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This Torah shield was cast in silver in Hamburg, Germany. Partly gilt and adorned with precious stones, four crowns sit at its center, framed by symmetrical columns on either side that are encircled…
These gilt-silver finials—which bear the Hebrew calendar year of 5502 (1742)—are considered the earliest dated finials from Iraq. On top of each finial is a miniature ḥamsa, a charm in the shape of a…
This bronze, cast, and gilt Hanukkah lamp from France is decorated with the head of a warrior wearing a laurel wreath, most likely meant to depict Judah Maccabee, leader of the uprising against the…
In some Hasidic communities, it became a common practice for the Hasidic leader or rebbe to give specially sanctified coins as amulets that could confer blessings on the holder. These coins-turned…
Shpanyer-arbet (spun work) was the name for a type of decorative gold and silver lace that adorned yarmulkes, prayer shawls, and other Jewish ritual garments in Eastern Europe. It was woven on a…
In Jewish tradition, the command to “bind them [God’s words] as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead” is understood as requiring passages from the Torah to be written on…
The back of this brass Hanukkah lamp from Morocco is adorned with birds and a row of keyhole-shaped windows. The ring at top is designed to allow the lamp to be hung outside on a doorpost, a custom…
This photo shows a reconstruction of the cella, or inner sanctum, of the Arad sanctuary as it is thought to have appeared in its last phase. At the rear stands a 35-inch-tall (90 cm) pillar of…
This altar is 21 inches (55 cm) high. Its styling, its square shape, the central band and rim, the groove between them, and the well-defined horns are characteristic of altars from the Northern…
This square altar from Hazor is 12 inches (30 cm) high. The offering surface is recessed, and the upper corners have horns that would have held the offering in place.
