Marriage Ceremony

Paul Christian Kirchner

1724

Image

Print engraving of crowd of people outside of building gathered around couple under wedding canopy. — This illustration depicting a Jewish wedding taking place under a huppah (wedding canopy) near a synagogue appeared in the book *Jüdisches Ceremoniel* (*Jewish Ceremonial Customs*), by Paul Christian Kirchner, a Jewish convert to Christianity. The first edition of his book, published in Erfurt, Germany, in 1717, had no illustrations and was critical of Judaism. In 1724, a new edition of the book was published in Nuremberg, Germany. It was edited by Christian Hebraist Sebastian Jugendres (1685–1765), who softened Kirchner’s criticism of Judaism. It included twenty-eight copperplate engravings, which were made in the workshop of Johann Georg Puschner (1680–1749) and his son, also named Johann Georg. On the lower left-hand side of the image several figures, probably non-Jews, are seen in different dress, pointing to someone in the ceremony, which is taking place outside the synagogue.

Credits

Paul Christian Kirchner, Nuremberg Jews, from Jüdisches Ceremoniel. Paul Christian Kirchner, “Die Copulation,” from Jüdisches Ceremoniel (Nürnberg: Peter Conrad Monath, 1724), p. 180. Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 5.

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Creator Bio

Paul Christian Kirchner

17th—18th Centuries

Paul Christian Kirchner converted to Christianity in 1709. He is the author of Jüdisches Ceremoniel (Jewish Ceremonial Customs), published in Erfurt, Germany, in 1717, which took a critical stance on Judaism but which was later republished by Sebastian Jugendres with more neutral text.