Geniza Dispositive Documents

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Geniza Dispositive Documents

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Sitt al-Ahl, a married woman, testates while pregnant. The will is recorded by Halfon b. Menashe, a well-known court clerk/scribe, in Judeo-Arabic.DETAILED DESCRIPTION FROM PRINCETON GENIZA PROJECT:Will of a pregnant woman. In the hand of Ḥalfon b.…

The unnamed testator was Karaite, and testated while pregnant. The will is recorded in Hebrew (the first half) and Judeo-Arabic (the second half, included many of the bequests).DESCRIPTION FROM PRINCETON GENIZA PROJECT:Recto: Fragment of a Karaite…

The original will of Mahara was made in January 1143. A decade later, in November 1153, Mahara's nephew requested a copy, and that is the version that exists here. The document is written in Judeo-Arabic. DESCRIPTION FROM THE PRINCETON GENIZA…

Na'ima's deathbed will is written in both Hebrew (the opening which situates the testator as sick but in her right mind) and Judeo-Arabic (the bequests). The end of the document is missing. DESCRIPTION FROM THE PRINCETON GENIZA PROJECT: Will of…

Wuhsha the Broker: Fustat, c. 1100
This is the will of the famed Jewish businesswoman known as "Wuhsha the Broker" (Wuhsha al-Dallala), whose given name was Karima. Although it is not dated, the informal document was written in the hand of the cantor and court clerk Hillel ben Eli,…

This widow, whose name remains unknown, appears in at least two dispositive documents, constituting three shelf-marks. That is to say, she testated an original will, which is in one piece. A revision exists as two fragments that have been re-joined…

This will is a copy of the original, and is recorded as part of a court register. The scribe is the well-known court clerk Halfon ben Menashe. (Note: The document at times refers to the testator as Khulla, and at times Kullat.)DETAILED DESCRIPTION…

FROM THE PRINCETON GENIZA PROJECT: Fragment of a will of the teacher Sittuna bat Avraham the parnas. She leaves a property to the son of her sister's daughter, who will pay her funeral expenses out of the income of this property, and her personal…

Shul makes a deathbed will, which is recorded in Hebrew. There seems to be a tension expressed in the will over who receives her estate. DESCRIPTION FROM THE PRINCETON GENIZA PROJECT: Legal document. Will from 1527 drawn up by Shul (Sul, Shol), the…

A deathbed will. Turfa's will contains no assets. She seemingly wrote the will to prevent a court battle between her daughter and her three grandchildren by her late son.

Sitt al-Dallal's will functions as a manumission writ for an enslaved woman. This is a common use of wills across the medieval Mediterranean, though less common for Jews in Christian Europe (since Jews could not keep Christian slaves). DESCRIPTION…

This woman's will was recorded by the well-known court clerk and scribe Halfon ben Menashe, who was active from 1100 to 1138 CE. It is written in Judeo-Arabic. DESCRIPTION FROM THE PRINCETON GENIZA PROJECT: Will of a woman. In the hand of Ḥalfon b.…

This Geniza document is missing both the beginning and end of the will, and thus the testator's name is unknown, as is the exact date. It is written in Judeo-Arabic by the well-known court clerk and scribe Halfon ben Menashe, who was active between…

DESCRIPTION FROM THE PRINCETON GENIZA PROJECT:Deathbed will. In Judaeo-Arabic. Location: Cairo. Dated: Wednesday, 18 Sivan 1806 Seleucid, which is 1495 CE. ʿAzīza bt. Elʿazar Bek leaves some of her possessions (deposited in Alexandria) to the…

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FROM THE PRINCETON GENIZA PROJECT: Deathbed will of a rich woman, made during the absence of her husband. Location: Fustat. Dated: Wednesday, 26 Iyyar 1454 Seleucid, which is 13 April 1143 CE, under the reshut of Shemuel b.…

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FROM THE PRINCETON GENIZA PROJECT:Deathbed declaration, AD 1006. ORC 7/10/86 [P]. The document is a deathbed declaration, made by a woman whose name is not preserved. The upper part of the document is missing, but the…

FROM THE PRINCETON GENIZA PROJECT: Fragment from a woman's deathbed will. This was mistakenly attributed to Maimonides by Ratzhaby (Sinai 111, p. 214). On verso there is a list of seemingly random Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic words.…

Sitt al-Husn was married to a scholar/judge, and dictated her deathbed will on a Saturday. Due to the prohibition of writing on Sabbath, the will could not be recorded until the Sabbat was over. The bequests include manumissions and real estate gifts…
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