Legal document: T-S NS J401l
Legal document T-S NS J401lTags
Description
Legal document. In the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. A mother concludes a contract for the teaching of her boy in Arabic. Malīḥa the sister of Shelomo Ibn al-Amʿaṭ ha-Levi and Abū l-Faḍl Ṣadoq b. Shemarya agree that the latter will teach the Arabic script and the calculations of baqasāt(??) and dhāqāt(??) to Hiba b. Abū Saʿd (presumably her son) for two dinars. NB: This document is sometimes cited as T-S NS J401.21. (Information from Goitein's index card.)
Edition: Goitein, S. D.
Translation: Goitein, S. D. (in English)
T-S NS J401l 1r
Transcription
S. D. Goitein, "Side Lights on Jewish Education from the Cairo Geniza," in Gratz College Anniversary volume (Philadelphia: Gratz College, 1971), 83-110.- שהדותא דהות באנפנא אנן שהדי ד[חתמות ידנא לתחתא כן הוה חצרא אלינא
- אלשיך אבו אלפצל כגק מר ור צדוק הז[קן הנכבד בן אלשיך אבו...
- כגק מר ור שמריה הזקן הנכבד נבע [ואלשיך אבו ... כגק
- מר ור שלמה הלוי הזקן הנכבד יש צו [בן אלשיך אבו
- בן אלאמעט ואכתה שקיקתה הנקראת [מליחה ארמלה אבו סעדאל אל...
- ואתפקת מליחה דא מע אלשיך אבו [אלפצל אנה יעלם ולדהא
- הבה בן אבו סעד אלמדכור אלכט אלערבי [ואלחסאב ואנהא תדפע לה
- עלי דלך דינארין סוא ואזנה מצריה ואל[שרט אן נתיגה אלעלום
- אלדי אסתקר תעלימה איאה באלדינארין [אלמדכורין אן הבה אלמדכור
- יכתב כתאב בידה מן גיר נקץ פי אלהגא ו[אלכט...ולא
- תגלט ואי שי אמלי עליה כתבה בהגא [צחיח וכט מליח ובדון גלט
- ואמא מן אלחסאב אלבקסאת ואלדקאת [
- ועמל לא זאיד ען דלך ואסתקר אלקיאם ללש[יך אבו אלפצל בהדה אלדינארין
- אי וקת אלתמסהא ולא תוכר [ענה...וכתבנא לה
- הדא אלשטר ליכון ש[
Translation
S. D. Goitein, "Side Lights on Jewish Education from the Cairo Geniza," in Gratz College Anniversary volume (Philadelphia: Gratz College, 1971), 83-110.Recto
Testimony about what happened in our presence, we the [undersigned witnesses. There appeared before us] the elder Abu ʾl-Faḍl, (his) h(onor), g(reatness), (and) h(oliness), (our) m(aster) and t(eacher) Zadok, the h[onored elder, son of the elder Abū ... h(is) h(onor) etc.] our m(aster) etc. Shemarya, the honored elder, m(ay he rest) i(n) E(den) [and the elder Abū ... , h(is) h(onor) etc.] m(aster) etc. Solomon ha-Levi, the honored elder, (may his) Ro(ck) keep him [son of the elder Abū ... ] Ibn al-Amʾaṭ and his sister from father and mother called [Malīḥa, the widow of Abū Saʾd, may he rest in peace].
This Malīḥa agreed with the elder Abu [ʾI-Faḍl that he would teach her boy] Hiba, the son of the afore-mentioned Abū Saʾd, Arabic script [and arithmetic and that she would pay him] for this exactly 2 dinars of full weight and Fustat coinage.
[The condition was that the result of the study] which he undertook to teach him for 2 dinars [as mentioned above, should be that the afore-mentioned Hiba] should be able to write a letter with his own hand without blemish in spelling and [script and without] mistakes in the rendering of the content, but that he should write anything dictated to him in [correct] spelling [and pleasant script and without misunderstanding.]
As to arithmetic, he should master the use of the abacus, the decimals [ ........................ ] and the accounts, not more. It was agreed that the el[der Abu ʾI-Faḍl would receive these 2 dinars] any time he applied for them and that the payment would not be deferred.
[We wrote for him] this document so that it should be a t[estimony in his favor and a proof to be produced in
T-S NS J401l 1v
