Shiviti

Moses Ganbash

1838–1839

Drawing on paper of hills, water with boat, and buildings, with Hebrew text on top and border with vines and architectural elements.
This remarkable illustration is at the same time a shiviti—traditionally, a decorative plaque bearing the verse: “I am ever mindful of the Lord’s presence”—and a topographic map of the land of Israel. Panoramic maps featuring holy sites of Judaism were popular during the nineteenth century, although this artist’s combination of a map with a shiviti was a unique achievement, linking the metaphysical omnipresence of the Lord with the physical spaces central to Jewish liturgy. Much of the map’s border is made from delicate paper collage, attesting to the skill of its maker, Moses Ganbash, an artist and scribe. He adds a personal aspect to the map by depicting, at the bottom, a steamship in the Mediterranean Sea, flying a Turkish flag. The Dead Sea is further toward the top near the right-hand side of the image.

Credits

The Jewish Museum, New York. Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman, F 5855.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 6.

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