Israel: Jerusalem Kiss

aka, Shrine of the Book

The first time my gaze lit upon The Shrine of the Book, I went, "Huh?!"* Yet it stands in quiet and striking contrast to the terraced boxes of the Israel Museum about which I have written earlier. The museum's interior offers, among other things, a sumptuous panoply of Jewish artefacts on the walls, on the floor and under glass. For people like myself, starved of such abundance gathered under one roof, it is gratifying to both the mind and the senses. Meanwhile, entering the hushed and softly lit interior of the room housing the central showcase of the Shrine is like entering the Sanctuary, spare with offerings, bits of parchment cobbled together in the cases round about.

But ooooh, those offerings! The room is like one great big Ark! I suppose this is as spiritually and historically close as we can get to the Holy of Holies for the time being (though this Gate in the Tunnels may lead to it:)

It is not just the one long parchment that girds the walls of the central casing (disappointingly it was meant to be from the book of Isaiah, but had been removed and replaced with a copy) that is breathtakingly affecting. It is also all the little bits of religious living in found objects such as amulets and tefillin. It is in the greatness of devotion by the scribes. It is in the wondrous penmanship by one such scribe whose letters were shaped with such clarity and spare elegance, that it surprises and amazes- and this, all on a scrap of scroll from some impossibly tiny tefillin.

We took this side trip with our rabbi, who was able to answer our questions and fill in the gaps. My huge discovery was in learning about and seeing, in the skin, a book, circa early 10th century, called The Aleppo Codex:

The Aleppo Codex is the earliest known Hebrew manuscript comprising the full text of the Bible. It is also the most authoritative, accurate, and sacred source document, both for the biblical text and for its vocalization, cantillation and Massorah.

For me it was like discovering the Rosetta Stone, only infinitely more exciting. As I understand it, previous to this time there is no known codification of vowels and of cantillation. I learned that the codification came much, much later, long after the Torah was written down. This is A Big One.

I was also pleasantly surprised to discover that the jars which held the scrolls found at Qumran were quite pleasing in shape, spare yet elegant and smooth surfaced. I always imagine ancient clay artefacts to be without grace. I stand corrected.

Torah suffuses the atmosphere, alive. The Shrine of the Book satiates the soul. Like a kiss, it is most gratifying. And all its ways are pleasant. And all its paths are peace. Indeed, there is peace in Jerusalem.


* I was also quite grateful that the Shrine was not designed à la Derek Zoolander's Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good. Heh.