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Between Heaven and Earth: Places of Worship in Egypt and Syria Through arts ArticleArticle BetweenBetween HeavenHeaven andand Earth:Earth: PlacesPlaces ofof WorshipWorship in Egyptin Egypt and and Syria Syria through through the the Mirror Mirror of of Visual Evidence Visual Evidence Rachel Sarfati Rachel Sarfati The Israel Museum, Jerusalem 9171002, Israel; [email protected] The Israel Museum, Jerusalem 9171002, Israel; [email protected] Received:Received: 55 MayMay 2020;2020; Accepted:Accepted: 33 AugustAugust 2020;2020; Published:Published: 1616 AugustAugust 20202020 Abstract:Abstract: InIn thethe villagesvillages Dammūh,Dammūh, nearnear Fustatֿׅ ,ׅ and Jobar, near Damascus,Damascus, therethere werewere placesplaces ofof worshipworship dedicateddedicated toto MosesMoses andand ElijahElijah whichwhich werewere partpart ofof centralcentral pilgrimagepilgrimage sites.sites. ThisThis articlearticle willwill proposepropose aa depictiondepiction ofof thethe architecturearchitecture andand interiorsinteriors ofof thesethese placesplaces basedbased onon visualvisual andand literaryliterary sourcessources fromfrom thethe MiddleMiddle Ages.Ages. InIn additionaddition toto thethe realisticrealistic aspect,aspect, thisthis articlearticle willwill suggestsuggest thatthat thethe uniqueunique designdesign of of the the reviewed reviewed illustrations illustrations expressed expressed the the prevalent prevalent belief belief that that when when the Templethe Temple was destroyed,was destroyed, the Shekhinah the Shekhinahwas exiled was toexiled the holyto the sites holy in Dammūhsites in Damm and Jobar.ūh and According Jobar. According to a common to a tradition,common thesetradition, places these are locatedplaces are between located heaven between and heaven earth,and and he earth, who and prays he in who them prays feels in like them he isfeels in the like Garden he is in of the Eden. Garden of Eden. Keywords:Keywords: KanīsatKanīsat Mūsā;Mūsā; Dammūh;Dammūh; ZiyāraZiyāra;; Nebi Samwil;Samwil; Egypt;Egypt; Elijah’s synagogue;synagogue; Jobar;Jobar; DamascusDamascus In optimal scenarios, scholars studying synagogues from the Medieval and Early Modern periods can examineIn optimal an existing scenarios, structure scholars that studying has survived syna intactgogues to thefrom present the Medieval day. However, and Early in most Modern cases, suchperiods studies can areexamine based an on existing partial remains, structure photographs, that has survived and/or intact textual to sources. the present Illustrations day. However, depicting in synagoguesmost cases, aresuch not studies common are inbased medieval on partial manuscripts, remains, and photographs, depictions ofand/or a specific textual synagogue sources. 1 accompaniedIllustrations depicting by a clear synagogues identification are are not particularly common rare.in medieval manuscripts, and depictions of a specificThis synagogue article discusses accompanied visual depictionsby a clear identification of synagogues are within particularly holy compounds rare.1 in manuscripts originatingThis article from discusses Egypt and visual the depictions Land of Israel of synagogues between thewithin fourteenth holy compounds and sixteenth in manuscripts centuries. Theoriginating manuscripts from portrayEgypt and the the holy Land sites of on Israel the pilgrimage between the route fourteenth taken by and Jews sixteenth from Middle centuries. Eastern The countriesmanuscripts to the portray Land ofthe Israel. holy Thissites journeyon the waspilgrimage known route as Ziyāra taken, a nameby Jews that from draws Middle on the Eastern Arabic wordcountries for the to the tradition Land of visitingIsrael. This the journey graves of was saints. known Numerous as Ziyāra Jewish, a name pilgrims that draws made on this the journey Arabic annuallyword for betweenthe tradition the festivals of visiting of Passoverthe graves and of Shavuotsaints. Numerous. In addition Jewish to the pilgrims journey made to the this holy journey places inannually the Land between of Israel, the thefestivalsZiyāra ofincluded Passover important and Shavuot sites. In in addition neighboring to the lands.journey Residents to the holy of places these areasin the also Land made of Israel, pilgrimages the Ziy toāra such included sites throughout important the sites year in forneighboring the purpose lands. of personal Residents prayer of these and gatheredareas also there made for pilgrimages significant to celebrations such sites throughout and public prayersthe year held for the during purpose special of personal times connected prayer and to 2 eachgathered individual there for location. significantThis celebrations paper focuses and on pub thelic visual prayers depictions held during of two special central times places connected of prayer to ineach holy individual sites, one location. in Egypt,2 KanīsatThis paper Mūsā, focuses and theon the other visual in Syria, depic thetions synagogue of two central of the places Prophet of prayer Elijah. in holyThe sites, artistic one genre in Egypt, in which Kanīsat the M visualūsā, and depictions the other of in holy Syria, sites the appear synagogue