Signs and Symbols

The Zodiac
A frequently heard congratulatory expression, mazal tov literally
means “good luck” or “good zodiac sign,” the Hebrew term mazal
signifying both “luck” and “zodiac sign.” Decorated Jewish marriage
contracts often include the saying, as do Torah binders fashioned
from the swaddling cloth used at a male infant’s circumcision. The
boy’s name, followed by the phrase “born under a good sign” and
his zodiac symbol, is also painted or embroidered on the binder.

In the Bible, Israelites are forbidden to practice divination and

soothsaying. The Talmud recounts that, when aged Abraham
learned that he was going to have a son, he said: “I looked at my
astrological [map] and I am not fit to have a son.” To this God
replied “there is no constellation for Israel,” implying that Jews
should not look to the stars to know their fates. In medieval Spain,
where Christianity, Islam, and Judaism converged for a time,
astronomical works were translated, studied, and authored by Jews
who were also versed in astrology. Yet the great rabbinical authority
Moses Maimonides repudiated astrology, which he viewed as
falsehood and star worship.

So how do we explain the popularity of the theme of the zodiac

in Jewish art? Jews adopted and adapted local practices early
on. Ancient synagogue mosaics featuring the zodiac were
allowed as long as they were not venerated. Divested of human
representations, the cycle appeared in painted interiors of Polish
wooden synagogues, which were later destroyed during the
Holocaust. Depictions of the signs both display distinctive traits
and emulate other traditions. The zodiac was incorporated into
richly decorated works, as seen in this gallery, used to safeguard
the Torah or emphasize its majesty, and to mark life-­cycle events
and holidays.

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 Benzion Sokiranski
Polish, born in 1887, died in 1953

Blessing of the New Moon, 1911

Oil on canvas
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman,
F 5148

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 Arthur (Asher) Berlinger
German, born in 1899, died in 1944

Wilhelm Toch, binder

Czech, born in 1879, died in 1944

Jewish calendar for the year 5704

(1943/44), 1943
Theresienstadt (Terezín), Czechoslovakia
(now the Czech Republic)
Printed paper with leather binding
Jewish Museum, New York, X1986-­329

This Jewish calendar was created by Arthur

Berlinger, one of the many Jewish artists
the Nazis deported to the Theresienstadt
camp-­ghetto. Despite horrific conditions,
many prisoners tried to keep their faith in
secret. Decorated with the zodiac on its
cover, the calendar also includes two full-­
page illustrations. One of them shows a man
praying at a synagogue with walls that are
decorated with stars—a depiction of the hidden
prayer room at Theresienstadt, whose interior
Berlinger painted.

Calendar illustration by Arthur (Asher) Berlinger showing the

hidden synagogue in Theresienstadt

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 Sefer Evronot (Book of Intercalations),
seventeenth century
Germany
Ink and gouache on paper
Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University,
New York

The Sefer Evronot includes tables and wheel

charts that are used to calculate the Hebrew
calendar and ensure that the holidays are
celebrated on the right dates and in the correct
seasons. Here Issachar, the father of one of
the Twelve Tribes of Israel, holds a sand clock,
ascending a ladder to receive the secrets of the
calendar directly from God.

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 Passover mahzor (festival prayer book),
c. 1300
Germany
Ink and paint on parchment
Courtesy of The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary,
New York

The prayer for dew, recited on the first day

of Passover, is accompanied by a poem
that mentions the months and signs of the
zodiac. Within each roundel is a depiction of
a labor typically performed during the month
and often its corresponding astrological
symbol. These pairings come from Christian
prayer books of the Middle Ages. On view are
Sagittarius and two labors for winter months—
feasting and warming oneself by the fire.

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 Prayer for the new month, 1827–28
Poland
Oil on canvas
Jewish Museum, New York, The Rose and Benjamin Mintz
Collection, M 344

Gemini is rendered here as two men rowing

a boat, a rare depiction that may relate to
ancient illustrations of Castor and Pollux. They
were the original Greco-Roman Gemini pair
and the patrons of sailors. Virgo is shown as
a mermaid, and Sagittarius is represented
by a hunting scene. This prayer once hung in
the Great Synagogue of Maków Mazowiecki
in Poland, which was destroyed during the
Holocaust.

