Couple of interesting tidbits I came across earlier today while perusing various manuscripts of Rashi's commentary on the Torah in search of variants of one particular passage (more on that perhaps some other time):
1. In Ms. HUCA JCF 1, fol. 41r, an artist drew the kohen gadol's choshen (breastplate) and ephod (sleeveless garment below the breastplate. On one side of the ephod, the artist quoted a Tosafistic commentary on the form of the ephod:
"האפוד היה כמין שורקוט בלא בתי ידיים."
"The ephod was like a kind of sleeveless surcoat."
A surcoat was a kind of garment that knights wore over their armor, used to display their coats-of-arms. In other words, the ephod was like a priestly surcoat, and, potentially, the breastplate was the kohen gadol's coat-of-arms.
2. Among the various Temple vessels displayed in the (in)famous scene at Titus's Arch, the vessel that stands out the most is of course the Menorah. A longtime question regarding its design has been its base: The base features the images of dragons! This goes against the prohibition of drawing images, a prohibition we know was strictly observed during the Second Temple period and later, until circa the early Amoraic period. Various explanations have been suggested over the years, including the possibility that the based was actually a separate piece, constructed by the Romans to hold the Menorah during the victory procession (perhaps a topic for yet another post).
However, in Ms. Parma 3204, fol. 67v there's an interesting tidbit on the matter: The folio features an artist's impression of the Menorah. This version is covered from top to bottom with various animals, including mythological beasts (who at the time were often thought as real creatures). Most surprising, however, is the Menorah's base: It consists of two dragons! Might the artist have been directly or indirectly familiar with the Arch's version? We may never know. But it's quite interesting that the artist thought nothing of covering the Menorah with images in general, and specifically including those of mythological beasts.
We know from many sources that European Jews, and especially Ashkenazi Jews were not only very familiar with knightly and noble culture, but even, at times, took part in it. They learned to fight with swords and shields, practiced jousting, read Arthurian romances, practiced falconry, and more (see e.g.,
here and
here). So seeing Jewish commentators and artists utilizing their knowledge of knightly culture in interpreting parts of the Mishkan shouldn't be surprising. And there are many more examples of this topic. Once again, perhaps a topic for another post.
Comments
Post a Comment