Obj. ID: 11036
Sacred and Ritual Objects Circumcision shield, Tunis
The circumcision shield is a rounded oval plate, with a central slit. Its front face is decorated with a dedicatory inscription engraved in square Hebrew letters, and reads:
"שומר הברית (נחמיה ט:לב)/ ע"ה (עבד ה')/ מכלוף אלבז/ ס"ט/ זאת בריתי אשר/ תשמרו ביני וביניכם// ובין זרעך אחריך/ המול לכם כל זכר (בראשית י"ז:י)."
"'Who keepest the covenant' (based on Neh. 9:32). Servant of the Lord, Makhluf Elbaz, may he ends well. 'This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; every man child among you shall be circumcised (Gen. 17:10)."
Shomer HaBrit, namely the Covenant Keeper (based on Neh. 9:32), is the name attributed to the prophet Elijah, who according to tradition should attend each and every circumcision ceremony (Pirkei De'Rabbi Eliezer, 28). However, the title inscribed on Elbaz shield bears a double meaning and it also refers to the function of the shield during the ceremony. The shields are used to protect the baby's glans during the removal of the foreskin. Thus, the Circumcision Keeper is used not only as a title for Elijah, but also literally: the protector. As for their shape see, Circumcision shield, Sc.82(PC)-18).