is part of of the a widerProphet genre Elijah. of textualThe sources artistic originating genre in which mainly the fromvisual Egypt depictions and the of holy Land sites of Israel. appear This is part wider of a genrewider includesgenre of detailedtextual sources lists of originating sites and geographical mainly from locations, Egypt and in additionthe Land toof textsIsrael. intended This wider to serve genre as includes guides 3 fordetailed the journey. lists of sitesIn most and geographic manuscripts,al locations, the illustrations in addition accompany to texts a intended list or a longerto serve text, as guides although for the journey.3 In most manuscripts, the illustrations accompany a list or a longer text, although in 1 (Meger and Meger 1982, pp. 59–74; Sabar 2018, pp. 174–76). 2 For more details on the Ziyāra, see (Reiner 1988, pp. 217–33, 272–83). 1 (Metzger and Metzger 1982, pp. 59–74; Sabar 2018, pp. 174–76). 3 (Reiner 2002, pp. 9–19; 2003; Jacobs 2014, pp. 21–49). 2 For more details on the Ziyāra, see (Reiner 1988, pp. 217–33, 272–83). 3 (Reiner 2002, pp. 9–19; 2003; Jacobs 2014, pp. 21–49). Arts 2020, 9, x; doi: FOR PEER REVIEW www.mdpi.com/journal/arts Arts 2020, 9, 90; doi:10.3390/arts9030090 www.mdpi.com/journal/arts Arts 2020, 9, 90 2 of 23 in some manuscripts, they appear alone, with only identifying captions and short sections of text alongside them.4 Before discussing the synagogues and places of worship within a holy site, it is important to clarify a number of terms, which possessed a different meaning in the medieval period. The term knesset occurs frequently in these sources, referring to a holy place and pilgrimage site. Parallel to it are terms such as midrash, which today is used to designate a place of study, or kever (grave), which clearly indicates a place of burial.5 In various sources quoted in this article and/or upon which it relies, places of prayer and holy sites are both referred to as knesset or beit knesset. During the Medieval period, holy sites in the Middle East were often associated with a biblical figure, usually one whose personal history was interwoven with a certain geographical space. Foundational myths related the event that imbued the site with holiness and its relationship with the holy person associated with it. Sometimes, this was an event mentioned in the Bible, and on other occasions, it was a miracle or supernatural occurrence that became a well-known tradition, imparted orally until it was recorded in textual sources. The manuscripts discussed in this article originated from Egypt and the Land of Israel, the very geographical space in which these sites were located. The illustrations are accompanied by clear identifying captions, indicating that they represent a known and familiar place. This raises the question of whether the architectural representations before us constitute a faithful reflection of reality. Is it possible to see them as firsthand testimony regarding the appearance of a place, or are these visual paerns that contain no unique and realistic elements of the actual site? Or, perhaps, the various images are symbols, and their elements and design were intended to express a concept or idea? An examination of the depictions reveals a multifaceted answer that I will aempt to explain. 1. Kanīsat Mūsā in Egypt Kanīsat Mūsā was a place of pilgrimage and a holy site associated with the biblical figure of Moses. The site was located in the village of Dammūh, several kilometers southwest of Fusṭāṭ, on the western bank of the Nile. According to local tradition, Moses sojourned in Dammūh after leaving the Pharaoh’s presence to pray outside the city, as related in Exodus 9:29: And Moses said unto him: “As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread forth my hands unto the Lord; the thunders shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know that the earth is the Lord’s.” Scholars concur with statements found in various sources, according to which a pilgrimage site and holy place associated with Moses existed at Dammūh as early as the 1st century CE. Studies regard Kanīsat Mūsā as the holiest and most important and central pilgrimage site for the Jews of Egypt throughout the entire medieval period. In 1498, the Mamluk sultan issued a decree ordering its destruction, although apparently, remnants remained standing, because testimonies from the mid-sixteenth century describe pilgrimages to Dammūh.6 Studies concerning the site draw on a number of sources. The central and most detailed source is found in the writings of the learned Egyptian religious figure al-Maqrīzī (1364–1442). His topographical-historical work, which dates from the beginning of the fifteenth century, offers an extensive depiction of Dammūh and traditions regarding it.7 An earlier source is the work of the Armenian writer Abū Ṣāliḥ, which describes Kanīsat Mūsā as a holy place of Jews that contained 4 (Sarfati 2002, pp. 21–29, and the items in the catalogue on pp. 32–36; 2016, pp. 4–7, 15–19). 5 (Reiner 2003, pp. 317–18). 6 (Goheil 1907, pp. 501–4; Golb 1965, pp. 255–59; 1974, pp. 124–25; Assaf 1946, pp. 156–62; Strauss-Ashtor 1944, vol.
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