Cairo Genizah : Letter

Hai Gaʾon

Cairo Genizah

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Part of a letter (verso, as conserved) in Hebrew and Aramaic from a Babylonian Gaʾon, probably Hai, to someone of whom we only know his father’s name, Isaac. The letter concerns the awarding of the title Roš Kalla (ראש כלא) to the recipient, following a meeting of dignitaries (see lines 13-15). Edited and translated as number 42 in M. Gil, 'In the Kingdom of Ishmael' (1997: ii 128-9). Earlier publication by Mann (1925: 252-7) misidentified the recipient as probably being Ḥasday b. Šapruṭ (whose father was Isaac b. Ezra). The other side of the leaf (recto, as conserved) contains a homiletic text in Hebrew, in a different, calligraphic hand, on the theme of sending support to the Babylonian academy. Mann (1925: 254-5) gives an edition of this text. </p>