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 Passover plate, eighteenth century
Germany
Engraved pewter
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman,
F 520

Inscribed in Hebrew on the plate’s rim is the

order of the ritual meal, or seder, held on the
first night of Passover. The cycle of the zodiac
is depicted within twelve roundels, with a
thirteenth, its decoration partly erased, added
by mistake. The central scene of Adam and
Eve may tie their creation to the beginning of
the Jewish calendar.

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 Taqi Pashutan
Active in Isfahan, Iran, early twentieth century

Tray, early twentieth century

Isfahan, Iran
Repoussé, engraved, traced, punched, and
hammered tinned copper
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Dr. Harry F. Friedman,
F 4297

The concentric Hebrew inscription, which runs

along the plate’s rim, is devoted to the zodiac.
The verses are taken from “The Kingly Crown,”
a Hebrew poem by the medieval Spanish poet
Solomon ibn Gabirol.

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 Redemption of the first born
(pidyon ha-­ben) plate, 1825
Lwów (Lviv, Ukraine)
Repoussé and engraved silver
Jewish Museum, New York, The Rose and Benjamin Mintz
Collection , M 249

A month after birth, the ceremony of pidyon

ha-­ben—during which a firstborn son is
redeemed from serving in the Temple—
traditionally takes place. Originally a duty of
every firstborn male, the sacred service was
later restricted to members of the tribe of Levi
and is redeemed with five shekels. These coins
are sometimes presented on decorated plates.
Larger trays are frequently used to present the
baby during the ceremony.

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 [09, in case, but wall label]

Casket for circumcision implements,

fifteenth or sixteenth century, additions
1737–38
Germany
Carved and painted fruitwood
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Zeiler
in memory of Mrs. Nan Zeiler, JM 35-­66a

Originally a secular medieval object, this

box was probably later offered as a gift for
the Jewish New Year, when the signs of the
zodiac were added. From the front, the order
of the signs on the casket follows the Jewish
calendar, beginning with Libra in the month of
Tishrei (September) and running from right to
left. Later it was transformed yet again into a
container for circumcision implements.

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 Bing and Grøndahl
Founded in Copenhagen, 1853

Presentation urn with a symbol of Virgo,

1853–94
Copenhagen
Painted ceramic
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Asher
Rosenberg and Felix Gruen, 1983-­231

This urn was a wedding gift and features the

symbol of Virgo, under which the marriage
took place. To the left of the reclining woman
is a field of wheat. This symbol may relate to
early depictions of Virgo as Demeter, the Greek
goddess of agriculture.

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 Ilya Schor
American, born in Galicia (now Poland/Ukraine),
1904, died in 1961

Marriage scene: Blessing of the bride

and groom, 1958–59
New York
Gouache, cut paper, and gold leaf on board
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Mira Schor, 2004-­63

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 Georg Wilhelm Schedel
German, born in 1698, became a master 1722,
died in 1762

Beaker for the Starkenburg Burial

Society, 1747
Frankfurt
Engraved and parcel-­gilt silver
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman,
F 3297

A burial society (hevra kaddisha) prepares the

deceased for burial, sparing the family from
this and other difficult tasks. Special beakers
were often used by these societies at their
banquets. Here, each medallion contains
the name of a member of the Starkenburg
Burial Society and his zodiac sign. Those who
were Levites—from the Hebrew tribe of Levi,
traditionally tasked with assisting the priests
in the Temple of Jerusalem—opted instead for
their traditional ewer symbol. The beaker was
in use for many years, so every available space
at the bottom has been filled with the names
of new members.

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 Marriage contract (ketubbah), 1793
Bride: Simhah, daughter of Ephraim Prato
Groom: Jacob Solomon, son of Shabbetai Hayyim
Matirini
Ancona, Italy
Ink and paint on cut-out parchment
Jewish Museum, New York, The Elkan N. Adler Collection,
S 604

Instead of following the order of the calendar,

each zodiac symbol is matched with one of a
similar motif on the opposite side of the text.
In this way, animal goes with animal, human
with human; the exception is Pisces, which
corresponds to Libra, since both signs feature
pairs. The blank shield above was meant for
the coats of arms of the bride and groom.
(Wealthy Italian Jews frequently adopted
unofficial emblems to imitate the local nobility.)
Prepared in advance by the artist, the frame
was later acquired by a couple that had no
family crests, so it remains empty.

