A Torah Tour of the Sistine Chapel with Sara Terracina

| Written by: Brenda Lee Bohen

A TORAH TOUR OF THE SISTINE CHAPEL WITH SARA TERRACINA

Millions of tourists have entered the Sistine Chapel for more than five hundred years. Tour guides usher their massive size tour groups, while other guides try to squeeze in their private clients through in ten to twenty minutes leaving them to gaze in awe by the powerful story of the Torah.

According to Jewish tradition, Jews have called the writings of the Hebrew Bible the Tanakh. It is an abbreviation of the words Torah (the five books of Moses; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, also called Pentateuch, Nevi’im (the historical prophetic books), and Ketuvim (the remainder of the inspired writings or wisdom literature of the Hebrew Bible). The Torah derives from the homonymic Hebrew root “y-r-h”. This root meant “to teach”. The term Old Testament is the Christian name for the Hebrew Bible.

A Torah Tour of the Sistine Chapel is specifically curated for Jewish visitors who want to visit the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel with a Jewish tour guide. During this tour, participants will see the highlights of the Vatican Museum, ancient artefacts, the art masterpieces with links to the Jewish history of Rome.

Sistine Chapel Museum Ceiling Panel Board

Your guide is Sara Terracina, a member from of the Jewish community of Rome. She provides specialized tours for tourists visiting Rome and Italy who are interested in Jewish history and culture. Her mission is to show visitors how the eternal city is an amazing place where ancient Romans, the Popes and the Jewish community struggled, but succeeded to coexist over the centuries.

The Torah Tour of the Sistine Chapel is a three-hour walking tour inside the vast complex of the Vatican Museums. The Sistine Chapel plays an important role in the Roman Catholic Church. It is the place where the Sacred College of Cardinals, gather to elect popes. The Sistine Chapel did not start during the Renaissance, it was originally built during the Middle Ages. The first written documentation relating to its existence dates to 1368. It was called the capella papalis, or Papal Chapel. Pope Sixtus IV (Francesco della Rovere 1471-1484) decided to rebuild the chapel as part of his preservation plan to beautify Rome and of course, immortalize his papacy. The chapel was named the Sistine Chapel in his honor. Construction on the chapel began in 1477 by a the Florentine architect Baccio Pontelli.

Pontelli was a military architect and was commissioned to build a chapel with both military and spiritual features. Pope Sixtus, also known as the warrior pope, often engaged in military battles with other city-states throughout Italy. The original structure was never destroyed, and the lower third part was kept as a base for the new chapel. Pontelli designed the chapel to conform to the full- sized copy of the inner-sanctum, or the Holy of Holies, of King Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem—-right smack in the middle of Renaissance Rome. It was 134.28 feet long by 43.99 feet wide by 67.91 feet high—exactly those of the heichal, the long rectangular back section of the First Holy Temple completed by King Solomon and his architect King Hiram of Tyre (Lebanon) in 930 BCE (Sistine Secrets, HarperCollins, 2008).

This Torah Tour of the Sistine Chapel is a hands-on, interactive experience that will keep all family members engaged while learning how Michelangelo frescoed seven Hebrew Prophets and nine scenes of Genesis. Here are some of the highlights discussed on the Torah Tour:

PAR’SHAT B’RESHEET

Viewing the first panel on the ceiling Michelangelo shows that he understood the Hebrew text: “When G-d began to create heaven and earth—the earth being uniformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water— “God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from darkness. He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day. (Tanakh, Genesis 1: 1-6)

The second panel is the Separation of Day and Night, when God creates “the Sun for the day and the Moon for the night.” “God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the water, that it may separate water from water.” God made the expanse, and it separated the water which was below the expanse from the water which was above the expanse. And it was so. God called the expanse Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.” (Tanakh, Genesis 1: 6-8). The theme of the third panel is the Separation of Water from the Dry. God said, “Let the water below the sky be gathered into one area, that the dry land may appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering of the waters He called Seas. And God saw this was good. And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation: seed-bearing plants, fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that this was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (Tanakh, Genesis 1: 9-13)

In the next scene God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate day from night; they shall serve as signs for the set times—the days and the years; and they shall serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.” And it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to dominate the day and the lesser light to dominate the nigh, and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth, to dominate the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that this was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. (Tanakh, Genesis 1: 14-19).

