|
Funerary Symbolism
Since Biblical times, Jews have traditionally
been required to mark burial sites. This was due both to the
need to
honor the dead, as well as to mark the place so that others
would not be
defiled by accidental contact with the dead.
The first grave markers were roadside burial mounds, at
which each
passerby was required to place a stone. Today's tradition of
placing
small stones on graves comes from this early custom.
With time, three types of sepulchral architecture
developed: the
ohel, or "tent", which was a small wooden or masonry
building, inside
which one or more graves were located; the sarcophagus,
semi-spherical,
or similar to a peaked-roof in shape. The most common form
of Jewish
gravestones, however, is the matseva: a flat stone slab
erected at
perpendicularly to the ground, which may be rectangular or
with a
rounded or triangular top.
The space at the end of these gravestones is usually
very richly
ornamented with reliefs, which describe the traits of the
deceased
person through symbols, and sometimes his or her name or
profession.
Because of the strict Biblical ban on portraying human
figures,
Jewish art developed a system of metaphorical signs that
allow us to
understand the allusions contained in the ornaments,
including the
reliefs on gravestones. The most frequently used symbols are
those
referring to the deceased person's religiosity and to his
place in the
community.
|
Such themes include:
- Hands depicted in the gesture of a priest's blessing.
These are
found on the gravestones of people from the priestly family
(koheins),
who at the time of the Temple were offering sacrifices
there. After the
fall of the Temple, this symbol was carved on the
gravestones of those
carrying the name that originates with this function, e.g.,
Kohen,
Kagan, Cohen, Kaganowicz and Kon.
- A hand with a jug, or a jug and a bowl. This symbol
signified the
grave of one generation of Levites, who were responsible for
washing the
hands of the priests.
- A hand throwing money into a collection tin, or a
collection box
with a coin being inserted are motifs on the grave of
philanthropists
who helped both the Community and the poor, generously
distributing
alms.
- A hand with a pen may symbolize a sofer�a
writer engaged in the
copying of Torah scrolls, preparation of mezuzot, tefillin
or ketubot
(marriage documents).
- Instruments for circumcision are seen on the
gravestones of
mohelim (circumcisers) who conduct the ritual of Brit Milah,
introducing
the child into the Jewish community.
- An open cabinet filled with books is the symbol of a
rabbi, a learned man or author of religious tracts.
- A frequent ornament on gravestones is a crown, which
has many
meanings. Since it can also signify the Torah, it can be
found on graves
of pious wise men or rabbis. It can also be the Crown of
Good Name,
which would attest to the exceptionally noble character of
the deceased.
It can also be an allusion to the father of a family-to the
head
(crown) of a household.
- Bunch of grapes, grape vine: like the Star of David
(Magen David),
this is a symbol of Israel, but also of wealth (including
spiritual
wealth) of the person buried there.
- Candles most often are seen on women's graves, since
their
religious duties include lighting and blessing the Sabbath
evening
candles. Broken candles or torches tipped downwards are a
symbol of
death, of the light of life being extinguished.
Symbols of death may also be a sinking ship, broken tree
or cracked column.
|
Animals are frequently seen as an element in
funerary motifs. They have many meanings, since they can be
related to
the Biblical symbols of the tribes of Israel, and can also
refer to the
name of the deceased. Most frequent are:
- lion (Leyb, Arie, Yehuda and Leon)
- bear (Hebrew, Dov, Yiddish, Ber, Bernard)
- bird (Hebrew, Zipporah, Yiddish, Feiga)
- sheep (Rachela)
Along with these real animals also there appear mythical
or
legendary ones, or those whose significance is tied to
Kabbalah
mysticism and esoterics.
These include the image of Leviathan, the sea monster
whose meat
will be eaten by the Righteous after the coming of the
Messiah. He is
most often depicted as a snake twisted into a loop,
swallowing his own
tail. According to Jewish tradition, it symbolizes eternity
and the
immortality of the human soul.
Winged griffons and eagles are connected with God's
power, and are
often depicted in a heraldic position, leaning on open
books, crowns,
Torah scrolls or tablets with inscriptions.
Birds, in addition to the meaning given above, symbolize
the soul flying up to heaven; a butterfly can also represent
this.
Lions and lambs lying next to each other allude to a
passage from
Isaiah about the heavenly peace that will follow the coming
of the
Messiah.
Because the traditional ornamental symbolism developed
on the basis
of the same sources, the Bible and Talmud, similar elements
occur in all
countries that have been home to the Jewish Diaspora. The
same
ornaments, though they are depicted in various ways, in
keeping with the
local styles where they were created, have the same meanings
and may be
interpreted in a similar way.
(kw/cm)
|
MAIN PAGE