22 BULLETIN 148, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



plenty. Inscribed with the Decalogue, other passages of the Bible, 

 and prayers, and in minute Hebrew script, forming part of the figures, 

 with the book of Genesis. Designed and executed by A. Pike, father 

 of the donor, in 1862. Mizrah, that is, east, properly the place of 

 the rismg sun, is used to designate an ornamental picture, hung on 

 the eastern wall of a house or in front of the praying desk in the syna- 

 gogue, to indicate the direction of the face when at prayer, so as to be 

 turned toward Jerusalem. The custom of facing east while at 

 prayer, observed by the Jews living west of Palestine, is already 

 mentioned, Daniel vi, 11. Compare I Kings viii, 38. East of Jeru- 

 salem the west direction would be chosen; north of Jerusalem the 

 south. Height, 34% inches; width, 25K inches. Washington, D. C. 

 (Cat. No. 314398, U.S.N.M.) Gift of Mrs. Simon Kann. 



68. Mizrah. — Manuscript written on paper, illuminated and 

 framed. Above, the Decalogue surmounted by the "Shield of 

 David," (magen David); below, the 7-armed candlestick, {menorah), 

 between columns which are surmounted by rosettes. The illumina- 

 tion was hand-drawn in ink by Aaron Pasmanik in 1876. Baltimore, 

 Md. (Cat. No. 31449, U.S.N.M.) Gift of Henry S. Hartogensis. 



69. Mizrah. — Manuscript written on paper, illuminated and 

 framed. The illumination represents King David holding a harp 

 within a columned facade, formed in microscopic Hebrew script of the- 

 fifth book of the Psalter, (Psalms cvii to cl). Made by Hilel Braver- 

 man. Height, 14 inches; width, 11% inches. Baltimore, Md. 

 (Cat. No. 31491, U.S.N.M.) Gift of Henry S. Hartogensis. 



70. Mizrah. — Manuscript on cardboard. Illuminated in the same 

 manner as No. 67. Designed and executed by the same artist. 

 Height, 25K inches; width, 9% inches. Baltimore, Md. (Cat 

 No. 154417, U.S.N.M.) Gift of Dr. A. Friedenwald. 



71. Mezuzah. — Manuscript written on parchment. The mezuzah 

 consists of the passages Deuteronomy vi, 4-9, and xi, 13-21, written 

 on parchment in the same manner as the Torah scroll and the phylac- 

 teries, and inserted in a wooden or metal case or glass tube. On the 

 outer side is written the Hebrew name of God, Shaddai, "Almighty," 

 and a small opening is left in the case opposite this word. The case is- 

 fastened in a slanting position to the right-hand side of the doorpost, 

 (hence its name, mezuzah, which means "doorpost"), in compliance 

 with the words: "And thou shalt write them (the w^ords of the Lord), 

 on the doorposts of thy house and within the gates." (Deuteronomy 

 vi, 9; xi, 20.) Pious Jews touch and kiss the mezuzah as they pass 

 through the door. In the Orient the entire Decalogue inclosed in a 

 tin case is sometimes nailed to the doorway. Some people attribute 

 a protective power, expecially in warding off evil spirits, to the mezuzah. 

 The custom has been widely adopted by other peoples of the East 

 particularly by Mohammedans, who write passages from the Koran 



