Letter to His Father, Yefet ha-Levi

Unknown

ca. 1140

In [Your] name, O Merci[ful].

To my master and lord, my succor and supp[ort], may God prolong your life and m[ake permanent your high rank] and lofty position. May he crush those who envy you and not withhold from you [success]. May he substitute me [as ransom for all evil that might befall you and may he] never leave me [alone, being without you…

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Letters of a commercial nature are historically informative, like this one by a merchant in Fez, Morocco, to his father Yefet (Japheth) ha-Levi in Almería, Spain. The letter mostly deals with business matters but also contains a warning against traveling to Morocco. It mentions goods that were especially popular in the Mediterranean region: kohl, lac, copper, scammony, indigo, and a cape for the upper body called a niṣfiyya.

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Related Guide

Correspondence in the Early Medieval World

8th to 12th Century

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