Obj. ID: 3668
  Sacred and Ritual  Torah case, Tunisia, 1772

The faceted Torah case consists of a body and a coronet.

The case opens at the centre on the front facet, forming two halves joined at the back by a steady facet.

The body comprises eight facets and is encircled, at its upper and lower edges, by strips: two at the bottom, forming a frieze and one at its top.

The front facet is decorated with blank, large headed nails scattered in groups. Two pairs of dedicatory plaques are attached to the top and centre of the front facet flanking the opening.

The upper plaques are shaped as ogee arches while the bottom plaques are tipped arches. The inscriptions are engraved in a mixture of square and cursive Hebrew characters. Two out of the four inscriptions point to the same owner, Babahum Azaria, whereas the upper dedications denote that the owner died and the case was rededicated for his memory and for the repose of a fourth person (figs. 1, 2).  

The lower right inscription reads:

"זה הספר/ של באבהום/ עזריא יצ"ו (ישמרו צורו וגואלו)/ נכתב/ שנת תקל"ג."

"This scroll (belongs to) Babahum Azaria, May his Rock and Redeemer protect him. It was written in the year (5)533 (1772-1773)."

The left bottom inscription gives the exact date:

"זה/ הספר/ של באבהום/ עזריא יצ"ו (ישמרו צורו וגואלו)/ נשלם/ ר"ח (ראש חודש) כסלו/ שנת תקל"ג."

"This scroll (belongs to) Babahum Azaria, May his Rock and Redeemer protect him. It was accomplished on the new moon of Kislev, the year (5)533 (27.11.1772)."

"זה הספר/ של הר' (הרב) בא כהן/ עזריא יצו (ישמרו צורו וגואלו)/ נכתב לנשמת/ באבהום ע[זריה]/ שנת תקל"[?]/ נטר (נטריה רחמנא)."The upper plaques, possibly added later, read:

"This scroll (belongs to) Rabbi Ba Cohen Azaria, May his Rock and Redeemer protect him. It was written for the (repose of the) soul of Babahum A[zaria], the year (5)53? (after 1772). May the Merciful One protect him."

The left upper inscription reads:

"זה הספר/ של הר' (הרב)/ [ב]א כהן [?]/ [עז]ריא יצו (ישמרו צורו וגואלו)/ נכתב לנשמא/ בא כהן נעוריא/ שנת תקל"[ט]."

"This scroll (belongs to) Rabbi [B]a Cohen [Az]aria, May his Rock and Redeemer protect him. It was written for the (repose of the) soul of Ba Cohen Ne'uria, the year (5)53[?] (after 1772)"

The crenellated coronet is composed of sixteen tulip-shaped units (fig. 3). Each of the body's facets terminates with a central unit flanked by two others.

The inner face of the Torah case is plain wood (fig. 3). Each half has a double shelf at the bottom for the raising of the Torah. Two holes for inserting the Torah scroll staves appear at the bottom and top

.