Letter: CUL Or.1080 J112

Description

Petition in the hand of Makhlūf b. Mūsā, possibly in Alexandria, addressed to a judge, probably in Fustat. In Judaeo-Arabic. Dating: Makhlūf was active ca. 1103–41, and this letter probably dates to the end of that range, as he describes himself as "an old man." Frenkel identifies the sender's location as Alexandria but does not explain why; Goitein (on his index card) tentatively identified the addressee's location as Alexandria but likewise did not explain why. Makhlūf is writing to seek aid in arresting an opponent who owes him money. In the past, this debtor seems to have absconded without paying his debts to Abū l-Makārim b. Baqāʾ and Yosef b. Iyov (Yūsuf b. Ayyūb), so Makhlūf fears this will happen to him too and that he will be forced to seek redress from the government and Muslim courts. He had sent this man a note (ruqʿa) with the sons of al-Muqaddasī instructing him to wait 5 days until Makhlūf should arrive, threatening, "this is preferable to me locking the Torah shrine (al-haykal) and refusing to open it until Sayyidnā al-Rayyis sends a courier after you and I complain to the government about you." (This threat is briefly discussed in Goitein, Med Soc II, p. 324 n. 56.) The addressee is asked to turn to al-Rav Rabbenu Elʿazar (Ibn al-Qaṣabi, see India Book IV vol. 1, p. 269, n. 264) and obtain an order for detaining this man until the debts are sorted out, either in person with Makhlūf or in a court session. Makhlūf has also appointed Abū Zikrī (Kohen?) to help him in this, because the judge's representative has been unhelpful. The remainder of the letter is somewhat difficult to follow and concerns the logistics of where the court session will be held and whether or not they will manage to detain this person. Ends with a raʾy clause. ASE