Legal document: T-S 12.525 + T-S 8J22.16

Legal document T-S 12.525 + T-S 8J22.16

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Description

Legal document. Partnership agreement. Written in the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe. Dated: 1003-1004. Location: Fustat. In bad repair, this fragment (T-S 8J22.16) reveals part of a partnership document between ʿOvadya and Menashshe ha-Kohen. It is signed by Ḥalfōn b. Menashse and Menashse ha-Kohen b. Yaʿaqov, thus datable to the first half of the twelfth century. Each of the partners is to receive a copy of the agreement, which is enacted in accordance with both their wills, as well as a specific appraisal (which is not preserved). This appraisal may have detailed the assets of the partnership and each partner’s contribution. Division of profits and losses is not preserved. The relationship is described both as a shutafut and a shirka. The term shirka may be used to refer to an act of qinyan; lines 8-9 seem to refer to the act of shirka along with acts of payment and appraisal. (Information from Lieberman, "A Partnership Culture", 187-188). T-S 12.525 expresses that the store sold olive oil and legumes, and the partners invested equally (9 dinars each, ʿOvadya in cash and Menashshe in goods such as linseed oil, olives, and lemon juice). The term of the contract was one year and should a party leave, he would pay the other 2 dinars. Each party received a copy. (Information from Weiss, "Legal Documents written by the Court Clerk Halfon Ben Manasse", 149-150)

T-S 12.525 1r

1r

Transcription

Phillip Ackerman-Lieberman, "A Partnership Culture: Jewish Economic and Social Life Seen Through the Legal Documents of the Cairo Geniza" (PhD diss., Princeton University, 2007).

Translation

Phillip Ackerman-Lieberman, "A Partnership Culture: Jewish Economic and Social Life Seen Through the Legal Documents of the Cairo Geniza" (PhD diss., Princeton University, 2007).

Recto

  1. […] his [p]artner
  2. […] any court anywhere
  3. [… r]ather the most perfect and certain
  4. […of what] the Sages m(ay their memory be) f(or a blessing) [outlined …] we also have nullified all secret dispositions
  5. and conditions which may be made for us and which we may have made concerning this partnership (shutafut) document, as a decree
  6. of the Sages. We performed a qinyan with this M(r.) Obadiah regarding the payment of the nine dinars
  7. and the partnership (shirka) as well, and with this M(r.) Manasseh ha-Kohen in accordance with (their) will and the appraisal
  8. and the partnership (shirka) as well, with an item suitable for doing so, concerning everything written
  9. and stipulated above. We wrote and signed two copies of this testimony
  10. and gave one (copy) to each of them in order that he would have a title of right and proof.
  11. That took place on the aforementioned date in Fusṭāṭ Egypt, situated on the Nile River.
  12. Proper and enduring. Written on an erasure: “Obadiah”. This is their confirmation:
  13. Ḥalfōn ha-Levi b. Manasseh (who) r(ests in) E(den) Manasseh ha-Kohen b. Jacob (may his) e(nd be) g(ood)

T-S 8J22.16 1r

1r

T-S 8J22.16 Recto

  1. [.............................................]הין  
  2. [.........................................צ]אחבה  
  3. [...................................]בתי דינין לעלם  
  4. [..................................א[לא כאוכד ואתקן  
  5. [מא סטר]וה רבותינו זל[...........] בטילנא נמי כל מודעי  
  6. ותנאי דמסירין לנא ודמסרנא על שטר שותפות דנן כתיקון  
  7. חכמים וקנינא מן מ עובדיה דנן בתסלם אלתסעה דנאניר  
  8. ואלשרכה איצא ומן מ משנה הכהן דנן באלרצא באלתקוים  
  9. ואלשרכה אי[צא] במנא דכשר למקניא ביה בכל מה דכתיב  
  10. ומפרש לעילא ושהדותא דא כתבנא וחתמנא תרי [נוס]חי  
  11. ויהבנא לכל חד וחד מנהון דליהוי בידיה לזכו ולראיה וכאן  
  12. דלך פי אלתאריך אלמדכור לעילא בפסטאט מצרים דעל נילוס  
  13. נהרא מותבה שריר וקיים כתיב על גיהטא עובדיה ודין קיומה  
  14. חלפון הלוי ביר מנשה נע            מנשה הכהן בר יעקב סט

T-S 12.525 1v

1v

T-S 8J22.16 1v

1v
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  • T-S 12.525: Provided by Cambridge University Library. Zooming image © Cambridge University Library, All rights reserved. This image may be used in accord with fair use and fair dealing provisions, including teaching and research. If you wish to reproduce it within publications or on the public web, please contact genizah@lib.cam.ac.uk.
  • T-S 8J22.16: Provided by Cambridge University Library. Zooming image © Cambridge University Library, All rights reserved. This image may be used in accord with fair use and fair dealing provisions, including teaching and research. If you wish to reproduce it within publications or on the public web, please contact genizah@lib.cam.ac.uk.