣaʿālīk) of the Qaraite community. On verso is an addendum. (Information in part from Goitein, Med Soc II, p. 435 (Appendix A, #174)) ASE

Karaite bill of ownership in Judeo Arabic dated Thursday 29th Shevat 5948 (1787)

Karaite bill of debt. Dated 5498 Era of creation (1737)

Karaite Bill of debt dated Sunday 16th Shevat 5415 era of creation (1655)

Karaite pre-nuptial agreement. The groom is Shelomo Hakohen b. El'azar known as Hatum. The bride is Hana b. Nissim b. Avraham Fairouz. Dated Monday 17th Sivan 5524 Era of creation.

Karaite legal document regarding inheritance of a widow dated 5480 Era of creation. .

Karaite bill of debt. Dated Thursday, 8th Adar II, 5529 Era of creation (1769)

Karaite bill of purchasing or renting a shop. Dated 5535 Era of creation (1774)

Bill of debt. Dated Thursday 7th Kislev, 5431 Era of creation (1671)