מכתב: Bodl. MS heb. a 3/28

תיאור

Large letter from "the two congregations" of Alexandria to the Palestinian community of Fustat, and particularly to Efrayim b. Shemarya, regarding fundraising for the ransom of captives. They convey gratitude for 200.5 dinars that had already been sent. The tale is rather convoluted, but they are clearly in need of money again. In particular, "one of the Arabs" named Yabqā Ibn Abī Razīn (mentioned also in T-S NS 246.5 (PGPID 40027) and T-S 13J20.25 (PGPID 1021)) recently arrived with a new set of seven Jewish prisoners from Antalya (מארץ אנטאליה), four Rabbanite and three Qaraite, demanding 33 1/3 dinars per captive. The head of the Alexandrian community, Netanel b. Elazar ha-Kohen redeemed one of them and suggested writing to all the communities of Egypt to raise the remaining total. Thus they have sent letters to both Rabbanite congregations and the Qaraite congregation of Fustat, to the elders in general, and to the Rabbanite and Qaraite congregations of Tinnīs and Damietta and Ṣahrajt. Some of the sermon included in the remainder of the letter seems intended for public reading in the synagogue (an insight from Frenkel, ha-Ohavim ve-ha-Nedivim, p. 190). There are ~17 signatures in addition to that of the scribe, who is the judge Yeshuʿa b. Yosef ha-Kohen, and that of the head of the community, Netanʾel b. Elʿazar ha-Kohen. For other letters of Yeshuʿa b. Yosef ha-Kohen and (his father?) Yosef b. Shelomo ha-Kohen concerning the ransom of captives, see: T-S 24.29 (PGPID 7567) T-S 10J15.16 (PGPID 2861) T-S 13J14.20 (PGPID 956) T-S 13J20.25 (PGPID 1021) T-S 13J24.11 (PGPID 1799) T-S NS 246.5 (PGPID 40027) ENA NS 17.7 (PGPID 11722) ENA 4020.45 + ENA 4020.44 (PGPID 783) ENA 2804.9 (PGPID 687) and ENA 2804.11 (PGPID 5264) are also from Alexandria and from the same period concerning the ransom of captives, but in the hand of different scribes.