An Injunction of a Jewish-Egyptian Court.
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AN INJUNCTION OF A JEWISH-EGYPTIAN COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY. BY DAVID WERNER AMRAM. AMONG my Genizah manuscripts, some of which I described in the March number, is the document presented here in fac-simile. It is a decree made by the court to enjoin the officials of the congregation from pledging any of the belongings of the synagogue, and is written partly in Hebrew and partly in Arabic, with Hebrew charac ters. I am indebted to the kindness of Professor Richard Gottheil of Columbia University for a translation, as follows: "We, the Bet Din and the elders whose names are signed below, say that since difficuties have happened to the Congregation in that certain of the Kclc Kodcsh [sacred be longings], such as the dressings of the Sefarim [scrolls of the Law] and their pomegrantes and the like, have been given in pledge, and their redemption in a short time has become difficult, thereby causing anguish of mind to some of the Congregation; and since we see that people will in future (on this account) hesitate to donate such objects for the holy Sefarim, out of fear that the like will happen; and since we wish to do away with the difficulty above mentioned, we have come to an agreement and have put under the ban the name of anyone who would again give as a pledge one of the things above mentioned or the like—of any of the belongings (Kclf) of the Synagogues which are in Egypt, for the space of twenty years; believing that this action will be of advantage in the matter. We have set up this docu ment on the last tenth of the month of lyyar of the year one thousand, five hundred and forty and three (according to the Shtarot Era), in Fostat of Egypt, which is situate on the River Nile, the domain of our Lord, our Nagid, Abraham, the intelligent Rab, the banner of the Rabbis, the first of his time
and its wonder, the great Nagid—may his fame be great and his honor increase. "That which precedes we have written and signed that it be for a witness and a proof; all is true and clear, stable and firm." Nathanel son of Sa'adyah. Eliyahu son of R. Zechariah (T. N. S. B. H.) The decree purports to have been made by "the Bet Din and the elders whose names are signed below." The Bet Din, or court, consisted of three persons learned in the law, and the elders who are mentioned here as as sociated with the court in the making of this decree seem to have been the elders of the congregation, who have no definite judicial standing like the members of the Bet Din, but who, because of their dignity and stand ing in the congregation, are associated with the members of the court in this proceeding. The fact which led to the making of this decree can readily be ascertained from the decree itself. The officials of the congrega tion being short of funds, made loans and gave the s.acred belongings (Kelc Kodesh) of the synagogue in pledge. When the debts, were due, they were unable to repay them, and the articles pledged were retained by the creditors. Now, as these articles were used during religious services, their absence while in the hands of the creditors caused "anguish of mind to some of the congregation." Sefarim, or scrolls of the law, were cus tomarily robed in valuable silk dressings, emblazoned and embroidered with gold, and ofttimes adorned with jewels. The scrolls were hung with breastplates of precious metals containing suitable inscriptions, and having silver bells and pomegranates pen dant from them. The anguish of mind of the pious mem bers of the congregation may have been caused by seeing some of the scrolls of the
