Letter: Bodl. MS heb. b 12/25

Description

November 962. A letter from Neḥemya ha-Kohen, Gaon of Pumbedita, probably to the Babylonian community in Fustat. Asks for financial assistance to the academy. Mentions the death of the writer’s brother Ḥofni, av beit din of the academy. Reflects tensions between different factions within the academy. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, p. 54.) Neḥemya ha-Kohen complains that his former letter had been disregarded, and requests to show honour to his messenger, Shelomo b. ʿEli, known as b. Ṭavnay. (Information from the Bodleian Genizah site). On verso, a different hand identified the writer of the letter and copied a short phrase from the letter.