מכתב: T-S 10J9.4

תיאור

Recto (secondary use): Letter containing a poem addressed a dignitary. In Hebrew. Possibly a token of gratitude for help that the sender received. The letter's main purpose was to wish good health upon the addressee who had fallen ill. "The anonymous poet, who laments that he could not offer a real “gift” (teshura), calls his composition a type of sacrifice pleasing unto God: 'May the Lord of praises prepare healing balm and all types of remedies . . . and strengthen the respected, beneficent leader, the choice of His people, a turban upon all of the communities. To bring you a gift (teshura) is not in my power, though I was determined and constituted it as prayer (samtiha tefilot) pleasing before the face of God as an offering (qorban); may it be considered like a sacrifice (zevaḥ) and burnt offering (ʿolot). It heals like spell-inducing water! We sing a song like the song over the splitting of the depths (i.e., the Song of the Sea, Exodus 15), and the daughters of my people go out with timbrels and drums and sing amid dance.'" Translation by Jonathan Decter, Dominion Built of Praise, 88. (Information in part from Goitein's index cards.)