Cairo Genizah : Letter

Cairo Genizah

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Part of a letter, probably from the first half of the 11th century, possibly written by Yešuʿa b. Joseph ha-Kohen, on behalf of the Jerusalemite and Babylonian Rabbanite communities in Alexandria, to the leader of the Jewish community in Fusṭāṭ (name not preserved but titled ‘the distinguished scholar’), perhaps Elḥanan b. Šemarya, regarding the plight of five Jewish male youths who were cruelly held captive and, having been ransomed for 100 dinars, subsequently fell ill. The ransom had been raised at great cost to every member of the Alexandrian Jewish community. </p>