Creator Bio
Israel Ibn Sahlūn
11th Century
Israel ben Nathan ibn Sahlūn was a Maghribī merchant whose adventures are recorded in some of the letters he sent to his prominent cousin Nahray ben Nissim. Israel spent time in Constantinople, where he married and divorced. During that journey, Israel was imprisoned and writes that he faced great poverty. He later settled in Jerusalem, fulfilling a vow he had made. Israel apparently incurred significant debts, which he had trouble repaying.
Content by Israel Ibn Sahlūn
Primary Source
Letter to Nahray ben Nissim (I)
My letter to you, my beloved brother and master, may God prolong your life and maintain your benefaction and shield you from evil—from Jerusalem, may God build it, on the eve of Sukkot, after my…
Primary Source
Letter to Nahray ben Nissim (II)
My letter to you—my beloved lord and master, may God prolong your life and maintain your benefaction—[is] from Jerusalem, may God build it, [sent] three days before the end of Tishri.
My situation is…