Early Medieval Material Culture

What Makes an Object Jewish?

The names of almost all early medieval artisans are unknown to us. Often the only identifying characteristic indicating that an object was made by or for a Jew is the presence of Hebrew or Aramaic. For example, seals—used for authenticating documents—can be identified as created for Jewish use because they bear Hebrew names. A seal was a sign of prestige, and there are several examples of seals owned by important individuals in both the Islamic world and Christian Europe. Similarly, amulets were written in Hebrew characters, and the astrolabe in our collection, despite being crafted by a Muslim metalworker, also bears Hebrew inscriptions, indicating that a Jewish astronomer later used it. 

Sometimes iconography can help with identification, although even seemingly obvious Jewish images like menorahs were occasionally used in non-Jewish contexts. 

By contrast, some objects have been included because they were found deposited in locations of Jewish provenance. In particular, the masṭara ruling boards (made for tracing lines on paper) were found in the Cairo Geniza, and the pottery jug was found in excavations of the Jewish quarter in Cologne, Germany.