The following scene is where God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and birds that fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” God created the great sea monsters, and all the living creatures of every kind that creep, which the waters brought forth in swarms, and all the winged birds of every kind. And God saw that this was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fertile and increase, fill the waters and the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. (Tanakh,
Genesis 1: 20-23). Continuing, God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature: cattle, creeping things, and wild beasts of every kind.” And it was so. God made wild beasts of every kind and cattle of every kind, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth. And God saw that this was good. And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. They shall rule the fish of the sea, the birds, the cattle, the whole earth, and all the creeping things that creep on earth.” And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female

He created them. God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all living things that creep on earth.” God said, “See, I give you every seed-bearing plant that is upon all the earth, and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit; they shall be yours for food. And to all the animals on
land, to all the birds in the sky, and to everything that creeps on earth, in which there is the breath of life, (I give) all the green plants for food.” And it was so. And God saw all that He had made and found it very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (Tanakh, Genesis 1: 24-31). And finally, on the seventh day, the heaven and the earth were finished.

On the seventh day God finished the work that He had been doing, and He ceased on the seventh day from all the work that He had done. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because on it God ceased from all the work of the creation that He had done. Such is the story of heaven and earth whey they were created. (Tanakh, Genesis 2: 1-4). To imitate this divine formula, the Jewish People, later in the Torah, be commanded to separate and differentiate as well: between the Sabbath and the workdays, between kosher and non-kosher foods, between pure and impure sacrifices (during antiquity), between moral and Immoral actions/behavior, and on and on (Blech and Doliner, 2008).

THE SEVEN HEBREW PROPHETS

Prophets, especially Hebrew prophets, have always been popular in Christian art. Prophets give evidence that Christianity developed from Judaism. More importantly, the seven male prophets whom Michelangelo frescoed on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel demonstrate his deep respect and knowledge of Jewish tradition. The prophets were charged with proclaiming to the Israelites  Who (God) was giving the orders, Why God was doing it, the How, When, Where and Why God was telling them to achieve these goals, even if the populace didn’t understand. The prophets were the mouthpiece of God as life continued on.

The ancient Israelites as well as many other ancient people believed that God spoke through the prophets. It is through the writing of the prophets that we continue to hear Gods voice. Although the prophets were greatly respected, They were not fortune tellers and the Israelites did not always listen to their words or obey them. Keep in mind that the prophets were not fortune tellers. Nor were they foretellers of the future. The prophets were wise women and men who knew the inevitable results of the nation’s wrongdoings, unwise alliances, and, most importantly, the dire consequenes of religious and moral wrongs. The prophets considered themselves to be protectors and guardians of Israel’s spiritual purity and piety, and by extension its national well-being. The prophet’s job was to warn the Israelites of danger,  while also foretelling God’s Majestic and loving plan of the Messianic era.

Here are some other highlights about the Prophets discussed about Michelangelo’s Seven Hebrew Prophets he frescoed in his ceiling: The writings in the Tanach, containing Zechariah’s prophecies, exhorting the Jews to serve God, and foretelling the future redemption.

