Letter: ENA 4100.17

Letter ENA 4100.17

Metadata

Shelfmark
ENA 4100.17
Primary Language
Judaeo-Arabic

Tags

Input date

In PGP since 2017

Description

Letter in Judaeo-Arabic. Not complete. Dated: 8 Tammuz יֿהֿ אֿבֿ כֿֿשֿ, which may be 5338 AM, which is 1578 CE. The writer is surely a Qaraite, since he refers to 'the damned bastards' of the בני משנה, that is, the Rabbanites. The letter contains a detailed description of a legal case. "They took the four fatwās/responsa and me to the Shāfiʿī (Muslim) judge. . . he is very important, and they showed him the fatwā of the Shafiʿī (jurisconsult?) and said, 'Judge this Jew. . .'" It seems that the writer had a Rabbanite enemy seeking his downfall, but the enemy failed and the writer triumphed. There are several lines praising God for His goodness and calling down curses on enemies and schemers and anyone who has pity on a Rabbanite—"may he taste his medicine." The letter concludes with various greetings. ASE.

ENA 4100.17 1

1

Transcription

Translation

ENA 4100.17 2

2
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  • ENA 4100.17: Images provided by the Jewish Theological Seminary Library (JTSL) CC-Zero / Public Domain
https://geniza.princeton.edu/documents/12435/