Lease of a Compound (Ascalon)

Nathan ben Mevorakh ha-Kohen, a judge, scribe, and ḥazan (a synagogue functionary) of Ascalon, Palestine, was a prominent figure who maintained close contacts with the leadership of the Jewish community of Fustāt (Old Cairo). Many of Nathan’s letters survive in the Cairo Geniza, representing a significant portion of the extant correspondence from Ascalon. Nathan’s family had held leading positions in Ascalon for generations. Some of his letters bespeak substantial involvement in the arrangement of charitable funds, particularly for recent European arrivals who had limited ability to support themselves. Other documents show Nathan’s concern with individuals held in debtors’ prison.

Nothing is known about Yefet ben Yeshu‘a, who was the son of a judge, other than that he was living in Ascalon in the first half of the twelfth century.