Obj. ID: 56351
  Sacred and Ritual  Mizrah, Prague, 1878

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

Mizrah (Hebrew: מזרח "east") is the Hebrew word for "east" and the direction that Jews in the Diaspora face during prayer. Jewish law prescribes that Jews at prayer face the site of the Temple in Jerusalem. In addition, "Mizrach" refers to an ornamental wall plaque used to indicate the direction of prayer in Jewish homes. In a synagogue, that direction would be obvious as it is the side of the building on which the ark was placed. But in a home or Sukkah the direction had to be indicated. It is customary in traditional Jewish homes and the Sukkah to mark the wall in the direction of Mizrach to facilitate proper prayer. For this purpose, people use artistic wall plaques inscribed with the word Mizrach and scriptural passages like "From the rising (mi-mizrah) of the sun unto the going down thereof, the Lord's name is to be praised" (Ps. 113:3), Kabbalistic inscriptions, or pictures of holy places. Such plaques were most often manuscript forms or printed sheets, ranging from the simplest idea of the word only to elaborately decorated pages with a wide range of images and texts. These plaques are generally placed in rooms in which people pray, such as the living room or bedrooms. The four letters of the Hebrew word MiZRaCH are sometimes indicated as the initial letters of the Hebrew phrase Metzad Zeh Ruach Chaim (From this side the source of life).

Biblisches Tableau, printed Mizrach plaque. Printed in the center of the plaque are the words "Mizrach. Mi-Tzad Zeh Ruach Chaim" and (above) "Shiviti Hashem Lenegdi Tamid". On either side of the words are the figures of Moses holding the Tablets of the Law (with the Ten Commandments in Hebrew), and Aaron the High Priest beside the seven-branched Menorah. The upper half of the page contains the symbols of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, surmounted by a crown topped by a Magen David. The left and right margins show two trees incorporating six medallions with Biblical scenes, including the Binding of Isaac, Joseph in Egypt, the spies carrying a cluster of grapes, etc. Each scenes in described in German.