Geniza Lab

Beginning of a letter from Bū l-Majd to al-Shaykh al-Makīn Bū l-Maḥāsin b. Bū l-Majd, in al-Maḥalla. In Judaeo-Arabic. The sender is likely the cantor Bū l-Majd Meʾir b. Yakhin (early 13th century). He has sent a copy of "the maqāmāt." (Information in part from CUDL.)

Late business letter in Hebrew from Shemuel Bahlul in Manzala (near Damietta). Information from Avraham David's transcription and notes.

Recto: probably part of a letter. Verso: Arabic document. (Information from CUDL)

Letter in Ladino. Long and well preserved. Needs examination.

Draft(s) of a short letter in which the sender states his intention to go to Fusṭāṭ - but he is having financial problems and may be asking for money. (Information in part from CUDL.)

Recto: family letter addressed to Sarah, daughter of the elder Maymūn, mentioning Sarah’s cousin, the mother of the writer, Mūsā the ugly (al-kāfūsh) and Isaac the cantor. Verso: address and another letter in a different script; probably the reply or the preceding letter ‘from your sister’ Sarah. (Information from CUDL)

Much damaged and faded letter. Alexandria is mentioned. Barely legible.

Bottom part from a letter or a draft, or just a pen trial - the page is empty besides this address. The phrase המצב הגדול מושב הדרת הנגידות. Probably Mahalla al-Kabira is intended. it seems from this address that the Nagid use to sit there, but it is out of context and might be only a pen trial. AA

Letter fragment in Judaeo-Arabic. Rudimentary hand. The portion preserved here consists of blessings and longing.

Probably a fragment from a letter. [...] b. Aharon is mentioned and also the staying of the writer in Fustat during Shavu'ot holiday.

Letter from Yefet b. Menashshe Ibn al-Qaṭāʾif to one of his brothers. In Judaeo-Arabic. Fragment (upper right corner of recto). Mentions: [..] b. Yakhin; someone who went up to Cairo (? it looks more like אלקאנה, but unclear what place that would be) and took his merchandise; a request for confirmation of receipt of something or arrival of someone; a place or house ("may it be sustained with the life of her/his parents"); someone who said he wouldn't tarry and that he would come back quickly; that he has with him a cotton shuqqa; something that was sent with Nuṣayr; and a complaint that "such is my lot from everybody, God help me" (cf. T-S NS J386 with a similar complaint). On verso there are some mirror-image lines from an unrelated neighboring fragment. (Information in part from CUDL)

Strip from what seems to be an end of a letter with Biblical citations.

Fragment of a letter, mentioning the sums of 4 and 18 dinars. (Information from CUDL)

Probably a letter; most of the script is faded and illegible. (Information from CUDL)

Letter to the Nagid Mevorakh. Only formulaic content is preserved. (Information from CUDL)

Letter addressed to a Nagid. On verso there are accounts in Arabic script and Greek/Coptic numerals.

Small fragment from the top of a letter from Yehoshuaʿ ha-Nagid to a community.

Letter fragment in Judaeo-Arabic. Mostly consists of expressions of longing and greetings. The sender was happy at the news of the arrival of the addressee (referred to as "mālik al-riqq"). Mentions al-Shaykh al-Thiqa, the father of the addressee. (Information in part from CUDL.)

Small fragment from a letter in Hebrew. the content is unclear.

Recto: letter with another fragment of a document stuck to it; letter mentions [...] ha-Kohen ‘the wise judge’. Verso: jottings. (Information from CUDL)