Letter: T-S 10J10.13

Recto

1. In Your name, Oh Merciful,

2. Peace and peace again from the Lord of Peace and from Him who makes in heaven peace. The Creator of All knows 

3. how much longing I have for my lord and master the venerable parnas, my elder, my honor and my dignity, the one 

4. who is there for me at times of calamities. I ask the Creator of All to keep you alive, protect you, and make your end 

5. good. May I not be deprived of your letter concerning the good that you have done for the woman. May (God) protect your son, 

6. Ibn Kathīr, and gladden you with him. I pray for you night and day. You are there for me in every 

7. calamity. I boast of (knowing) no one but you. To everyone who talks to me, I say: “My lord the parnas, 

8. he shall obtain a ruling for me.” I inform you, my lord and master, that the woman came from you (plur.) 

9. and I found with her a letter. The cantor, Judge Menasse, (may the) R(ock) p(rotect him), my lord Ibn Maḥbūb 

10. the elder Abū al-Faradj, and the cantor from Ashkelon took it. They were a group of people assembled 

11. in the synagogue. (They) read the letter, examined what was in it, and did exactly what it said. They instructed 

12. the young man, who is the husband of my daughter, that there shall be no exception, except that he pay her the delayed marriage settlement 

13. The young man yielded and kissed my head and the head of her mother. They made amends between us and we all yielded. 

14. I hereby inform my master the parnas, (may the) R(ock) p(rotect him), of what happened, may I not be deprived of your favor and may I be made 

15. your ransom. I send you the most favor- able and most perfect greetings, and greetings to your son, and greetings to ʿAyyāsh.

16. Thank him in my place, may I not be deprived of you and may I not be deprived of him, for what he did with the woman.

17. The writer of these words (i.e., the scribe), your servant and child, the young man, the cantor Ibn al-Ghāzfīnī, who made 

18. the connection with you, kisses your hands and sends you the most favorable and most perfect greetings. He, I, and my uncle pray for you with the Torah scroll 

19. in the synagogue of Malīdj. I ask the Creator of All to keep you alive, my master the parnas. 

20. May He fulfill for you the biblical quote: “The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand” (Psalms 121: 5). May your peace 

21. ever increase and not decease. Amen neṣaḥ selah.

22. Great Salvation!

23. (p.s.) I, Ibn al-Ghāzfīnī the cantor, ask my master the parnas to send my greetings 

24. to Manṣūr Ibn Dinūn, who is from the people of our city and lives in the neighborhood of the Palestinian synagogue, in the bakery alleyway (darb al-furn).

Recto, right-hand margin

I wrote (this letter) in a time of haste in the evening, otherwise I would have wished to pray a lot for my lord the par- nas, (may) G(od) p(rotect him).

And thank for me Ibn Maḥbūb, I pray for him, and peace.

 

Verso, address

May it arrive to my lord, my master and my dignity, the venerable parnas, the elder Abū Kathīr, may God protect him. To Miṣr, to the hand of the parnas.

From him who loves him, Naḥum b. ⟦Hiba⟧ Manṣūr, (may he) R(est in) E(den) 

Great Salvation!