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 RIGHT TO LEFT

Torah binders with the signs of

Scorpio, Sagittarius, and Capricorn,
eighteenth century
Germany
Paint and ink on linen; ink on linen; linen
embroidered with silk thread
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman,
F 2025, F 5036; Gift of the Danzig Jewish Community, D 262

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 Torah binder with the sign of Scorpio,
1786
Germany
Paint and ink on linen
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman,
F 2025

Torah binder with the sign of Sagittarius,

1752
Germany
Ink on linen
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman,
F 5036

Torah binder with the sign of Capricorn,

1737
Germany
Linen embroidered with silk thread
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of the Danzig Jewish
Community, D 262

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 IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM

Torah ark curtain, 1739–40

Probably Saarlouis, Lorraine (now Germany)
Silk embroidered with metallic and silk thread
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman,
F 5210

The lampstand with seven lamps and flanked

by two olive trees at the center of this Torah
ark curtain indicates that it was probably used
during Hanukkah. These symbols are linked to
the story of Zechariah’s messianic vision, which
is read on the Sabbath before the holiday.
Sagittarius stands for the Hebrew month of
Kislev, when Hanukkah is celebrated, and Aries
for the month of Nissan, when it is believed
the Temple will be reconstructed. Usually a
ram, Aries is depicted as a lamb, or taleh, the
Hebrew name for the sign.

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 Meir Schwartz
Nationality unknown, birth and death dates
unknown

Purim wall decoration, 1927

Vienna
Paint and ink on paper mounted on cardboard
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman,
F 4308

The customary Hebrew expression “When Adar

arrives all should be exceedingly joyful” appears
atop this wall decoration. Fish representing the
Purim month of Adar, whose symbol is Pisces,
are flanked by related inscriptions; a traditional
celebratory meal is pictured at center. The
decoration was dedicated by the artist, Meir
Schwartz, to Rabbi Jacob (Julius) Solomon
Steinfeld of Vienna.

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 Purim plate with the symbol of Pisces,
1816–17
Germany
Engraved pewter
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman,
F 577

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 RIGHT TO LEFT

Torah binder with the symbol of Gemini,

1811
Germany or Denmark
Paint on linen
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Miriam Schaar-
Schloessinger, JM 1-53

Torah binder with the symbol of Virgo,

1813
Germany
Linen embroidered with silk thread
Jewish Museum, New York, The H. Ephraim and Mordecai
Benguiat Family Collection, S 131

Influenced by Christian depictions of the sign,

Virgo is represented by a woman wearing a
feather hat and holding a cornucopia filled
with flowers.

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 Probably Ze’ev Raban, designer
Israeli, born in Poland, 1890, died in 1970

Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts

Founded in Jerusalem, 1906

Torah crown, 1912–17

Repoussé, filigree, and pierced silver, semiprecious
stones, and carved bone
Jewish Museum, New York, The Rose and Benjamin Mintz
Collection, M 260

The work exemplifies the stylistic blend of

East and West in the art created at the Bezalel
School of Arts and Crafts. Aquarius, Gemini,
and Virgo are depicted in a classical style
yet “orientalized.” The woman pouring water
from a jar represents Aquarius and resembles
depictions of the biblical story of Rachel
meeting Jacob at the well.

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 Torah crown, between 1764–65 and 1773
Lwów (Lviv, Ukraine)
Repoussé, cast, pierced, engraved, and parcel-­gilt
silver, semiprecious stones, and glass
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman,
F 2585

Depicted in the middle circlet of this Torah

crown, the zodiac cycle begins traditionally
with Aries. The crown was created in two
phases and is inscribed with the date that it
was rededicated. The lower portion includes a
number of inscriptions, from a couple in honor
of their sons and in memory of their parents.
Aquarius—dli, or pail, in Hebrew—is depicted
here as a figure drawing water from a well.

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 Torah shield, 1800–1801, with later repairs
Lwów (Lviv, Ukraine)
Repoussé and parcel-­gilt silver, semiprecious
stones, and gold inlay
Jewish Museum, New York, Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman,
F 2280

In this Torah shield Scorpio is rendered as a

lizard, since scorpions were not well-­known
creatures in Europe. The sign was also known
to take the shape of a turtle or a dragon.

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