Letter to Nahray ben Nissim

I trust in God. Blessed is the Lord, who resurrects the dead.

My letter to you, my lord and master—may God prolong your life, maintain your peace and happiness, and keep all evils from you in His mercy—from Ramla, on the 8th day of Tevet.

I am in good condition physically, but my heart is troubled. I inform you that I set sail, aiming toward Jaffa and Ramla. Then an inland wind blew at us, with hot air, driving us into deep sea. We stood still for four days, losing all hope of our lives, with no sails or rudder; the rudder and the boom were broken. A wave of water broke through the middle of the ship, and we shouted “God, God!” on the ship as if we were on a small riverboat. We threw away the luggage. I lost hope; I vowed [to donate] two dinars out of the business venture money—until God, may He be exalted and praised, showed His mercy, and we managed to come out to Caesarea. I was as wet as the stuff with me. I could not find a place to live in, to spread my belongings. I lived in the synagogue for five days and [only then] reached Ramla. I cannot describe to you what happened to me.

In Ramla, the price of cotton—the Cypriot I have with me, including delivery—is two dinars for a small rotl [unit of weight]. I ask you to write me its price and whether I should sell it here in Ramla or bring it to Fustāt, to you, if its price is good. By God, hurry your reply. I have no business here in Ramla except to wait for replies. Three dinars’ worth of my stuff was thrown off the ship. God the exalted One will bring us a replacement for it.

I ask that if you would like me to bring the cotton with me, make arrangements with Makhlūf ibn Mawhūb, and ask him to pay me two or three dinars, or [should I] get Abū Barhūn to write his brother Ya‘aqūb to pay me, so that I do not need to sell my clothing or the cotton or the like. And whatever [else] is needed. [ . . . ]

Get me the answer regarding the rate of the Cypriot and Syrian cotton and whether I should sell it or bring it.

And I have already written you and notified you from Tripoli that I have sent four packs of cotton and twenty-one cakes of figs to Alexandria, and I wrote my master Mardūk to get it. And I sent with Yaḥya ibn Zaffāt two bags and a basket of wheat, and a package of silk, and two baskets of raisins and figs, and I have ordered him to bring it to your ship. Your share of the two baskets and the figs is eight dinars, and of the cotton—eight.

I hope you wrote to Alexandria with instructions and what to sell. Ask them to send you the value [of the proceeds] either in goods or in dinars that will suffice. And please, by God, hurry with the reply; I have nothing to do besides waiting for your letter—do not neglect it, by God. Write to me the moment my letter reaches you; send the reply to Ramla, to the house of the representative Abū ’l-Barakāt Ibn al-Ḥulaybī. And tell me what you need, and note the going rates and the situation in the city—wheat, bread, whatever is needed—and the situation of my parents and my family. And I wish you peace, and everybody who inquires about me—peace.¹ And any need you have, let me know. And to Joseph and his mother—peace. Let me know how you are all doing, and peace to all our friends.

Address

To my lord and master, Abū Yaḥya ibn Nissim. May God prolong his life and maintain his praise and support and happiness.

From Ya‘qūb ibn Salmān al-Ḥarīrī. From Ramla.

To Fustāt, the House of the Money Changers, the shop of Ibrāhīm ibn Isḥāq al-Tāhertī al-Yahūdī.

Address on Reverse

To my lord and master, Abū Yaḥya ibn Nissim, may God prolong his life and maintain his praise. From Ya‘qūb ibn Salmān al-Ḥarīrī.

Source: CUL T-S 8J19.27.