The writings in the Tanach, containing Joel’s prophecies, describing a terrible plague of locusts, calling for repentance, and foretelling the future redemption.
The Prophet Isaiah brought to king and people the message of the holiness of God, the Lord of hosts, at a time when idolatry seemed to be taking hold in the land of Judah. It was Ezekiel’s stern mission to denounce his brethren, both in Babylon and in Judah, who persisted in their sinfulness, and to warn them of the due consequences if they did not repent. Daniel was a celebrated Jewish scholar and master interpreter of dreams who was exiled to Babylon after the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

The great prophet Jeremiah lived during the most crucial period of Judah’s existence as a kingdom. He saw the destruction of Jerusalem and the holy Temple, after he had relentlessly warned his people to mend their ways before it was too late. The prophet Jonah was instructed by God to travel to the non-Jewish metropolis of Nineveh. There he was to warn the people that, if they did not return from their sinful ways, the city would be destroyed.

In Judaism, it is only the Jews who tell “the story over and over from the beginning to end every year, every moment on earth.” This is obviously one of the major reasons  Jews have survived throughout the many persecutions they have faced.

In the Jewish religion, it is only the Jews who tell “the story over and over from the beginning to end every year, every moment on earth.” This is obviously one of the major reasons that Jews have survived throughout the many persecutions they have faced. So how do the prophetesses and prophets figure into this? The Haftorah portion connected with each weekly Parsha (Torah) reading is the manner in which the Jewish system connects the five books to the rest of the Apocrypha readings that are included in as the Hebrew Bible. These Haftorah portions continue the story of the Israelites getting to the promise land and most of them are told through the Hebrew prophets.

Sources JPS Hebrew-English TANAKH (2001)

Rabbi Benjamin Blech and Roy Doliner “The Sistine Secrets”(Harper Collins 2008)

https://www.chabad.org/search/keyword_cdo/kid/19238/jewish/Prophets-Section-of-the-Tanach.htm

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A Tour of the Vatican Museum & Saint Peter’s Basilica with a Jewish American Tour Guide, Andrea Stoler, PhD.

