Obj. ID: 45774
Hebrew Illuminated Manuscripts  Ketubbah (Marriage contract), Meknes, 1855

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

Groom:                             Yehudah Ben Moseh Halevi

Bride:                                Zahara Bat Yitzhak Ben Hassin

One of the most beautiful of Moroccan Ketubot, this creation is centered by an elaborate horseshoe arch, which almost exactly matches the design elements of the main gate to the old city in Meknes, the city in which this document was made. The entire design is elaborately decorated and brightly colored using floral and vegetal motifs surrounding the arch. This general style and gate motif are typical of the Ketubot created in the city of Meknes. In this example the groom is Yehuda ha-Levi son of Moshe ha-Levi and the bride is Zahra daughter of Yitzhak ben Hassin. The names, particularly that of the groom, are preceded by many honorifics, indicating the importance of the families. The use of specific local architecture in Jewish objects is a rare, but not unknown, phenomenon. The wedding took place in Meknes on November 28, 1855 (18 Kislev, 5616).

The Jewish community in Morocco has a long and rich history. Jews lived a large number of different communities in all parts of the country, numbering over 300,000 in 1948. Today the number of Jews in Morocco is less than 5,000, as most immigrated to Israel in the two decades following the establishment of that State in 1948.