Geniza Lab

Nearly complete family and business letter in Judaeo-Arabic from a father to a son, probably mid-12th-century, as regards are sent to Abū l-ʿAlā' b. Tammām, a well-known physician mentioned in CUL Or.1080 J24 (February 1141 CE) and other documents (India Book IVB, p. 440, n. 94, connection made by Amir Ashur). Needs further examination

Letter probably sent from Palestine to Egypt. In Judaeo-Arabic and Hebrew. There are four pages. On the first page, the writer reports that "not only them, but the Alexandrians (ahl al-thaghr) who remained in Hebron "all fell sick with this fever" It is difficult to make out the subject of the remainder of the letter. Needs further examination.

Small fragment including the beginning of a deferent Judaeo-Arabic letter. May mention "the Qaraites."

Fragment of a Judaeo-Arabic letter mentioning R. Zakariya, Qalyūb, and the holiday.

Fragment of a business letter to Mūsā b. Barhūn al-Tahertī from his 'brother.'

Letter in the hand of the cantor Abū Sahl Levi b. al-Ahuv, to one of his sons, probably Moshe b. Levi ha-Levi in Qalyūb. On recto, he answers a question about whether havdala is recited over a candle on Saturday night—probably the issue is that Tisha b'Av falls on Sunday. He writes that there is no havdala at all on Saturday night, but only Maʿariv and qinnot. Then, on Sunday night, one does havdala with wine and spices "if available; if not, no matter," and one recites the blessing over the candle, bore me'orei ha-esh, and the final blessing, ha-mavdil through ha-mavdil bein qodesh le-hol. He concludes the letter here, but must have subsequently decided to write more on verso. From the damaged top of verso it is only possible to tell that everyone is worried about the addressee. Then: "If you hear anything, come to us quickly, do not delay (אל תתמ{ה}מה). In sum, reliance is on God." Then he tells the addressee not to worry about the writer and his family, "because we do not go out." He concludes by saying, "If something difficult happens, stay where you are, do not endanger yourself." ASE.

Note in Hebrew requesting that the addressee intervene on behalf of a prisoner in his power (אשר אתה סותם אותו בשבי). It mentions R. Me'ir the cantor, the wise and learned. It invokes the principle of mercy on creations and the middot of Avraham Avinu (the verse cited seems to be Deuteronomy 13:18). Information in part from FGP

Fragment of a letter from Yosef b. Ya’aqov al-Itrabulusi to Yosef b. Ya’aqov b. Awkal. Mentions transferring money. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, #170) VMR

Informal note from M[...] to Abū Naṣr. In Judaeo-Arabic. The subject matter is unclear. The writer may be unhappy with something or somone the addressee sent, and he urges him to come quickly, and he mentions money.

Letter from Yeshuʿa al-Ḥāmī to Namir ויריוטי (?). In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Late, perhaps 15th or 16th century. Deals with business matters. Mentions the currency "corona of gold."

Letter from Daniel Cafsuto (aka Cassuto) and Shemuel Cafsuto (aka Cassuto) to a certain Saʿīd (or the son of Saʿīd), possibly Saʿīd Bardaʿ, in Fustat/Cairo. Daniel’s letter is in Ladino; Shemuel (Daniel’s brother or son?) used the space on the lower left for his own addendum in Hebrew. Dated: 15 Av 5473 AM, which is 1713 CE. The senders are relatively well-known: see BL OR 5544.13 and see Adonella Cedarmas, Per la cruna del mondo: Carlo Camucio e Moisé Vita Cafsuto, due pellegrini nella Terra Santa del Settecento, p. 294 (and references there). They may be writing from Safed (line 11), but this is not certain. Daniel offers congratulations on the birth of a son to a certain Moshe. He asks the addressee to be diligent in the matter of the 50 gurush. The addressee is to send the money to Damietta c/o Yosef Mugnani. The city of Damsīs is also mentioned. Other people involved are Yosef Pereṣ, Shelomo ʿAfīfī, Khalīfa, and a certain Felipe. Shemuel’s shorter letter opens with greetings to his dear sister (perhaps the addressee’s wife?), a rebuke for failing to write any letters ever since he had traveled and especially for failing to send any of the money owed (currency: reales). ASE

Letter fragment in Judaeo-Arabic. The writer reports that he met with the judge regarding a certain purchase. Also mentions a thawb and gold.

Letter in Arabic script. Fragment (right side only). Asking the addressee for a favor concerning Abū l-Fakhr. The blank verso was reused for a list of piyyuṭim; verso (but not recto) is a join for T-S 16.103 (join: Alan Elbaum). Needs further examination.

