Letter: ENA 2808.57

Description

Letter with a long Hebrew prologue, followed by Judaeo-Arabic. Written in an elegant square book hand, and indeed this sender seems to be a professional scribe. He reports that before the holiday, he borrowed a quarter dirham to go to the bathhouse (ḥammām). He may be implying that he is sick. When the letter resumes in the margin, he is making excuses, "...I was unable to do it... this work, and please help me in accordance [with your beneficence] and send me a dinar for this work, and I will do it right away. (Verso) And send me paper for the diverting epistles that I told you about, for they are among the delights of the world." He emphasizes that he will do the work quickly, and that the addressee doesn't strictly speaking owe him anything, but the dinar would really help.