Cairo Genizah : Decree; letter

Samuel b. Ḥofni Gaʾon

Cairo Genizah

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>Recto: remnants of a decree in very large Arabic script, with very substantial space in between each line, and written in an elegant hand. The leaf has then been re-used to write a draft of a letter in Judaeo-Arabic, in which the writer also switches to Arabic script quite frequently. Approximately twelve lines on verso have been crossed out. The writer narrates that 'I asked his son (referring to a name that has been partially obscured by a tear) to present me with the table of contents of books which he had, and the responsa. He copied it himself, and he send it to me.' He then goes on to explain that he has part of the introduction (which the aforementioned copied for him) to Rabbenu Samuel Gaʾon's (i.e. Samuel b. Ḥofni Gaʾon) responsa, and he requests that the rest of it be sent to him, 'perhaps on (one of) the next boats?' The writer mentions Iraq, al-Šām, Aleppo, and later, Al-Andalus. On verso, the writer refers to al-Šayḵ Abī Zaḵarī. It is possible that the writer himself is writing from al-Andalus.</p></p>