A Tour of the Vatican Museum & Saint Peter’s Basilica with a Jewish American Tour Guide, Andrea Stoler, PhD.  American Jews understand the idea of religious identity differently from American Christians visiting the Vatican Museums and Saint Peter’s Basilica. Since World War II, there have been three significant changes in American Judaism; the Holocaust, the birth of the State of Israel and Jewish-Christian  relations following the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II), from 1962 to 1965.  [caption id="attachment_47646" align="alignnone" width="498"] Andrea Stoler with the view of the Dome of Michelangelo and the Vatican’s botanical gardens that interestingly have seven species (Duet. 8:8).[/caption] Until now, Jewish tours of the Vatican traditionally have focused on how the Sistine Chapel was designed to be a copy of the holy Jewish Temple in Jerusalem built by King Solomon, or how Michelangelo embedded the Torah and Kabbalah in his famous Sistine ceiling and Last Judgement (See Sistine Secrets, Rabbi Benjamin Blech, and Roy Doliner, 2008). Of course, a quick visit to the Jewish Lapidary (if it’s open) provides the viewing of some of the cast copies of stone funerary epigraphical inscriptions from the Jews of ancient Rome. This is your basic Jewish Vatican tour conducted by both Jewish guides from the community and non-Jewish guides in Rome.  Jewish education is a vital component in ensuring “Jewish survival.” Studies consistently show that the more Jewish education a child receives, the more likely she or he is to practice Judaism, support its goals and institutions, and raise a Jewish family. 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Thus Cicero writes that the Jews “stick together”, that “every year it was customary to send gold to Jerusalem on the order of the Jews from Italy and from all our provinces” (Cicero, Pro Flacco 28, 66-69). It seems then the Jews living in Rome in 59 B.C.E., had a certain type of communal life, as the reader was accustomed to think that the Jews “stick together” and that they sent each year from Rome as well as from Italy the Half – Shekel too the Jerusalem Temple. This could have been possible only if the Jews of Rome would have been organized together in some way, as to collect money from various sources, to deposit it and to send it all together, thus organizing the effort through land or sea to Judaea and Jerusalem could have been possible through a communitarian effort. 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On the other hand, from this group are excluded the Jews who were slaves, and the few Jews who were Roman citizens. The first as slaves could not have taken part in these assemblies, and the latter were too few to influence a contio, and anyway they could participate in the various comitia. The Jews acted like that because they had a certain clientelar obligation, towards Pompey and Gabinius, supporting them informally in contiones and formally during comitia. Pompey, after he defeated Aristobulus II, the Hasmonean prince who dared to defy Rome, had Hyrcanus II, his brother appointed as High Priest of Judaea. As the ruler of Judaea, at least till Pharsalus, Hyrcanus II was Pompey’s cliens or liege. According to Appian, Hyrcanus II’s soldiers could be found in Pompey army fighting at Pharsalus. This implies only that Hyrcanus, as cliens of Pompey, had to take his side during the civil war against Caesar. Obviously Pompey death absolved Hyrcanus II from any further obligation towards Pompey or his party (Appian, Civil Wars II, 71). It seems that, as Josephus hints, Hyrcanus II collaborated with Gabinius as well, during the later tenure in 58 B.C.E. in his campaign against Ptolemaic Egypt. According to Josephus, Gabinius was assisted by Antipater and Hyrcanus in his campaign against Egypt. He was supplied with grain, arms and money by Antipater. Moreover the Jews of Pelusium were won over and acted as guards of entrances of Egypt (Josephus, AJ XIV, 98-99).  The Jews living in Rome, therefore, would have been clientes of Pompey, as their far away ruler, the High Priest Hyrcanus II, to whom they sent each year the Half-Shekel was his cliens. Moreover Pompey was probably the only politician who could have pushed for a legalization of the right of the Jews to send money from Rome to the Temple. However, some of the Jews living in Rome were clientes of Gabinius. Although Gabinius was in the East as consul in 58 B.C.E., he was before together with Pompey as one of his legati. It is worthwhile to remember that in this period, when Cicero wrote the Pro Flacco, nor Pompey or Gabinius were exactly in good terms with Cicero. Thus when in 58 B.C.E. Cicero was exiled, under the consulship of Gabinius and Piso, Pompey did not help Cicero in any way. [caption id="attachment_46414" align="alignnone" width="324"] Courtesy of Marco Misano | Marco Misano standing in front of the bronze statue of Julius Caesar located at the Roman Forum[/caption] Yet, once Civil War came, the Jews stood by Julius Caesar, Pompey’s legitimate rival. In fact the Jews living in Rome just followed the steps of their leader in Judaea, the High Priest Hyrcanus II, who switched his allegiance from Pompey to Julius Caesar after the latter defeat at Pharsalus and death in Egypt, which absolved them from