Obj. ID: 23333
Sacred and Ritual Objects Elijah's rod, Kabul, 20th century
The Elijah's Rod is made of a cylindrical wooden rod terminating with a knob.
The lower and upper parts of the rod are covered by silver plates. The plates are decorated by winding stripes of foliate and geometrical motifs. The center of the rod is decorated by a painting of a multicolor floral motif on a golden background.
The knob is decorated by a foliate motif and bears on its top the inscription:
מלאך הברית
Translation: The guardian of the covenant
The knob's borders are encircled by a geometrical runner and a dedicatory inscription. The inscription is engraved in outline letters and reads:
זה המטה קדש בית הכנסת לכבוד אליהו הנביא זל מלאך הברית
Translation: This rod is dedicated to the synagogue in honor of Elijah the prophet, of blessed memory, the guardian of the covenant
6 image(s)
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.