1217-03-00-Cairo
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| Date startStart date of the disease. | 1217-03 | + |
| Date endEnd date of the disease. | + | |
| SeasonSeason (spring, summer, fall or winter) | Spring | |
| Date otherOther mentioned dates. | ||
| PlacePlace(s), city or location of the disease. | Cairo | |
| RegionHistorical region(s) | ||
| CountryCurrent country | Egypt | |
| RiverMentioned river(s) | ||
| Natural eventMentioned natural event(s) | ||
| PersonMentioned persons(s) | ||
| GroupGroup(s) of people mentioned | ||
| VictimIndication of victims | + | |
| AnimalMentioned animal(s) | ||
| DiseaseMentioned disease(s) | Wabāʾ | |
| Epidemic waveAssociated epidemic wave | ||
| Social responseSocial response that happened in reaction to the disease | Grief, Medicine | |
| LanguageLanguage of the original text | Arabic | |
| KeywordFurther keyword(s) | Epidemics, Medicine | |
| last edited | 29. 12. 2025 by EpiMedDat-Bot. |
The fragment of a letter mentions a great epidemic (al-wabāʾ al-ʿaẓīm) which has struck the different parts of Cairo and has affected the physician and head of the Jews in Egypt (nagid), Avraham Maimonides (d. 1237), and his daughter. The fragment bears no date, but see here.
Text originalOriginal text
recto: ואמא חאלנא פאן אלמולי אלרייס הנגיד יג יק[
אלאכבר מריץ פי שדה אללה יעאפיה ובנתה[
איצא והו גיר קאדר עלי מלאזמתה{א} אלא מלאזם ו[ט]אה
טול אלאסבוע לא ינזל ליל ולא נהאר והו מן דלך פי שדה
עטימה אללה יומן (=ימון) [אלעאפיה] ואמס וצלני ורקה מן צהרה רבנו
חננאל הדיין הגדול דאם עזה והו יקול אן הדה אלאיאם מתל
יום הדין כל שכץ משגול בנפסה
verso: ואנמא עזימתנא וכליתנא
עלי אלכלאץ מן הדא אלובא אלעטים אלדי מא פי מצר ואלקאהרה בית מן חשובי
ישראל וגירהם אלא ופיה מריץ או מרצי ואלנאס פי שדה עטימה משאגיל
Text translationEnglish translation of the text
As to us, our lord, the Rayyis, the Nagid [may his] gl[ory be] in[creased], the chief [Rav] is seriously ill, may God heal him, and so is his daughter; he is unable to treat her, and confined to his bed; throughout the week he could not get up, neither at night, nor at daytime, which caused him great grief; may God grant him health. Yesterday, I received a note from his father-in-law, our master, Hananel, the chief justice, may his high position endure, saying: "These days are like the Last Judgment; everyone is occupied only with himself." We strive to save ourselves from the great plague. In Miṣr [Fustat] and Cairo, there is no house belonging to important persons and, in fact, to anyone else, where not one or several persons are ill. People are in great trouble, occupied with themselves and unable to care for others, let alone for strangers.
