Persian Jewish Marriage Contract (Ketubah) from Isfahan, Iran

The ketubah is a religious and legal contract of marriage. Traditionally, it outlines the conjugal and economic conditions of a marriage and is written in Aramaic. This ornate ketubah from Isfahan, Iran, was presented by the groom Isaiah ben Isaac to his bride, Khanom bat Hadji (Mr.) Mordecai. The sun and lion motif is a traditional Iranian symbol going back to the medieval period. The document, as per tradition, is in Aramaic, but there is additional text on the back in Judeo-Persian, written later, about a monetary settlement.