"Although the majority of the material preserved in the Taylor-Schechter Genizah Collection comes from the periods of Fatimid and Ayyubid rule in Egypt, it is not unusual to come across much earlier or much later material. The fragment T-S Misc.22.310, that was brought to my attention by my collegue Dr Amir Ashur, belongs clearly to the latter group: at the bottom of f. 2v it bears the date August 10th 1865 together with the signature of the petitioner, an Italian subject, Jacub Dayyan. The fragment is a large paper bifolium and each of its leaves was folded in two on its width, thus dividing the writable surface into eight columns. Four columns are filled with the Italian text of the petition in a large, elegant and very slanted handwriting, which is easily legible; one and a half columns contain Arabic text, written in a seemingly clear – yet actually quite impenetrable – script, which appears to be an abridged version of the Italian document. The petition is addressed to the Illustrissimo Signor Cavaliere Licurgo Macciò Regio Console d’Italia in Cairo, the Royal Italian consul in Cairo, and it deals with a private matter, the subtraction, detention and exploitation of a pair of cows belonging to the petitioner, Jacub Dayyan, by an administrator of His Excellence Ibrahim Bey." Gabriele Ferrario, Fragment of the Month, March 2011.

Letter from Mordechai b. Yizhaq Shraga Feivish, perhaps in Rafah, to R. Yom Tov the Av Beit Din of Cairo, probably Yom Tov Israel Cherezli who served as chief rabbi in Cairo from 1866–84. Written in Hebrew. He writes to inform the rabbinic authorities that the bill of divorce he gave his wife is illegitimate, because he was under duress by wicked people. He expands on the wickedness of the locals and how "underneath justice (mishpat) there is perversion of justice (mispaḥ), and underneath righteousness (ẓedaqa) there are screams (ẓeʿaqa)." Mordechai's wife, Royze bt. Hayyim Yizhaq, "screamed" at him day and night and said that if he refused her a get she would prostitute herself. Thus he was forced to give her a get. He came up with the trick (perhaps she was illiterate) to give her a get under a bogus name, and here in this letter he gives his true name (twice) to R. Yom Tov. He then pleads with R. Yom Tov ("I scream because such evil should be done in Israel") to side with him and presumably to declare the divorce null. He adds a postscript, "The true ketubba that I gave her on the wedding day is entrusted with the Consul in Port Said." ASE.

Business letter, first half of the 16th century. The subject matter is a dispute between merchants who dealth in skins, pepper, and tin. An Avraham b. Hayyim is named. Information from Avraham David's edition.

Recto: Fragment of a letter in Arabic script. Verso: Piyyut.

Letter from Avraham b. Natan Av ha-Yeshiva, probably Fusṭāṭ, to the cantor Yiṣḥaq b. Avraham, Damsīs. Much of the letter has to do with Avraham asserting his authority, including issuing a stern warning to a man named Ziyād ("this is a donkey's name") in Shubrā Damsīs who is to cease and decist from slaughtering birds, otherwise he will be prosecuted. Avraham also tells the addressee to sell the goods (? tarika) of R. Matitya and send the earnings with Ṣabāh or whomever else from the merchants. Avraham has already received the value of Matitya's goods that had been left behind in Damīra.

Letter from Aharon b. Yeshuʿa ha-Rofe to Yiṣḥaq ha-Rav ha-Muvhak b. Shemuel ha-Ḥasid ha-Sefaradi. The writer received the addressee's letter regarding the wherebaouts of Abū l-[...] b. Abū l-Maʿālī b. Asad and reports his efforts to track him down. He heard that he was in Damīra, so he sent two messengers, but he had just barely left and gone on to Jūjar. There is then a somewhat difficult line—perhaps that the writer again had to send a messenger instead of going in person, because Jūjar is on a different branch of the Nile than that of al-Maḥalla, "for between al-Maḥalla and it are two rivers (baḥrayn) and a lake (buḥayra)." The writer sent with the messenger several letters, including to the cantor and to the head of the congregation. The writer will follow the orders of the great judges. In the margin he praises but does not name the Nagid (Sar ha-Sarim Rosh ha-Seder). Apart from the address, verso contains several jottings in Hebrew. ASE.

Letter of appeal from Moshe b. Levi ha-Levi, in the synagogue of the Jerusalemites in Fustat, to a communal dignitary. The letter is signed and dated: 1508 Seleucid, which is 1196/97 CE (1508 Seleucid). Moshe describes how he is a cantor like his father and grandfather and great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather and his paternal uncle, and how the recipient has always bestowed favor on his father and grandfather. Perhaps he wants an official appointment as a cantor in Fustat? Moshe lived much of his life in Qalyūb but was evidently staying in Fustat at this point. ASE.