[Letter to Judah ben Moses ben Sujmar of Fustat] : manuscript.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Salamah ben Musa ben Yitsḥaḳ.

Contributor:

Cairo Genizah Collection (University of Pennsylvania. Center for Advanced Judaic Studies. Library).

Language:

Judeo-Arabic

Subjects (All):

Salamah ben Musa ben Yitsḥaḳ--Correspondence.

Salamah ben Musa ben Yitsḥaḳ.

Abu Zekharyah Yehudah ben Mosheh--Correspondence.

Abu Zekharyah Yehudah ben Mosheh.

Jews--Italy--Sicily--History--To 1500.

Jews.

Jews--Italy--Mazara del Vallo--History--To 1500.

Normans--Mediterranean Region--Influence.

Normans.

Taxes, Farming of.

Commercial correspondence, Judeo-Arabic.

Indigo industry--Egypt--History--To 1500.

Indigo industry.

Flax industry--Egypt--History--To 1500.

Flax industry.

Bituminous materials industry--Egypt--History--To 1500.

Bituminous materials industry.

Lead industry and trade--Egypt--History--To 1500.

Lead industry and trade.

Olive oil industry--Africa, North--History--To 1500.

Olive oil industry.

History.

Sfax (Tunisia)--Commerce--History--To 1500.

Sfax (Tunisia).

North Africa.

Egypt.

Mediterranean Region.

Italy--Mazara del Vallo.

Italy--Sicily.

Genre:

Personal correspondence.

Penn Provenance:

Cairo Genizah Collection (University of Pennsylvania. Center for Advanced Judaic Studies. Library).

Cairo Genizah Collection (Dropsie College. Library).

Sulzberger.

Physical Description:

1 folio : damaged, faded

Paper 22.2 X 64.7 cm material applied: black ink ruling method: vertically flipped columns: 1 lines: 83 (horizontal), 57 (diagonal, in margin)(recto); 73 (verso).

Contained In:

Cairo Genizah Collection

Place of Publication:

[Mazara, Sicily.], [publisher not identified], [1064?]

Language Note:

Judeo-Arabic. Hebrew

Notes:

The largest known letter in the Genizah; signature and address in Hebrew and Arabic characters; the handwriting is not that of the author (compare Mosseri IV 36; Cambridge TS 12.270).

The writer, Solomon is an established sea merchant who has a high volume of international trade.

He is writing to his partner, Judah, in Fustat. His business has suffered through the political instability in his home port of Sfax (), Tunisia, in the conflict (1064)between the Governer of Sfax and the Sultan of al-Maḥdiyeh Tamim ben Muiz. Solomon, is associated with the former, having served as a tax farmer of the olive growers, and the Sultan has blockaded the ports.

He was home from Rosh ha-Shanah to Shavuot, but is now writing from Mazara, on the west coast of Sicily. Here to the businiess climate is poor due to political instability and warfare. The Port of Palermo has been raided (by the Normans).

Solomon accuses his partner of buying low grade pepper and ginger without consulting him, among the reasons of which he intends to terminate the partnership. The trade of lead, indigo (in al-Maḥdiyeh), lacquer, pitch, flax and olive oil (the chief export of Sfax), are also mentioned. Solomon's agent Abu'l-Faraj Nissim is accompanying this shipment to Fustat, and Judah is asked to look after him.

Part of another letter from the same Solomon to Judah, via the same agent Nissim, was sent soon after this one. It is found below, no. 414 (Ben Sassoon no. 13; Gil, ibid. no. 752). Solomon agrees there to continue the partnership.

Forms part of: Cairo Genizah Collection.

Cited in:

Halper, no. 389

IMHM, no. 38400

Publications about:

Published, with introduction, English translation, and notes, by M. Gil, Italia Judaica. Rome : Ministero per i beni culturali e ambientali, 1983, p. 113-126; with introduction, translation and notes, by M. Ben-Sasson, Yehude Sitsilyah, 825-1068 / Menahem Ben-Sasson. Jerusalem : Mekhon Ben-Tsevi, 1991, pp. 65-88, no. 12; M. Gil, Be-malkhut Yishmaʹel bi-teḳufat ha-Geʾonim / Moseh Gil. Tel-Aviv : University of Tel-Aviv, 1997, v. 4, p. 453-474, no.751, among eight other letters sent by Solomon and his father Moses ben Isaac to the same Judah or to Nahrai ben Nissim (nos. 745-753). Quoted (in Hebrew), Goitein, Sidreḥinukh bi-yeme ha-Geʾonim uvet ha-Rambam / S.D. Goitein. Jerusalem : Mekhon Ben-Tsevi, 1962, p. 124-125.

OCLC:

249394724