Rabbinic Deposition.
AUCTION 24 |
Tuesday, June 29th,
2004 at 1:00
Fine Judaica: Printed Books, Manuscripts, Ceremonial Art and Holy Land Maps Including Ceremonial Art from the Collection of Daniel M. Friedenberg
Lot 239
(GENIZAH)
Rabbinic Deposition.
Egypt: circa 1150
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
PRICE REALIZED $3,500
Legal document stating that a woman named Sumr bat Moshe, the widow of Isaac, and her orphaned sons, Abu’l-Hasan and Abu Ishaq, were charitably housed by the merchant of Fostat, Abu 'l-Ma’ali, known as ibn Asad (Arabic name of Samuel ben Judah). Furthermore, Asad paid off the late Isaac’s creditors. The deposition, on the part of the older son Abu’l-Hasan, attests that he and his younger brother have no financial claim against Asad.
The Beth-Din validated the signatures of the two witnesses, Mevorach ben Nathan and Ezekiel ben Nathan. The signatures of the three rabbinic justices are as follows: Chiya bar Isaac, Ephraim bar Meshulam, and Hillel bar Tzadok.
Transcription provided by the Genizah expert, the late Prof. S.D. Goiten, who utilizes this document several times in his work, A Mediterranean Society (1988) V pp. 357-8, 605; III, pp. 9, 428.