Abstract
The Jewish marriage contract (ketubbah) exists between two worlds: the written text and material culture. Its primary feature and raison d'être is the text: the literal meaning of the word ketubbah is "that which is written," though it refers to the basic minimal sum of money, stipulated in the contract, that the talmudic rabbis deemed the husband should pay his wife upon the dissolution of their marriage.1 But the ketubbah also developed into an object with a conspicuous physical presence in the wedding ceremony. In many communities, ketubbot were artistically ornamented, making them central objects of attention in the ceremony. This combination of text and image makes the ketubbah an invaluable source for the study of the Jewish past, including wedding practices and customs, visual traditions and aesthetic concepts, as well as fears of the unknown and the wish to protect the bridal couple. The importance of the ketubbah for research into the daily life of Jewish communities also lies in its widespread use. According to Jewish law, a husband may not live with his wife even for one hour without a ketubbah, and if it is lost or destroyed, they must see to it that a replacement ketubbah (ketubbah d'irkhesa) is issued as soon as possible.2 Surviving ketubbot attest to the weddings of individuals of all classes living in a broad geographic range of communities, about whom sometimes nothing is known besides what is contained in the ketubbah itself; in the case of certain villages or communities, the ketubbah is the only material evidence attesting to the existence of a Jewish community.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Jewish Studies at the Crossroads of Anthropology and History |
| Subtitle of host publication | Authority, Diaspora, Tradition |
| Publisher | University of Pennsylvania Press |
| Pages | 102-132 |
| Number of pages | 31 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780812243031 |
| State | Published - 2011 |