מסמך משפטי: JCC 1

תיאור

Judicial record of a discussion on the legality of the Rabbanite synagogue in the Ḥārat Zuwayla neighborhood in Cairo (al-Qāhira), during the reign of al-Mustanṣir (1038 CE). A Muslim appealed against the synagogue, claiming it was "new" and had to be demolished. The owner of the asset, Abū Imrān Mūsā b. Yaʿaqūb b. Iṣḥāq al-Isrāʾīlī, who is presented as "head of the community (tāʾifa) of the Rabbanites, Qaraites and Samaritans" was brought forth. He claimed that the synagogue is a legal waqf, owned by him and his family. Eleven Muslim witnesses were presented by him, confirming that the synagogue is a lawful, respected waqf, and stands there for more than forty years. The synagogue therefore received protection and the decision was written, signed by the witnesses, and handed to the said Abū Imrān Mūsā. The synagogue, "known as the synagogue of the Rabbanites", is described as standing at the head of the neighborhood (rās ḥārat zuwayla), on nabbāḍīn street. It is surrounded from three sides by the private dārs of Abū Imrān Mūsā, his father and his grandfather. Full transcription and translation to English are found in Gottheil's article from 1907. The modern archive of the Rabbanite Jewish community of Cairo (JCC) was created in the early 20th century based on centuries-old documents preserved by several respected Cairene Jewish families. It was catalogued by Yisrael Ben-Zeev in the 1930's, and he also made some photocopies. The archive has since been lost, and it seems that it was deposited in the Egyptian National Library (see Rustow, A Lost Archive, p. 496 note 8). Currently, only the hand-written catalogue and the photocopies made by Ben-Zeev are accessible, in the National Library of Israel. The photocopies of this document are shelfmarked CAHJP ET-Ca. 22.