Description of Center for Advanced Judaic Studies Library, Halper 355: Court memo
Center for Advanced Judaic Studies Library
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The cut of memo, informal cursive hand, and lack of mail folds, indicate that this is either a draft copy, or an internal memo; The writer addresses an honorable, probably a judge, agreeing to his decision to proceed discreetly, without the presence of witnesses; The hand is recognized as that of the court scribe Ḥalfon ha-Leṿi ben Menasheh. Over 250 such documents have been collected by Gershon Weiss: Legal documents written by the court clerk Halfon ben Menasse, dated 1100-1138, a study in the diplomatics of the Cairo Geniza (Thesis (Ph.D.) in Oriental Studies--Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, 1970; Assuming Ḥalfon is the author of this memo, it is likely that it is written to Matsliaḥ ha-kohen Gaon, his mentor for whom Ḥalfon served under for most of his career.
Condition: parchment unevenly cut, torn; verso is blank, save few scribbled words.
United States
Philadelphia
University of Pennsylvania
Center for Advanced Judaic Studies Library
Cairo Genizah Collection
Halper 355
https://franklin.library.upenn.edu/catalog/FRANKLIN_9940420333503681
Judeo-Arabic
Court memo
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Halfon ben Manasse, active 1100-1138
Parchment
14.3 X 8.2 cm
Lines: 13 (recto); ruling method: narrow lines fitting unevenly cut parchment.
Hebrew Oriental semi-cursive
Material applied: black ink
1100-1138?
Fustat
Cairo Genizah Collection (University of Pennsylvania. Center for Advanced Judaic Studies. Library).
Cairo Genizah Collection (Dropsie College. Library).
Amram.
Court records