Obj. ID: 23331
Sacred and Ritual Objects Elijah's rod, 1939
The Elijah's Rod is made of a cylindrical wooden rod terminating in a knob.
The upper part of the rod and the knob are covered by silver plating. The upper shaft portion bears a dedicatory inscription. The knob is decorated by a scaly and foliate pattern. A Star of David is atop the knob, and is inscribed:
ציון
Translation: Zion
The dedicatory inscription in linear letters is engraved in five vertical lines and reads down from the knob:
זה המטה אליהו הנביא / מלאך הברית שהקדיש / יוסף חיים ברמ' [=בן רבי מולא] ראובן ע'מ [=עמרם] / י''ר [=יהי רצון] זכותו יע''א [=יגן עלינו אמן] ח' שבט / התרצט לכאבול
Translation: This rod of Elijah the prophet/guardian of the covenant was dedicated by / Joseph Hayim, son of Rabbi Mullah (int.) Reuben 'Amram (int.) / may it be (int.) His right to protect us, amen (int.), 8th Shevat 5699=(28.1.1939), Kabul
sub-set tree:
In the Persian Jewish communities of Central Asia, Afghanistan and Caucasus, the arrival of Elijah at the circumcision is also marked by a special staff, attributed to the old messenger, named "Elijah's rod". Jewish folktales of Afghanistan describe Elijah the prophet as an old man worn out from the many circumcisions he must attend. He therefore leans on his rod and sits on his chair in order to rest a little.
In Afghan communities, Elijah's staff was preserved, wrapped in a cloth sack, in the Torah ark. During the circumcision ceremony, it was set between the two chairs, tilted against the big Elijah's chair.
As the rod is believed to have healing powers, associated with the revival stories of the prophet Elijah (1 Kgs. 17: 21-24) and his disciple (2 Kgs. 4: 29), the rod is brought to the house of a birthing woman, in order to protect her and the newborn [Noy, Afghanistan: Folklore; Kurt, Matehu; Hanegbi, The Circumcision; Amar, Ingathering, p. 97].
Apart from the custom, the staffs of the three communities share common artistic features. The rod is usually covered with silver sheets and is surrounded by an inscribed band. However, the ornaments differ in style and shape and the decoration of the knob.
Hanegbi, Zohar and Bracha Yaniv, Afghanistan : the synagogue and the Jewish home (Jerusalem: Center for Jewish Art, 1991), pp. 34, 82, 156-158.
Amar, Ariella and Ruth Jacoby, eds. Ingathering of the Nations. Jerusalem: Center for Jewish Art, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1998. In English and Hebrew.
Kurt, Zevulun. "Matehu shel Eliyahu Ha-Navi" (Elijah's Rod). Yeda Am. Vol. 7. No. 25. P. 64. 1962. In Hebrew.
Noy, Dov. s.v. "Afghanistan: Folklore". Encyclopedia Judaica, 2nd ed.