Geniza Lab

Letter fragment in Judaeo-Arabic. Same hand as many of the surrounding fragments: probably Menashshe b. Yehoshuaʿ of Tyre, mid-11th century.

Letter fragment in Judaeo-Arabic. Mentions R. Aharon and "the fourth" and "the third" (yeshiva titles?). T-S NS 322.101–17 all belong to the same dossier as Gil, Palestine, #521–23. This batch is unedited and unmentioned in the literature.

Letter probably from Menashshe b. Yehoshuaʿ, in Tyre, to the ḥaver Abū l-Faraj Shemaʿya b. al-Faraj, in Jerusalem. In Arabic script. T-S NS 322.101–17 all belong to the same dossier as Gil, Palestine, #521–23. This batch is unedited and unmentioned in the literature.

Letter probably from Menashshe b. Yehoshuaʿ, in Tyre, to the ḥaver Abū l-Faraj Shemaʿya, in Jerusalem. In Judaeo-Arabic. T-S NS 322.101–17 all belong to the same dossier as Gil, Palestine, #521–23. This batch is unedited and unmentioned in the literature.

Letter probably from Menashshe b. Yehoshuaʿ, in Tyre, to the ḥaver Abū l-Faraj Shemaʿya, in Jerusalem. In Judaeo-Arabic with the address in Arabic script. Dating: mid-11th century. Mentions previous correspondence with a certain Yoshiyya, involving ʿAkkā and Ramla. The sender commiserates over the addressee's illness. Greetings to R. Aharon and Shelomo. T-S NS 322.101–17 all belong to the same dossier as Gil, Palestine, #521–23. This batch is unedited and unmentioned in the literature. ASE

Long and damaged strip, probably from a letter. Only few words have preserved so the actual context is unclear.

Minute fragment, barely any text left

Verso: Note of gratitude to a notable. In Judaeo-Arabic. The addressee's father the ḥaver graciously met with the sender and said, "Open your door and do business (taṣarraf) wherever you like, and nobody will hinder you." Then mentions Abū l-Ḥasan and a ruqʿa.

Letter from Shemarya b. Aharon ha-Kohen the descendant of Eliyyahu ha-Kohen to Avraham b. Natan Av Bet Din (and his brothers Aḥiyya and Berekhya?). In Hebrew. Dating: late 11th or early 12th century. Only the flowery opening is preserved, but this letter may be of intrinsic value based on the identities of sender and addressee. Uncited in the literature. Same addressee (and sender?) as T-S NS 322.145. Join: Alan Elbaum

Letter addressed to 'the noble rayyis' Abū Isḥāq Avraham b. Natan Av, in Fustat. Same addressee (and sender?) as T-S NS 322.134 + T-S NS 322.143. In Judaeo-Arabic. Contains a complaint about the lack of letters and reports that the entire congregation longs for Avraham's news. A mirror imprint of another text, probably a piyyut, is visible between the lines.

Hebrew letter. The writer informs about a letter sent to Abu Sa'ad in Cairo, in the shop of al-Dustari al-Sharabi, were he sit after returning from the palace. He is asking him to go to Abu al-Ma'ali. Also a judge is mentioned. AA

Small damaged and faded letter written on parchment. Only few words have survived.

Letter from Ḥalfon b. Madmun to Saadya b. Avraham, an Egyptian teacher. Aden, 1154.

Letter fragment from Shelomo b. Yehuda to an unidentified personality. In Hebrew. Deals with the estate of a certain flax merchant named Yaʿaqov. One of the sides is "insane" (טרוף דעת). Also mentions a group of prisoners who escaped (בי]ת הסוהר וברחו האסורים). (Information from Gil.)

Letter in Hebrew. Late. The writer is asking advice about payment of a debt.

See PGP 7257

Two fragments from a Spanish letter requesting financial support for a convert. See Engel, The Wandering of a Provencal Proselyte: A Puzzle of Three Genizah Fragments, Sefunot: 7(22) p. 13-21.

Very faded and damaged Hebrew letter addressed to a community. Most of the text preserved contains poetic Hebrew verses. On verso only part of the address is preserved.

verso: letter written in a different hand than the Rabbinic text on recto, mostly contains opening verses and Hebrew and and Judaeo-Arabic Might be written by Mevorakh b. Sa'adya. AA

A letter sent to the head of the community R. Yehuda, in the second half of the 16th century. The writer is complaining about Yehuda al-Hami with whom he had a quarrel over monetary issue. This al-Hami forged a bill of debt and sue the writer in a Muslim court. He was arrested and released thanks to Moshe al-Damohi (from Dammuh) who was able to make an arrangement between the two parties. Nut this did not stop the case, and a week later Yehuda al-Hami informed the authorizes that the writer's daughter converted to Islam, went to the Upper Galilee and return to Egypt as a Jew. The writer brought to court in front of the judge al-Malafi and was able to be rescued also thanks to Moshe Damohi. The writer is asking for financial assistance and inform that he is going soon to the land of Israel. (Info from FGP by A. David) .