Cairo Genizah : Letter

Solomon b. Ṣemaḥ

Cairo Genizah

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Part of a letter, dated 1033 CE, written by Solomon b. Ṣemaḥ, in Ramla, probably to the Jewish community in Fusṭāṭ, perhaps specifically to Ephraim b. Šemarya. It describes in great detail the terrible effects of an earthquake and its aftershocks on the inhabitants of Ramla and remarking on how many more would have died had the earthquake happened during the night. The initial earthquake is said to have taken place on Thursday, 12th Ṭevet (= December, 1033 CE). The reaction of the victims was to fast and cry out to God for mercy and the writer comments how the mercy of God was demonstrated in that there were survivors. The survivors are still living outside the city in difficult conditions. </p>