| REF | ICONOGRAPHY & REFERENCE - Zodiac Signs |
| Zodiac Signs | Redemption Plate Beit-Alpha Synagogue |
Zodiac Signs
| Lexical definition |
- The Babylonian signs of the constellations, as used by the Greeks and Romans became commonly known as Zodiac signs (“small animals,” in Greek). They were adopted by the Jews during the Babylonian exile and continued to be used for the lunar cycle of the year. The Hebrew names for the signs were mostly translated from the Latin. However, the names of the months and their correlation with particular signs originated in Babylon (JT. RH. 1:2). Since the Romans and Christians adopted the solar year cycle, the Latin names of the months and the beginning of the year and of each month do not correspond, neither do the signs of the Zodiac correlate exactly with the Hebrew ones. The Christian cycle, for example, starts with the month of January and the sign of Capricorn whereas the Hebrew cycle starts with the month of Nisan and the sign of lamb. The depiction of the Zodiac signs in Jewish art vary from those in Roman and Christian cycles. The Aries=ram is replaced by a lamb, Sagittarius by a bow and arrow, Capricorn is depicted as a kid of goats and Aquarius as a bucket. In Antiquity the Zodiac signs appear mainly on synagogue floors, encircling Helios driving his chariot as Sol Invictus, with the personification of the four Seasons in the spandrels. This complex is at times depicted next to salvation scenes such as the Sacrifice of Isaac and Daniel in the lions’ den, or Sanctuary implements expressing hopes of rebuilding the destroyed Temple. Some Zodiac signs are depicted as stone reliefs of ancient synagogues. In medieval illuminated prayer books, mainly in Ashkenazi mahzorim, the Zodiac signs illustrate the piyyut for rain and for dew by El'azar Birabi Kalir, a sixth century poet from Erez Israel. His piyyut for rain consists of only eleven strophes each devoted to one month but combining the months of Tevet and Shevat. The result is a combined sign of Kid and Bucket, or Kid and Drawing Well. His piyyutim may have been influenced by the mosaic floors of synagogues. The signs in illuminated mahzorim are at times joined to the labours of the months, and are at times related to the emblems of the Tribes of Israel. Some of the signs are strangely rendered, as can be seen in particular depictions of the signs: human figures have their heads distorted.
- During the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries Zodiac signs decorated the walls of modern and brick synagogues of Eastern Europe, where a non-iconic attitude had been taken, and generally no complete human beings were depicted. Twins may be represented as two animals and the Virgin as a bouquet with a vase, or as a harp. Among ritual objects of Eastern Europe which depict Zodiac signs are Torah crowns, shields and finials. In some Eastern European ceremonial objects the Zodiac signs appear related to the Day of Judgment as in belt buckles for Yom Kippur. At times they surround the Sacrifice of Isaac, or relate to the good omen for a newly born baby, as on Torah binders or Pidyon Ha-Ben plates (redemption of the first born). They also appear in marriage contracts as in Italian Ketuboth.
- The feast of Purim is connected to the Zodiac signs by the story of Haman casting lots to find out the right time to destroy the Jews. It therefore appears in illustrated Italian Esther scrolls as Haman shooting an arrow at the circular Zodiac cycle. The signs also appear around German pewter Purim plates. In modern art the Zodiac is depicted on a wall mosaic by Marc Chagall, where the signs surround the figure of Elijah rising to the heavens in his chariot, like Helios.
| Narrow Term |
Lamb
Bull
Twins
Crab
Lion
Virgin
Scales
Scorpion
Bow
Kid
Bucket
Kid and Bucket combined
Fish
| See also |
Sacrifice of Isaac
Sanctuary implements
Labours of the months
Four seasons
Moon
Stars
Sun
Tribes of Israel
Wheel of Fortune
| Iconographical components |
Number of signs
- Twelve
- Kid and Bucket combined
- Eleven
- Four
- One
Arrangement of signs
- In a circle
- In a rectangle
- Clockwise
- Counterclockwise
- In a row
- Horizontal
- Vertical
- In groups of
- Two
- Four
- Depicted separately
- One of the signs emphasized
- Beginning with
- Lamb
- Scales
- Bull
- Bow
Relation to other subjects
- Surrounded by
- Four Seasons
- correlated
- uncorrelated
- Labour of the month
- Encircling
- Helios
- Moon
- Sun
- Stars
- Sacrifice of Isaac
- The prophet Elijah
- New Moon blessing
- Wheel of Fortune
- Alternating with
- Labours of the months
- Sacrifice of Isaac
- Sanctuary implements
Signs identified by
- Inscription
- Hebrew
- Latin
- Italian
- Name of the sign
- Name of the month
| Illustrating |
The piyut by Eleazar birabi Kalir in the prayer for rain on the feast of Sukkot (Davidson, II, p. 418, No. 3466)
| Bibliography |
Naomi Feuchtwanger, "The Coronation of the Virgin and of the Bride," Jewish Art, 1986/87, pp.213-224.
Rachel Hachlili, "The Zodiac in Ancient Jewish Art: Representation and Significance," Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, no. 228, 1977, pp. 61-77.
Mendel Metzger, Jewish Life In The Middle Ages, New York, pp. 14-19.
Bezalel Narkiss, Hebrew Illuminated Manuscripts, p.52.
Shalom Sabar, "The Beginning and Flourishing of Ketubbah Illustration in Italy, A Study in Popular Imagery and Jewish Patronage during the 17th and 18th Centuries." Unpub. Ph.D. diss., Los Angeles, 1987, pp.178-213.
Gabrielle Sed Rajna, Le Mahzor Enlumine, Leiden, 1983.
Isaiah Sonne, "The Zodiac Theme in Ancient Synagogues and in Printed Books," Studies in Bibliography and Booklore, 1, 1953-4, pp. 3-13;
"Postscript," ibid.,pp. 82-83.
Rachel Wischnitzer, "The Beth Alpha Mosaic," Jewish Social Studies, 17, 1955, pp. 142-144.
| Registrar | ||
| Function: | Name: | Date: |
| Documenter | ||
| Researcher | ||
| Section Head | Ariella Amar | |
| Editor | ||
| IJA No.: | Not relevant | |
