State document: Moss. IV,249

State document Moss. IV,249

Tags

Input date

In PGP since 2023

Description

Petition in Arabic script. The sender bemoans his poverty (ṣaʿlaka) and expresses his trouble with paying a tax, probably his capitation tax. He is a man who has dependents. The exact request isn't preserved. Dating: ca. mid-12th century. Reused by the same Hebrew scribe as T-S Ar.41.131 (PGPID 18579). ASE/YU

Moss. IV,249 recto

recto

Transcription

Yusuf Umrethwala and Alan Elbaum, unpublished editions (n.p., 2023).

Recto

  1. ]في يومه(؟) رضوان مع نزول[

  2. ]المملوك يهتدي مسالك الطرق وقد علت حياته 

  3. وضعفت قدرته وبقي المملوك من ارباب الصدقة وعنده

  4.  عائلة واطفال وليس له واجب يحصل لنفسه ما يستعين على حاله

  5. عزيز ويسير لاينتفع به ويخشى المملوك من المطالبة عن القريين(؟)

  6. والعدة وليس له قدرة على ذلك ولا شك حسب صعلكته 

  7. وما فسد فقره وانه[         ]الا من صدقات الناس وقد

  8. قصدنا رايه العالي وبابها العالية

  9. ولا صالح من [

Translation

Yusuf Umrethwala, PGP Translations (n.p., 2023).

Recto

  1. ]In his days (?) happiness in residing [
  2. ]The slave finds guidance in the paths of life but his life has become difficult.
  3. His abilities have weakened, and he remains among the recipients of charity. He has
  4. a family and children, and he has no income to secure for himself what he needs.
  5. ] is dear and little, which is not sufficient, The slave fears demanding from the Karaites (?),
  6.  and he lacks the ability to do so, undoubtedly according to his difficulty.
  7. his poverty is not corrupted, [     ] except from the charity of others, and
  8. his quest is [his] lofty resolution and his elated gate
  9. There is no better from [