Business Account (Tunisia)

The letter excerpted here, written on vellum, records the purchases and packing costs for several bundles of goods belonging to a family of traders who lived in what is now Tunisia. At this time, Tunisia served as a center of production for tradable goods made from flax imported from Egypt. The totals and prices conveyed here reflect a large trade. This account was provided for Isma‘īl (Samuel) ibn Barhūn—a member of the Tāhertī family, who lived in Qayrawān—indicating that some goods are meant for his brothers. Several other Geniza documents from this wealthy family survive, and their communications with the prominent Karaite Tustarī family are well known. This text illustrates how Mediterranean traders communicated within their vast networks. Unbracketed ellipses indicate lacunae in the manuscript.