Letter: T-S 10J12.34

Description

Letter from an unknown writer, in Jerusalem, to his in-law (גיס) Saʿīd Bardaʿ, in Fustat/Cairo. In Hebrew. Dated: Thursday 28th Maṭmonim (=the Omer), which is 13 Iyyar. The year is כי תבואו אל הארץ, but it is unclear which of these words are meant to be counted (if all of them are counted, the year is 2012 CE). The hand of the letter and the currencies mentioned (gurush, dinar, real) suggests 16th or 17th century. The addressee *may* be identical with the Sehid/Seid Barda of AIU VII.E.240 and AIU VII.E.241. The letter is an update on the fortunes of the writer traveling to Ḥebron and thence to Jerusalem. He complains a great deal about the evil Zidan (זדאן/זידאן) who took the writer's woolen coat and is no longer to be trusted. He describes the costs associated with traveling and gives advice to the addressee should he decide to travel to Jerusalem. He describes some legal trouble with the parnas of Jerusalem; it seems that the writer failed to uphold the condition of his sheliḥut by sending a certain sum of money (קק גרו) each year. He sends regards to several people, including Mordechai קיבה(?), Moshe Bardaʿ, Ḥayyim, Avraham Yona, and Ḥanna and Lea. There is an elaborate signature of which only the word Levi is legible. ASE.