Letter: AIU XII.84

Letter AIU XII.84

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Shelfmark
AIU XII.84
Document Date
Primary Language
Arabic

What's in the PGP

  • 2 Transcriptions
  • 1 Translation

Description

Letter in Arabic script to unknown recipients from a certain Ibrāhīm mentioning a variety of Christian contacts such as Abū Adraūs and Abū Jirjis. Dated 17 Jumada I 1236 AH (1821 CE). In the introduction to her edition, Jane Hathaway notes: "AIU XII.84 is an affectionate, even familial, letter, dated 17 Jumādā al-Awwal 1236 AH/19 February 1821 CE, the top line or two of which has, unfortunately, been torn off. It is from another Ibrāhīm, though, to judge from the context and the tone, not the powerful merchant of Document 5 [AIU XII.86 - PGPID 30997]. The name(s) of his correspondent(s) have not survived, but we can probably surmise that he, or they, are Christians since most of the people whom the letter mentions in connection with them are Christian. Ibrāhīm himself may also be Christian. Ibrāhīm has apparently received a packet of letters from the addressee and has passed two of them along to Abū Rafāʾīl (Raphael) and Abū Andraūs (Andrew), whom he describes as ‘our uncle’ and ‘our brother’, respectively.... In addition to the letters, Ibrāhīm mentions a garment (kiswa) that his mother seeks to acquire, apparently after trying it on. The term kiswa, or kisāʾ, can apply to a wide range of clothing, cloths, and drapes, or to clothing in general.... In various medieval Arabic sources, the term refers to an enveloping mantle of the sort worn in public by women, or it could serve as a more or less generic term for a wrap.... As a devoted son—perhaps the eldest son?—separated from his mother, Ibrāhīm tries to ensure that she gets the garment she needs." (Hathaway, Ottoman-Era Documents from the Cairo Geniza, 259-261)

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Collection
Alliance Israélite Universelle
Historical shelfmarks
AIU XII 84
Input date
In PGP since 2020
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Transcription
Translation

AIU XII.84 recto

°
recto
Jane Hathaway, Ottoman-Era Documents from the Cairo Genizah (Open Book Publishers, 2026).

Recto

  1. بعد اود [؟] الشوق [ ]
  2. لا يخفا صرف محبتكم الداعي لتحريره اول الشوال عن الخاطر العاطر تانيا حضر لنا حروف محبتكم الصحة [ ]
  3. الباري سبحانه الذي حضرتكم لغاية الصحة والسلام كذالك يطيب خواياه احدهم الى عمنا ابوا رفائيل والتاني باسم اخونا
  4. ابوا اندراوس واوصلناهم الى المذكورين كذالك اخبرتونا من قبل الكسوة انها والدتي تجريت الامتعا اوعدوكم على يوم السبت
  5. انشا الله تعالى وقت حضور الكسوة المذكورة تصدقوها حكما اخبرنا حياتكم ولاكن لا نوصيكم بخصوص تقاوم [؟] ...
  6. اخونا ابوا ابراهيم بترو بن حنا واخونا ابوا تادرس واخونا ابوا مبارك [؟] لان المذكورين يخصوكم باوفر الشوق
  7. الكلي ومن مستوعي [؟] عشقهم من حضرتكم اخبرونا على ذالك فنسال من المسما الى هنا [؟] ان لا يحرمنا من محبتكم
  8. كذالك يا اخي تبلغوا شوقنا لحضرة اخونا ابوا جرجس واخوانه واهل منزله كذالك منا مزيد الشوق الى ال...
  9. فتوتة [؟] واختها قمياتة [؟] ووالدتهم ومنا نقبل ايادي حضرة الوالدة العزيزة ونطلب منها الدعا الصالحة
  10. وكاملما يلزم لكم من قضا المصالح عرفونا عنه نقوم بقضاه على الراس والعين والله يسر محفلكم ويديم محبتكم
  11. ونورنا وكلهم [؟] السعد في خير وسلام ۱۷ جمادى ال] اول سنة ١٢٣٦ اخيكم ابراهيم
Jane Hathaway, Ottoman-Era Documents from the Cairo Genizah (Open Book Publishers, 2026).

Recto

  1. After [expressing our] most affectionate [?] longing [ ].

  2. The abundance of your love is well-known [lit., ‘not hidden’], which was the reason for my writing on 1 Shawwal [1 Shawwal 1235/11 July 1820] in a fragrant state of mind. Then your affectionate letters [lit., ‘letters of your love’] reached us. Health [ ]

  3. the Creator, praise him, that your excellency is in robust health and well-being, and may he [the Creator] be good to his [i.e., your] brothers. The first [letter] is to our uncle [or ‘elder’] Abū Rafāʾīl and the second in the name of our brother

  4. Abū Andraūs, and we delivered them to the two aforemen- tioned. You also informed us, regarding the garment, that my mother sampled the goods. They promised you by Saturday,

  5. God the exalted willing. When the aforementioned garment arrives, verify it legally. We have informed you [of this], by your life, but we won’t give you instructions regarding the confrontation [?] [ ]

  6. our brother Abū Ibrāhīm Petro [i]bn Ḥanna and our brother Abū Tādras and our brother Abū Mubārak [?] because the aforementioned greet you with the utmost affection,

  7. and from the greatness [?] of their love [they request] of your excellency to inform us of that. Ask each of those named thus far [?] not to deprive us of your affection.

  8. As well, o brother, convey our longing to his excellency our

    brother Abū Jirjis and his brothers, and to the people of his residence, as well, from us, copious longing to the [ ]

  9. Fatūta [?] and her sister Qamyāta [?] and their mother, and as for us, we kiss the hands of her excellency the dear mother and ask her for her pious prayers.

  10. Any task that you require, tell us about it, and we will gladly carry it out. May God make your assemblies happy and prolong your love,

  11. and may fortune shine on us and all of them [?] in health and peace. 17 J[umāda al-]Awwal 1236 [19 February 1821]. Your brother Ibrāhīm.

Alliance Israélite Universelle, AIU XII.84. Available online through the Princeton Geniza Project at https://geniza.princeton.edu/documents/30995/ (accessed June 3, 2026).