Horoscope for Ḥibat Allāh ibn Abū l-Faḍā’il

This anniversary horoscope dates to August 1, 1198. The rectangular diagram on the first page represents the circle of the heavens, showing the twelve astrological houses. The Judeo-Arabic writing indicates the number of each house, and where each of the planets is positioned at the time the horoscope was calculated for. The second page, below, notes the day and time of the horoscope and describes the nativity chart of Ḥibat Allāh ibn Abū ’l-Faḍā’il and notes the location of the constellations at his birth. Despite being written for a Jew, the document provides only Muslim and Coptic dates. The Arabic writing on the left of the first page indicates the name of the client and invokes divine blessings. The document was produced by a professional, likely the astrologer himself. These facts underscore both the popularity and interreligious nature of astrology in medieval Cairo.