Letter of Recommendation to Eli ben Ḥayim ha-Kohen (II)

According to this letter, written to Eli ben Ḥayim ha-Kohen, the parnas (administrator of charitable funds), living in Fustāt, a certain Solomon ben Benjamin had fallen on hard times after surviving war and was seeking to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Carrying a letter of recommendation from an established member of society in hand helped ensure a welcome in foreign communities. The letter contains both scriptural verses and rhymed prose, formal elements befitting Nathan’s status. The fact that it is written in Hebrew suggests that Solomon was a Jew from lands in which Arabic was not spoken; perhaps he fled the ravages of the First Crusade (1096) in northern Europe.