Obj. ID: 234
Sacred and Ritual Objects  Torah Case (Iraq, 1890)

The wooden Torah^case consists of a body and a crown.

The cylindrical body is covered with silver sheets decorated with foliate cartouches network each bearing palm-tree foliate rhomboids. The upper and lower borders are encircled by friezes bearing a dedicatory inscription. The body's upper border is surmounted by a lily-like crenellation.

The case is opened by two silver hook clasps. There are two pairs of hinges at the back. The inner face is covered with floral pattern brocade. The onion-shaped crown consists of a main section, a crest and an apex.

The main section is covered with silver sheets, decorated with foliate cartouches each bearing a palm-tree.

The undulating crest is mounted over the crown. The crest is decorated with strips of a foliate pattern alternating with plain strips. A wide ring bearing an oval pattern, encircles its centre. The crest is surmounted by a bud-shaped apex. Ten rings are fixed around the centre of the crest, carrying chains with slit, drop-shaped bells.

Two iron rimon mounts are fixed on the crown.

Two painted mirror bearing dedicatory inscription are attached to the crown inner face. The mirrors are decorated with floral motif, and the inscription apears in arches. below them are two strips of inscription written on paper in filled letters and reads: "תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה ## קהלת יעקב)דברים לג,ד( משה אמת ותורתו א)מת(" "Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance ## of the congregation of Jacob (Deut.33:4) Moses is truth and his law is truth"

The dedicatory inscription on the body starts at the upper border. It is chaised in filled letters and reads from the front of the case: "תיק זה וסת )=וספר תורה( שבו של הרב ברוך יחזקאל ישראל ח)כם( יעקב ## גדול יהוה ומהולל מאוד ולגדלתו אין חקר" "This case and the Torah Scroll (Int.) inside it belong to the rabbi Baruch Ezekiel Israel The wise (Int.) Jacob ## The Lord is great and very glorify and his greatness is infinite" The inscription continues on the lower border, reading from the front: "כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת ולמדה את בני ישראל ## גדול יהוה ומהולל מאוד ולגדלתו אין חקר" "Write for you this poetry and teach it to the children of Israel ## The Lord is great and very glorify and his greatness is infinite"

The dedicatory inscription upon the inner face of the crown is written in filled letters, on seven lines, and reads from the right: "יהוה ## וזאת התורה ## אשר שם משה ## לפני בני ישראל ## אלה החקים והמש)פטים( ##והתורו')ת( אשר נתן ## יי בינו ובין ישראל )דברים ד,מד-מה(" Deut. 4:44-45

Continues on the left side of the crown: "אדני ## גדול ה ומהולל ## מאוד:תיק זה ## וסת )=וספר תורה ( שבו של הר)ב( ## ברוך יחזקאל ## ישראל ח)כם( יעקב ## היו )=ה' יחיהו ויזכהו( בשנת תר"ן"

"The Lord ## The lord is great and very glorify ## This case ## and the Torah-scroll inside it belong to the rabbi ## Baruch Ezekiel ## Israel the wise (Int.) Jacob ## May the lord sustain him and grant him favour (Int.) the year (5)650

NO : Sc.4221