Letter: T-S NS 305.169

Description

Letter fragment. In Arabic script, with a single word in Hebrew script (ניסן). Dating: Likely 12th or 13th century. The preserved text is written at unusual angles; maybe these are the margins of the original letter. The sender describes suffering dangers and misfortunes (muqāsāt akhṭār wa-ankād) and then something to do with the government: "...fa-mā waqaʿa fīhi min ṣādif(?) ṭulūʿ al-khizāna(?) al-sulṭāniyya sallamahā Allāh....," then refers to a happy ending (...al-ʿāqiba illā ḥamīda...). The sender reports that ʿAbdallāh arrived safely in Qūṣ ("maḥrūsat Quṣ") on the date of 12 Nisan together with al-Shaykh al-Rayyis. On the other side: "...and with him are letters for al-mawlā al-rashīd b. al-dayyān, and the slave has (=I have) sent with him [...] Indian myrobalan, a quantity of 80 Egyptian raṭls or more... ... Aden. In sum, the slave has imposed on the favor of al-mawlā al-ajall al-rashīd to collect it, and if he (cannot?) do that, may my lord please collect it...." This letter was subsequently reused for Judaeo-Arabic jottings of names of commodities, such as frankincense, costus, wax, pepper, and bamboo chalk.