Obj. ID: 19570
Sacred and Ritual Objects  Torah case, Libya, 1940

The wooden Torah case consists of a body and a crown. The body is cylindrical, covered by silver sheets, attached in three horizontal rows. Every row consists of twelve plaques. Two friezes are attached to the upper and lower borders. The silver sheets are decorated with flowers and branches coming out of a vase. Each sheet is framed by an intermittence decoration of leaves and circlets. The body is made of two halves. On each one, at its center, there are Tablets of the Testimony. The tables are mounted by a crown and bear an inscription of the ten commandments in full linear letters:

!אנכי ה' ##לא יהיה##לא תשא##זכור את##כבד את##לא תרצח##לא תנאף##לא תגנוב##לא תענה##לא תחמד!)שמ.כ:ב-יז(.

!I am the Lord##Thou shalt have no##Thou shalt not take##Remember the##Honour thy##Thou shalt not kill##Thou shalt not commit adultery##Thou shalt not steal##Thou shalt not bear##Thou shalt not covet! (Ex.20:2-17).

The upper frieze bears a dedicatory inscription:

!משה לביא נ!ע)=נוחו עדן( נפטר כח' חשון תרע!ח: ת'ונ'עי' אחיו מאיר לביא##זה הספר נעשה בכ!ח אדר שנת ע'ר'כ'ת'י' נר למנוחת הכ'ח!

!Moses Lavie may he rest in Eden. Died 28 Heshvan 5678(=1918): Donated and contributed by his brother Meir Lavie##This book was made on the 28th of Adar in the year 5570(=1940) in memory of the honourble wise.!

The lower frieze is decorated in the vegetal pattern. The body is surmounted by a lily-shaped crenellation. The case is closed by two pairs of silver clasps. The inner face is covered with Bordo velvet. The hollow bottom has an oval inset. It is covered by silver plaque decorated in the vegetal pattern. The top is covered with silver friezes decorated in the vegetal pattern. The inner face of the crown is framed by silver strips forming an arched frame to an arched pattern inscription, behind a glass half rounded windows. The inscription is written with ink and reads:

!ברוך אתה ה' אלהינו מלך העולם אשר בחר##בנו מכל העמים ונתן לנו את##תורתו ברוך אתה ה' נותן##התורה!

!Blessed art thou, Lord our God, king of the universe, who hast chosen us from all people, and hast given us thy Torah. Blessed art thou, O Lord, Giver of the Torah.!

It continues on the left side:

!ברוך אתה ה' אלהינו מלך העולם אשר נתן##לנו תורתו תורת אמת וחיי עולם נטע##בתוכנו ברוך אתה ה' נתן##התורה!

!blessed art thou, Lord our God, king of the universe, who hast given us the Torah of truth, and hast planted everlasting life in our midst. Blessed art thou, O Lord Giver of the Torah!

The tapering crest is covered by silver plaques decorated in the same pattern, both form an onion-shaped crown. The crest is surmounted by a bud shaped apex. Two insert holes for the rods are at the top of the case. The crown is composed of the main section, a crest, and an apex. The domed shaped main section is covered by silver undulated plaques decorated in a floral pattern.