Writ of Testimony (Fustāt, Egypt)

This Judeo-Arabic (with some Aramaic) record of testimony, describing events that took place during Hanukkah of 1081, recounts a disagreement between two Jews over a proposed excommunication and the resultant punishment by Muslim authorities. After a verbal tussle in the synagogue between Judah ben Ḥayyim and Abū ’l-Khair, the disagreement continued in public, though it did not lead to a physical altercation. Nevertheless, the Muslim authorities intervened, torturing and imprisoning Judah ben Ḥayyim and other Jews, and levying on him a harsh fine without a trial. The other protagonist in these events, Abū ’l-Khair, was a well-known convert to Judaism, and his activities are recorded in other Geniza documents. Despite evidence for religious and social freedoms under Muslim rule in this period, this document shows an example of the authority’s abuse of power.