Legal document: T-S 16.203

Legal document T-S 16.203

Shelfmark: T-S 16.203
Editor: S. D. Goitein, unpublished editions.

Document Date: 1395 Seleucid (1083 — 1084 CE)
Primary Language: Judaeo-Arabic

In PGP since 2004

Description

Legal document. Court record. Dated: 1083-1084. Location: Fustat. Abū al-‘Alā ‘Ūlla ha-Levi b. Joseph al-Dimashqī and Abū Zikrī Yaḥyā ha-Levi b. Joseph ha-Levi dispute the details of a partnership. The verso records ‘Ūlla’s testimony that Yaḥyā would receive one-third of the profits after expenses, following the commenda model, while Yaḥyā argued that profits were to be split evenly, and the expenses were to come out of the proceeds of the sale. Goitein points out that in addition to the partnership funds trusted to Yaḥyā, ‘Ūlla entrusted a consignment of scammony (a medicinal plant) which was “on commission”, suggesting that “business in general was largely conducted on the basis of mutual trust and friendship”. On the other hand, the dispute at hand concerns specific details of the partnership, including a dispute concerning the possible markets to which Yaḥyā was empowered to travel (Damietta, Alexandria, and the Maghreb); the partnership is terminated prior to Yaḥyā’s journey to the Maghreb. This document may have been a draft, given the many strikeouts, and blank space in the document has been used for some Arabic material whis seems to be unrelated. (Information from Lieberman, "A Partnership Culture," 146)

Edition: Goitein, S. D.

Edition: Goitein, S. D.

Translation: Ackerman-Lieberman, Phillip (in English)

Translation: Ackerman-Lieberman, Phillip (in English)

T-S 16.203 1v

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Transcription

S. D. Goitein, unpublished editions.

verso

. . . . . . . . . . .] אנן בית דין הקבוע בפסטאט מצרים והזקנים החתומים למטה .[. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .]. . . . מ עולה וג
. . . . . . . .] [[באנפנא אנן שהדי דחתמות ידנא לתחתא]] ב[. . . .]בשבא דהוא [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
דשנת אלפא ותלת מאה ותשעין וחמש שנין למניינא דרגיליננא ביה בפסטאט מצרים דעל נילוס נ[הרא
מותבה כן הוה [[כאן]] חצר//נא// בבית דין //[[. . . .]] הקבוע בפסטאט מצרים חצרה מ וג // מ עולה הלוי המכונה אבו אלעלא בר מ יוסף אלדמשקי סט וטאלב מ יחיי הלוי
המכונה אבו זכרי בר מ יוסף הלוי הידוע בן אלחגאזיה נע מטאלבאת כתירה מנהא שרכה דכר מ עולה דנן
אן מבלג ראס מאלה פיהא מאיה דינארא ואתנין וכמסין דינ ותלת ותמן //דפעהא אליה לישתרי בהא בצאיע // ליסאפר בהא אלי אלמגרב [[עלי אן לה תלת]]
יביע וישתרי מא יסהלה אללה מן אלבצאיע וי[. . . . . .] מצר ומא חצל פי דלך מן פאידה כאן למ יחיי דנן פי דלך אלתלת מן אלרבח ואלמונה עלי יחיי [. . . . . . . . . . . .] אנפדהא מנהא . . ליסאלה ומרגאן וצל מע יחיי דנן דכר עולה //דנן// אנה
ללכלטה ופאידה //ואחאדה ענהא [. . . . . . . . . . .//[ד. . . . . . . וסאל בי]ת דין למ יחיי דנן ען דלך // פקאל// אלדי למ עולא דנן מעי ראס מאל בכתאב מכתוב
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .] //פוקהא מן מאלי כמסין דינ // אסאפר בהא אלי אלמגרב אשתרי ואביע וענד עודתי מא סהל אללה מן אלפאידה
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .] ויבאע [[. .]] לי פיה אלנצף ומוונתי עלי אלבצאעה //ואנא נאמן פיהא// פקאל עולה דנן אמא
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .] //. . .מאית. .בהא// א. .נא פי //אל// ספר //אלי// דמיאט ותפאצלנא מנהא והדה דפעת לה //ענד תוגהה אלי אלמגרב// זאיד

verso, right margin , straight lines, parallel to lines 8-10

וטלבהא איצא
במחמודה
אנפדהא מעה
רסאלה ליביעהא

Translation

Phillip Ackerman-Lieberman, "A Partnership Culture: Jewish Economic and Social Life Seen Through the Legal Documents of the Cairo Geniza" (PhD diss., Princeton University, 2007).

