Paraliterary text: T-S Ar.30.49 + T-S Ar.30.115 + BL OR 10156.10 + JRL SERIES B 3087 + ENA 2191.5 + Moss. IX,130.1

Description

Several fragments in the same hand, mostly bizarre Judaeo-Arabic compositions reminiscent of clanging in thought disorders (words associated on the basis of sound rather than content). Notable phrases include "for every plague there is a plague," following "al-ʿibāra destroyed ʿatāra | al-fajāra destroyed al-hijra | al-maskada destroyed al-MaḤalla." Also "If Efrayim puts out my eye, they'll ban | if Saʿīd kills me, they'll cut off | if Sālim strangles me, they'll topple." There are religious preoccupations as well and some gematriya with names of God at the end. JRL SERIES B 3087 has what seem to be nonsense rhymes in Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic ("they will excommunicate ʿAzīz | he will eat the coins (al-fulūs) | and Saʿīd the poor man | is imprisoned (maḥbūs)"). The same writer has written a very similar text in purple ink on verso. Dating: Probably 15th–17th century, in part based on the hand and in part based on the mention of a finjān of qahwa. On verso of Moss. IX,130.1 (see separate record) there is an Arabic rent receipt for جيلاتو(؟) which may help identify the writer. The preponderance of people named Saʿīd and Sālim may suggest a Yemeni origin. ASE