Jewish Holiday Rituals
Author: Leusden, Johannes, 1624-1699.
Image Title: Jewish Holiday Rituals
Scripture Reference:
- Psalms 78 (further images / scripture text)
- Esther (further images / scripture text)
Description: This illustration depicts four Jewish holiday rituals. The top left illustration shows a man lighting a menorah for the Jewish Festival of Lights. The caption reads CANDELABRUM ENCOENIORUM, which translates to “Hanukah” or “Chanukah.” The top right image illustrates festivities during PURIM, a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman as told in the Book of Esther. In addition to the music making and dancing shown, Jews also celebrate Purim by exchanging reciprocal gifts of food and drink known as MISCHLOACH MANOT, providing charity to the poor known as MATTANOT LA-EVYONIM, eating the celebratory meal SE’UDAT PURIM, reciting the Scroll of Esther, or KRIAT HA-MEGILLAH, publicly in the synagogue, as well as reciting additions to the daily prayers called AL HA-NISSIM. The bottom left image labeled DIES NONUS JULIJ, “The Ninth Day of August,” pictures veiled Jewish men mourning on TISHA B'AV at the “Wailing Wall,” also known as the “Western Wall” or “Kotel,” an ancient limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. TISHA B’AV marks the beginning of a three week period of mourning, fasting, and lamenting that commemorates the destruction of the Temple as well as other tragedies endured by the Jewish people that coincided on the ninth of Av. The bottom right image is captioned FLAGELLATIO JUDAICA, which translates “Jewish Scourging” in reference to the Yom Kippur ceremony of MALKOT (“lashes”), a symbolic chastisement ritual in which one congregant crouches on hands and knees near the door of the synagogue while another gently taps him on the shoulders 3 or 39 times with his belt while reciting Psalms 78:38.
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