Letter to His Brother, Peraḥyā

Moses Ben Yijū

1155

Damaged, irregular manuscript fragment with holes and roughly handwritten vowelless Hebrew filling the page in various directions, with a few sections crossed out.
Please login or register for free access to Posen Library
Register
Already have an account?
Engage with this Source

Moses ben Joseph Ben Yijū writes in Judeo-Arabic from Alexandria to his brother Peraḥyā in Fustāt (Old Cairo) about his troubles at work and the unpopularity of lac, a resin traded around the medieval world. Moses also relates that he will travel to Fustāt. Italic indicates Hebrew.

Read more

Creator Bio

Moses Ben Yijū

12th Century

A trader who traveled frequently between Egypt and India, Moses ben Joseph Ben Yijū was the grandson of the well-known merchant Abraham Ben Yijū. Letters to and from Moses illuminate the lives of traders.

You may also like

Letter to Her Brother, Moses

[To] the esteemed sage, our sage Moses, may God preserve him, [from] Miriam, your sister, who continuously praises you. May God make permanent the honor of my lord and master, the crown of my head…
View Source
Drawing on a fragment of damaged parchment of a boat with a curved, pointed prow, stick figure people and items aboard, and lines extending from the bottom, with vowelless Hebrew lettering above and below.
Tooltip info icon

Drawing of a Boat

This sketch of a boat, only about half of which survived in the Cairo Geniza, depicts a trireme or longship, a sea vessel that is propelled by rowing. The image shows several individuals standing on…
View Source
Drawing on a fragment of damaged parchment of a boat with a curved, pointed prow, stick figure people and items aboard, and lines extending from the bottom, with vowelless Hebrew lettering above and below.
Tooltip info icon

Letter to Hillel ibn Naḥman

[ . . . ] Your distinguished letter, my lord, arrived, and it was the most perfect thing which arrived and the most satisfying to come. Learning of your well-being and the good state of your affairs…
View Source

Letter to His Family

Thankful of his kindnesses, Bū ‘Alī b. Bū ‘Umar. In the name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate. My letter [to you]—may God give long life to your excellency, my lord, the most illustrious sheikh…
View Source