Letter to Judah ben Moses ben Sughmar
This letter is the longest one in Judeo-Arabic preserved in the Cairo Geniza. Written from Mazara, Sicily, by the established sea merchant Salāma ben Mūsā to his business partner Judah ben Moses ben Sughmar of Fustāt (Old Cairo), the letter tells of political unrest between the governor and the sultan and related business developments in Salāma’s home port of Sfax, Tunisia. In his letter, Salāma proclaims that he wishes to dissolve their partnership because Judah purchased low-quality pepper and ginger without consulting him. This was apparently an empty threat; another letter written shortly after this one records the continuation of their partnership.
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Credits
Halper 389, fol. 1r. University of Pennsylvania, Center for Advanced Judaic Studies Library, Cairo Genizah Collection.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 3: Encountering Christianity and Islam.
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