Letter: T-S 12.297

Description

Letter from ʿImrān and Maymūn, in Alexandria, to their brother Yosef b. Yaʿaqov al-Marrākushī(?) al-Jibālī, in Fustat, Sūq al-ʿAṭṭārīn. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: likely ca. 12th century. The handwriting and layout of the letter are indicative of the brothers' Maghribī origin. The senders were glad to hear of the addressee's safe arrival in Fustat, which they heard from Ibrāhīm b. Ḥasan al-Farqī (al-Barqī?) and Hiba the son of the parnas. The son of the parnas slandered (ḥarrasha ʿalā) the addressee. They also heard that a group of Muslim merchants (? goyim min ahl al-sūq) saw the addressee in Fustat, and that various people including Ṭāhir Ibn al-Ḥallās(?), Abū Muʿammar, Ibn al-Aʿmā, and the brother of Abū l-[...] are all coming to Fustat, and the addressee needs to be careful. They recommend that he live in Bilbays instead of Fustat, or if he is very set on remaining there, he should live in Cairo and befriend Ibn al-Raffāʾ. Mentions someone whose brother-in-law was a Qaraite who went to live in Fustat. They ask for news of his journey from the khalīj (Nile branch?) of Alexandria. (Information mainly from Goitein's attached transcription.)