ثيقة شرعيّة: ENA NS 2.20

الوصف

Letter containing a legal query addressed to "our honorable elders." Dating: ca. mid-12th century. On parchment. Describing a squabble between a person claimed to be Qaraite and a local Rabbanite. Shabbetay al-Rūmī was knocking on the door of Yosef al-Rūmī early one morning. Abū l-Faraj Ibn al-Wazzān was at the gate of the alley, knocking and shouting out to Shabbetay, "Hey, Ananite (עאנאני), go to the guard of the alley (al-darrāb) and let him open the alley for Abū Thābit who needs to attend a circumcision. Abū l-Faraj claims that Shabbetay then cursed him vehemently, probably in Greek (kalām Rūmī). He did not understand the words and believed that Shabbetay was cursing the government, the rabbis, and the heads of the community. The local officials (aṣḥāb al-arbāʿ) have evidently been investigating Shabbetay due to this complaint and looking for witnesses. The addressee is asked to meet with "al-ḥaḍra al-rayyisiyya" (probably the head of the Jews) and determine if Shabbetay needs to be brought before the Jewish court. May be related to Bodl. MS heb. f 108/62 (PGPID 19580). AA/ASE