Verso

[…] we, the permanent court in Fusṭāṭ Egypt, and the undersigned Elders […]
[…] M(r.) ‘Ūlla and s(o on)
[…] on […] of the week which was […]
of the year one thousand three hundred ninety-five years, according to the count to which we are accustomed, in Fusṭāṭ Egypt situated on the Nile R[iver.]
Thus: //we// appeared in the //permanent court in Fusṭāṭ Egypt,// M(r.) ‘Ūlla ha-Levi known as Abū al-‘Alā b. M(r.) Joseph al-Dimashqī (may his) e(nd be) g(ood) //came and s(o on,)// and sued M(r.) Yaḥyā ha-Levi
known as Abū Zikrī b. M(r.) Joseph ha-Levi known as (I)bn al-Ḥijāziyya (who) r(ests in) E(den), with multiple claims; among them a partnership (shirka) of which this M(r.) ‘Ūlla said
that the amount of his capital therein was one hundred and fifty-two din(ars) and a third and an eighth //(which) he gave to him to buy merchandise// that he would travel with it to the Maghreb
that he would sell and buy whatever merchandise God would facilitate, and […] Egypt, and of that which //they receive therein// in terms of profit, a third of the profit therein would be for this M(r.) Yaḥyā
and Yaḥyā would be responsible for the expenses. […] Coral came with //this// Yaḥyā. //This// ‘Ūlla mentioned that it
was for the joint investment (khulṭa), and profit //alone for it// […and the c]ourt [asked] this M(r.) Yaḥyā concerning that, //and he said,// “That which this M(r.) ‘Ūlla placed with me as capital was recorded in a document.
[…] //his hand// […] //On top of that, I had fifty din(ars) of my own assets// I would travel with them to the Maghreb, buying and selling, and upon my return, that which God facilitates as profit
[…] he sold, half of it (would be for) me, the expenses coming out of the merchandise //and I can be trusted concerning it.”// And this ‘Ūlla said, “As for
[…] //…therein// … here in //the// journey //to// Damietta, we separated from (the partnership), and I paid this as extra to him //at his departure for the Maghreb//

Right margin

He also sued
concerning scammony
which he sent with him
as a consignment, to sell it.

Recto

[…] ‘Ūlla ha-Levi b. M(r.) Joseph ha-Levi (may his) e(nd be) g(ood) and said to us, “Testify before me and perform a qinyan with me, effective immediately, wr[ite and sign concerning me]
[with all the expressions of c]ertainty, and with all language of claims, and give it to M(r.) Yaḥyā ha-Levi b. M(r.) Joseph ha-Levi (who) r(ests in) E(den) [in order that he would have from this day forward]
proof and a legal document that I attest before you in my good health and freedom of my will, willingly, under neither duress nor force nor compulsion
Witnesses came before us
M(r.) ‘Ūlla ha-Levi //b. M(r.) Joseph ha-Levi (may his) e(nd be) g(ood)// came //before us to// the court and sued M(r.) Yaḥyā ha-Levi b. M(r.) Joseph ha-Levi (who) r(ests in) E(den), with many claims, claiming (that there were ) many commendas, and consignments, and partnerships (mushārakāt), and accounts //from a number of voyages, among them to [D]amietta and A[lexandria], and lands of the Maghreb, and others//
between the two of them there are debts //also profit between the two of them therein// written and unwritten and many disputes proceeded //therein// […] elders mediating the situation
… here when he mentioned it since (there is) a written account concerning this in the hand of this M(r.) ‘Ūlla and […..] //all that which he led his fellow (to believe)// from all the claims
and from the demands and all obligations and responsibilities which he recorded //the two totals from the two of them upon his fellow// from these part[nerships (mu‘āmalāt) …] … […] //…// […] … […] “Testify on my behalf
and perform a qinyan with me, effective immediately, write and sign before me with all the appropriate legal formulae (and) s(o on)

T-S 16.203 1r