Geniza Lab

See PGP 15814

A legal query regarding a man who stole from a gentile, if he entitled to return it. Published by Glick, Seridey Teshuvot, pp. 538-555. AA

Responsa by Ribash, no. 202-203.

On recto a draft of an Hebrew legal query regarding two brothers who one of them is demanding his share in his father's inheritance. One of the brothers, Reuben, held for 20 years an apartment from the father's possesions. The will is missing and Reunben brought one of the witnesses who signed it. On verso a similar case in JA. The scribe is familair from legal queries sent to Abraham Maimuni and his contemporaries. AA

Accounts of some sort. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Perhaps 11th century, based on the handwriting and the names (e.g. Barhūn). Needs examination.

Will. In Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic. Location: Fustat. Dating: Unknown. The writer specifies his wishes for his grave and shroud (for which he has also supplicated God all the days of his life). He wishes to be buried in between his father and mother, and the site is already prepared for his body. Once he is buried, an edifice should be built over it and painted white. The shroud should have ẓiẓit on it.

Two pages containing an end of a responsa, a legal query and the beginning of the responsa. AA .

A legal query concerning a Kew living nearby a gentile.

Legal fragment in Judaeo-Arabic, mentioning Abū l-ʿIzz and 22 dinars. Also belonging to this shelfmark: (2) A fragment in Arabic script, perhaps literary; (3) A literary fragment in Hebrew; (4) A literary fragment in Judaeo-Arabic.

Legal document. Dating: Late 18th century or early 19th century, based on the mention of Me'ir b. Naʿim. Yaʿaqov Ḥasūn attests that he received a three-month investment from Me'ir ben Naʿim of 45 reales, one real being equal to 90 silver medins. Half of the monthly profit that accrues from this money, up to 67 medins, shall be paid to Me'ir ben Naʿim, and Yaʿaqov will retain the other half.

Birth records. In Italian and Hebrew. Location: Venice. First document: Dated: Sunday, 1 Sivan, 5536 AM, which is to 19 May 1776 CE. "There was born to my daughter Sara/Sareta a daughter, and she was given the name Stella." There is a crossed-out line beginning "esborsato à. . ." on verso. Second document: Dated: Friday night, 20 Elul 5538 AM, which is 12 September 1778 CE. There was born to YIsra'el/Israel [...] a daughter, and she was given the name Rachel. The Italian portion gives the year 1779 CE, but this seems to be erroneous, as this would not match the Hebrew date or the day of the week. The second document was reused two weeks later for a lotto ticket on verso. "1778. In Venezia 26 Settembre. Pagherò coll'augumento Ducati come sotto per ogni Terno estratti di seguenti. Terno: Duecento. 520 Cattarina Scatola. 579 Maria Belotto. 588 Laura Meneguzzi." There is then a stamp of a lion roaring out a word starting with "OS. . ."

Birth records. In Italian. Dated: 1721 CE through 1743 CE.

Birth records. In Italian. Dated: 1711 CE through 1721 CE.

Birth records. In Italian and Hebrew. Dated: 1747 CE through 1756 CE. For the boys, the names of the sandak and mohel are given.

Siddur R. Nathan from Sijilmassa

Accounts in Judaeo-Arabic. Dated: Tuesday, 9 Kislev 1527 Seleucid, which is 1215/16 CE.

Recto: Fragment in Arabic script, in a chancery hand. The ends of four lines are preserved. Mentions a sum of 20 dinars (min al-ʿayn al-wāzin ʿashrīn dīnār) and repeats twice that someone testified something (shahida ʿalā nafsih). Verso: Legal testimony in Judaeo-Arabic. Possibly in the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. Reporting on the fulfillment of the orders of the Gaon. The witnesses went to the house of Abū l-Maʿālī Avraham b. Ḥalfon known as Ibn Abū Salāma (probably the same mentioned in T-S 8J5.4, dated 1127 CE) and questioned him regarding the drug store of the late Abū Sahl Menashshe ha-Levi b. Elʿazar who died in Cairo. Abū l-Maʿālī relates that Abū Sahl had asked him from his deathbed to go fetch some money from the shop, so he went and retrieved approximately 40 dirhams. By the time he returned, Abū Sahl was dead. When Abū l-Maʿālī returned to the shop, there was already a group gathered round, and Ṣemaḥ al-Parnas summoned a carpenter to close the shop and put a metal lock on the door. Evidently they are now sorting out who will take over the business. ASE

Formulary for a power of attorney (wakāla).

Legal document, draft. Left side only. No witnesses. Location: Fustat. Dated: Nisan 1542 Seleucid, which is 1231 CE. Features a freed muwallad slave (al-ghulām al-maʿtūq... al-muwallad al-jins) whose name is unfortunately missing. The issue has to do with a payment in installments, but the specifics are difficult to discern.

Quittance - the releaser is named Yiṣḥaq b. Amram. It looks like his name was later blotted out. There are at least eight signatories : עלי בר טרפון, אפרים בן עלי, שלמה בן עלי, אברהם כהנא בר שלמה, מנחם הלוי בר תמים, צדוק בר יצחק. On the back is a prayer