Cairo Genizah : Letter

Levi ha-Ṣaʿir

Cairo Genizah

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Recto: Arabic-script letter, written in tawqīʿ script, with wide and evenly-spaced text-lines. The name al-ʿAbd al-Mamlūk Isḥaq al-ʿAnī is written in the top left-hand corner, before the letter begins with the basmala. It seems to be discussing 'the Hebrew reading' and education. Verso: a letter in Hebrew written by Levi (אני לוי הצעיר) from Mainz (מארץ רחוקה ממדינת מאגנציא), who was making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem (באתי לעלת לירושלם עיר הקודש) but who now needs charitable assistance. The letter addresses Mevoraḵ he-Ḥaver ha-Meʿulle ba-Ḥavura (miswritten בחוברה) be-Sanhedra Rabba Alluf ha-Bina Ner ha-Maʿaravi - who is probably Mevoraḵ b. Saʿadya. The Hebrew letter was written on the back of the Arabic letter after it had been folded and presumably sent, as the writer, after making the initial mistake of writing along the first crease (see verso, line 4), which caused the ink to bleed, avoided all the remaining folds when composing his Hebrew text.</p>