any allegiance to Pompey’s party. It seems that Julius Caesar tried to gather the support of the Jews living in Rome already at the beginning of the Civil War. Therefore Julius Caesar showed his support for the Hasmonean pretender Aristobulus II, then living in Rome as exile. Aristobulus II was sent by Julius Caesar with two legions in Syria, but he was poisoned by the Pompeians. His son Alexander met a similar fate, as he was soon afterwards beheaded by Scipio at Antioch (Josephus, AJ XIV, 123-125). Julius Caesar could not have done otherwise, as Hyrcanus II, the legitimate Hasmonean ruler, stood firm by Pompey. Besides, Julius Caesar wanted to support Aristobulus II, because he was aware that the Jews living in Judaea preferred him to his brother, perceived as a weak figure. It was probably through the auspices of Gabinius that Julius Caesar got in touch with Aristobulus II. When he was governor of Syria, Aristobulus and his son Alexander tried to uphold the flag of rebellion against Rome twice, but they were easily defeated. Gabinius showed pity and refrained from harsh actions, sending the two Hasmonean pretenders back to their Roman golden exile.  It seems that Hyrcanus II stood by Julius Caesar through the offices of Antipater his main councilor, who had a special relationship with Mark Antony, Master of the Horse, second in command to the dictator Julius Caesar. Mark Antony, as a young man served in Judaea in the wake of Gabinius and there he became friend with Antipater, the father of the future King Herod the Great. Josephus, taking as primary source the historical writing of Strabo of Amaseia, narrates that ”after Pompey was dead, and after that victory Caesar had gained over him, Antipater, who managed the Jewish affairs, became very useful to Caesar when he made war against Egypt, and that by the order of Hyrcanus; for when Mithridates of Pergainus was bringing his auxiliaries, and was not able to continue his march through Pelusium, but obliged to stay at Askelon, Antipater came to him, conducting three thousand of the Jews, armed men….So Mithridates marched out of Syria, and came to Pelusium…(which) was taken. But it happened that the Egyptian Jews, who dwelt in the country called Onias, would not let Antipater and Mithridates, with their soldiers, pass to Caesar; but Antipater persuaded them to come over with their party, because he was of the same people with them, and that chiefly by showing them the epistles of Hyrcanus II the high priest, wherein he exhorted them to cultivate friendship with Caesar, and to supply his army with money, and all sorts of provisions which they wanted; and accordingly, when they saw Antipater and the high priest of the same sentiments, they did as they were desired. And when the Jews about Memphis heard that these Jews were come over to Caesar, they also invited Mithridates to come to them; so he came and received them also into his army. And when Mithridates had gone over all Delta, as the place is called, he came to a pitched battle with the enemy, near the place called the Jewish Camp. Now Mithridates had the right wing, and Antipater the left; and when it came to a fight, that wing where Mithridates was gave way, and was likely to suffer extremely, unless Antipater had come running to him with his own soldiers along the shore, when he had already beaten the enemy that opposed him; so he delivered Mithridates, and put those Egyptians who had been too hard for him to flight. He also took their camp, and continued in the pursuit of them. He also recalled Mithridates, who had been worsted, and was retired a great way off; of whose soldiers eight hundred fell, but of Antipater's fifty. So Mithridates sent an account of this battle to Caesar, and openly declared that Antipater was the author of this victory, and of his own preservation, insomuch that Caesar commended Antipater then, and made use of him all the rest of that war in the most hazardous undertakings; he happened also to be wounded in one of those engagements…When Caesar, after some time, had finished that war … he honored Antipater greatly, and confirmed Hyrcanus in the high priesthood; and bestowed on Antipater the privilege of a citizen of Rome, and a freedom from taxes (Josephus, AJ XIV, 127-136). [caption id="attachment_46415" align="alignnone" width="498"] Photograph by Brenda Lee Bohen | Marco Misano is showing the original inscription inside the Colosseum that reads the original Latin inscription that reads: “The emperor Titus Caesar Vespasian Augustus had the new amphitheater build from the profits of the war” Clearly, the inscription refers to the huge loot taken by Titus, after the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem!" (Louis H. Feldman, “Financing the Colosseum,” Biblical Archaeology Review 27.4, 2001).