Legal document: JCC Richards VIII
Legal document JCC Richards VIIIDescription
A fragment of a Muslim court document from 1456. The existing fragment includes a detailed description of a synagogue in need of repairs. The inspection was held by a Muslim scholar named Afḍal al-Dīn, and it was completed on Wednesday, the 16th of Jumāda al-Awwal 859 AH. Later, on Sunday the 15th of Jumāda al-ʾUkhra of that year, the said judge “proceeded” – here the text breaks off, but he probably proceeded to inspect further houses of worship. These are the dates which appear in Richards' transcription of the document, however in the introductory article he cites the first date as 26 Jumada I 859, which fits the day of the week (the 16th doesn't fit). Richards suggests that this fragment is part of the text that is missing from a long and detailed court document describing the thorough inspection of synagogues and churches in Cairo and Fustāt by a deputy Qāḍi called Afḍal al-Dīn, on 859 AH (PGPID 40663). If he is correct, than the description in our document concerns the Qaraite synagogue in Ḥārat Zuwayla in Cairo. The synagogue boundaries are described as follows: from the south, the house of Yūsef al-Ṣayrafī; from the north the house of ʿAbd al-Ghanī al-Farrāsh; from the east the alley (zuqāq) and there is the synagogue's door; and from the west the house of Ibn Tāj al-Rayyīs and of others.