32 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



worship of the temple speedily in our days" (Psalm lxvii). On the left 

 are the letters H. S. and D., which indicate respectively Oiner (written 

 Homer by the Spanish Jews) week (Sabbat) and day. 



In the Jewish ceremonial on solemn occasions, and especially on New 

 Year's day (September), a blast is sounded from a trumpet called Shofar. 

 It is made of a ram's horn whose shape is modified by heat. Accord- 

 ing to authorities on musical instruments, it is the oldest form of wind- 

 instrument known to be retained in use. It is mentioned in the Bible 

 as being used to announce the new moou aud solemn feasts and to pro- 

 claim the year of release. Occasionally it was employed as a musical 

 instrument, but its most frequent use was for military purposes. It 

 was the signal for going out to battle, for the announcement of a vic- 

 tory, and for the recall of the troops. The specimen in the collection is 

 an example of the seventeenth century, from Italy. 



The feast of Purim was established to commemorate the deliverence 

 of the Jews, recorded in the book of Esther. On this occasion the book 

 is read in the synagogue, a manuscript copy being employed. The col- 

 lection contains a manuscript roll of the Hebrew original, with hand- 

 painted views. The book is usually called Megilla (roll), or more accu- 

 rately Megillat Esther (roll of Esther). The Song of Solomon, Ruth, Ec 

 clesiastes, and Lamentations are written in a similar form, and they 

 together with Esther are called "the five rolls." 



The feast of dedication, or Hanuka, is held in remembrance of the re- 

 dedication of the Temple of Jerusalem after its defilement by Antiochus 

 Epiphanes (169 B. C). Josephus records that it was a festival of lights. 

 The feast is celebrated 8 days, one light being lit on the first night 

 of the feast, and an additional light on each succeeding night. The col- 

 lection contains a lamp of brass, hand made, with eight, compartments 

 for oil. The lamp is of Dutch make, and its form exhibits an interest- 

 ing survival of the ancient Roman lamp. 



The specimens described are employed at public worship, though 

 some of them may be used at private devotion. Any place in which 

 ten male Israelites congregate is considered a place of public worship. 



The following objects pertain exclusively to private worship: 



The Mosaic legislation enjoined that the law should be written on the 

 posts of the door and on the gates. This injunction is performed by 

 inclosing a slip of parchment in a reed, or metallic or wooden cylinder, 

 on which has been written Deuteronomy vi, 4-9, 13-21, and attaching 

 it to the doorpost of the house, and sometimes of each room in the 

 house. At present the Jews of the East often nail to the door-casing 

 the entire decalogue inclosed in a tin case called Mezuzza. This custom 

 has been widely adopted by other peoples of the East, particularly by 

 Mussulmans, who select for this purpose passages from the Koran. 



Whether at public or private devotion, the Jews invariably turn the 

 face toward Jerusalem. For the large majority of Jews this direction 

 is east. Synagogues are always built with the ark containing the man- 

 uscript copies of the Pentateuch at the eastern end of the building, and 

 worshippers face this direction. As a reminder of the direction a card 

 or scroll is hung up in the dwelling called Mizrach (the east). The 

 specimen in the collection contains the Ten Commandments and vari- 

 ous quotations from scripture in Hebrew. Ancient nations that wor- 

 shipped the sun, turned when in prayer to the east, the place of the 

 rising sun. This fact is alluded to by Ezekiel (vin, 16). In the temple 

 itself the worshippers faced towards the west, the entrance being from 

 the east. 



Before the principal meals of the Sabbath day the Jews have, a special 



