Geniza Lab

Recto: Official letter. Approximately 14 lines are preserved. Dating: No earlier than 1021 CE, since al-Ḥākim was dead at the time of writing. Possibly dating to the reign of al-Ẓāhir (1021–36). A letter of gratitude for the sender's patron(s) who aided him in obtaining a decree/rescript renewing his appointment in a certain position. Mentions Abū Muḥammad al-Ḥasan b. Qāsim ("his waliyy and khādim") who brought a mighty decree (sijill muʿaẓẓam) from the caliph (min al-ḥaḍra al-muṭahhara), apparently renewing the sender's appointment "in carrying on my service these districts" (bi-l-jary ʿalā rasmī fī khidmatī bi-hādhihi al-aʿmāl) "and informed me of the benefaction of my masters...." The sender blesses the addressee that he be "in the shadow/protection" (bi-ẓill) of al-Ḥākim (God's peace be upon him / salām Allāh ʿalayhi). Goes on to mention the gratitude of the whole "community" (al-jamāʿa). The line containing the ḥamdala and ṣalwala was originally located at the bottom of the document, but it has migrated to the top due to how it was rolled, glued, and cut open. On verso there is dream interpretation in Judaeo-Arabic. Somehow related to BT Ber. 55 ff (information from Gideon Bohak via FGP). ASE

State or legal document in Arabic script. 6 lines are preserved, with moderately wide space in between. Mentions "wa-khaṭṭ al-shaykh Abū l-Faraj" and "[...] al-madhkūr." On verso there is Hebrew text in a very crude hand. Needs further examination.

Three documents in Arabic script. Tax receipts?

Six lines of poetry or rhymed prose in Arabic script, with wide line spacing. Probably the introduction to a formal (state?) letter. Reused for Hebrew piyyuṭ on verso.

Report to the chancery of al-Afḍal, probably. In Arabic script. Nine lines from the middle of the report are nearly completely preserved. Sent from a city referred to only al-thaghr al-maḥrūs, possibly Alexandria or Tripoli. The addressee is referred to once as al-majlis al-ʿālī al-muʿaẓẓam (khallada Allāh ayyāmah) and once as mālik al-riqq (khallada Allāh mulkah). Mentions a meeting between a certain Barakāt and Baldwin (probably Baldwin I), may God curse him. Also mentions a man from ʿAkkā (Acre) and refers to Ṣaydā (Sidon). Everyone is in a state of agitation and faintheartedness, because they do not know what Baldwin will do: will he make a truce with ʿAsqalān (Ashqelon/Ascalon)? with Ṣūr (Tyre)? Or will he conquer a certain location and treat his subjects fairly? Reused on verso for Hebrew piyyuṭ. Discovered by Alan Elbaum in July 2022.

Original use: Fiscal account. Specifying a term of months that ends Shawwāl 503 AH, which is 1110 CE.

Fiscal register? Compare BL OR 5566B.3 (PGPID 19261) and the other shelfmarks cited there.

Bottom of a petition. In Arabic script. "...al-raʾy al-sāmī... bi-l-wuqūf ʿalā mā anhāhu... wa-yaqif ʿinda... in shāʾa llāh...." On verso there is piyyut.

Petition or report. Bottom ~10 lines are preserved. Difficult handwriting. The first line may begin with the words "umūr al-thaghr." Reused for piyyuṭ on verso. Needs examination.

Official letter in Arabic script. ~4 lines preserved. Reused for Hebrew literary text. Needs examination.

Recto: Fatimid state document. Maybe a petition or report. In Arabic script. 5 lines are preserved. Refers to somebody who rejects benefaction (munākarat al-naʿīm) and who is addicted to drink and childish games (muʿāqarat al-sharāb... wa-liʿāb al-shabāb). Someone or somebody (presumably an act of the addressee or the addressee himself) was "like happiness after sickness and light after darkness" to the sender. "If adab were a body, you/he would be its soul; if an eye its sun."

Fol. 2v: beginning of a draft petition to the caliph al-Mustanṣir from a man seeking employment in the caliph’s service. Dating: ca. 427-487 AH (= 1036-1094 CE). On the other pages, a portion of a masoretic treatise discussing qere-ketiv and mappiq in final he. (Information from CUDL and Khan.)

Petition. In Arabic script. Probably sent from the village of Danūhiyya (modern spelling: دنوهيا) in the Sharqiyya district of the Nile Delta (the water situation in دنوهية is mentioned three lines from the bottom). Needs examination.

Recto: Accounts in Arabic script. Possibly a state document. Looks complete. The first line is the glyph, then Abū Sahl, then Abū l-Faḍl al-Raʾīs. Needs further examination.

Decree or petition. Portions of two lines are preserved, mentioning Yaḥyā b. Muḥammad b. [...], and a version of a raʾy clause: ...bi-khayri mā yarāhu ṣawāban wa-ṣalāḥan... The document seems to have been cut up and rearranged to form a long horizontal strip/placard; on verso, there are red borders surrounding a verse from Psalms (121:4) in gigantic Hebrew letters.

Writing exercise in a chancery hand, two different hands alternating. Encomium to an official. Join: Marina Rustow.

Note with financial content. In Arabic script. 16 full and 4 half lines on paper. Fiscal hand, curvilinear lines and some words are stacked at the end. Perhaps the document was written by a lower official. Contains: basmala; al-'abd; and mentions "al-khassa" a financial account and "man talaba dhalika min," both towards the end of the document. Many numbers and the verb "addada" (x2) in the middle section.

Tax receipt for jawālī with registration marks.

State document that begins "waṣala ilā bayt al-māl al-maʿmūr."

Recto: Petition or letter. In Arabic script. Dating: late 11th century. Excerpts: "...the Jews, in accordance with that which is known of him and is famous of his... vulgar people (aqwām min al-ʿāmma) [met] with your excellence... their place with him, and from those who help... against them from him, obstruction of joining the noble procession (? al-taʿarruḍ li-liqāʾ al-mawkib al-saʿīd) and raising up petitions (rafʿ riqāʿ)... Daniel b. ʿAzarya al-Dāʾūdī... and the sect of the Qaraites (ṭāʾifat al-qaraʾiyyīn)... headship (bi-l-riyāsa)...." Needs further examination.