[/caption] Julius Caesar recognized with a series of decrees approved during two senatus consulta held respectively in October 47 BC and in 44 BC, during his dictatorship. various privileges to Hyrcanus II, evidently as a result of the help of Antipater. The Roman dictator confirmed Hyrcanus II as high priest, and furthermore appointed him ethnarch, or ruler of all the Jews living in the territories ruled by Rome. The territories under Hasmonean rule, Judea, Idumea, Galilee, and part of Samaria and Perea, were partially exempted from paying tribute to Rome, for example during the Sabbatic year. Furthermore, the treaty of alliance and friendship with Rome, which existed before Pompey treacherously put an end to the independence of Judaea was renewed and Judea was given the title of socius and amicus Populi Romani, that is, an ally of the Roman people. The walls of Jerusalem, demolished by Pompey, were rebuilt. Besides, Antipater and his family were given Roman citizenship, a very precious gift (Josephus, AJ XIV, 192-212). Moreover, Julius Caesar gave ample privileges to the Jews living in Rome. In fact, the legal and successful framework for a communitarian organization was created during Julius Caesar’s dictatorship. Thus, although Julius Caesar in fact restricted the number and the activities of the collegia in Rome, the corporate bodies, which were in the Roman Republic the framework for any type of communal organization, the Roman leader viewed the Jewish communities as licit and legal communities. Hence, during the years 49 – 44 B.C.E., Julius Caesar renewed with the Lex Iulia De Collegis the earlier prohibitions passed by the Senate against the various corporate organizations and guilds or collegia, dissolving most of the collegia, with the exception of the oldest (Suetonius, Divus Julius I, 42). It seems, however, that the Roman dictator legalized in Rome the Jewish communities as collegia licita. The only document, quoted by Josephus, which refers to the privileges given by Julius Caesar specifically to the Jewish communities of Roman Italy is a decree sent by Publius Servilius Isauricus to the city of Parium in 44 B.C.E. slightly after Julius Caesar’ murder (Josephus, AJ XIV, 210-212). This document is part of a collection of various decrees collected by Josephus, which concern the Jewish communities of the Province of Asia, dated to the years of the dictatorship of Julius Caesar. The decree states clearly that although Julius Caesar in the Lex Iulia forbade all religious societies, or collegia, which Josephus calls thiasoi, however an exception was made for the Jews living in Roman Italy. According to Josephus, "for even Caius Caesar, our imperator and consul, in that decree wherein he forbade the Bacchanal rioters to meet in the city, did yet permit these Jews, and these only, both to bring in their contributions, and to make their common suppers". The decree, which concerns the Jews living in Parium, mentions only indirectly the legal privileges enjoyed by the Jewish communities of Roman Italy. [caption id="attachment_46416" align="alignnone" width="538"] Photograph by Brenda Lee Bohen | Marco Misano giving an introduction about the history of the Jews of Rome in room 2, Jewish Museum of Rome[/caption] However, the decree mentions only indirectly the legal privileges enjoyed by the Jewish communities in Roman Italy. Yet, a careful reading of the various decrees collected by Josephus, already mentioned, which concern the Jewish communities of the Province of Asia, allow to reconstruct these privileges. From then onwards, Jews living in Roman Italy would be permitted to create collegia licita, or communities, as they were permitted to assemble, to collect contribution of money for the Temple of Jerusalem, and to hold common meals. However, once the passage of Suetonius and this passage of Josephus are compared, there is a problem, namely that Josephus quotes a decree and not a law, the Lex Julia De Collegis. Possibly, Julius Caesar on one hand enacted the law that allowed a few collegia legittima, while forbidding many others. There is no motivation to think that this law also legitimated Jewish community, recognizing them as collegiate institutions as it was formulated in general terms. Possibly, when the Jews of Rome wanted to secure a specific legal recognition for their communities, Julius Caesar ruled through a decree that the legal status of the Jewish communities in Rome would correspond to that of the collegia legittima.  And this is the decree mentioned by Josephus, and it can explain why the passage of Josephus refers to a decree and not to a law. No wonder that Suetonius (Suetonius, Divus Julius I, 84: 5) reports the sincere mourning of the Jews at the funeral pyre of Julius Caesar, writing that“At the height of the public grief a throng of foreigners went about lamenting each other after the fashion of this country, above all the Jews, who even flocked to the funeral pyre for several successive nights.” As the prominent American Jewish scholar Harry J. Leon once said “The Jewish community of Rome has had a longer continuous existence than any other community of Europe—since the Jews have lived in that city for more than two thousand years—yet no complete study of its ancient period has yet been extensively made.” For this very reason, I have been interviewing world renowned experts of the Jews during antiquity to consider and specifically evaluate the little-known history of the Jews of Rome and their contribution to the foundation of the eternal city.
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A Journey Through the Jewish Bath of Caracalla
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A Journey Through the Jewish Colosseum
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Virtual Tour of the Ostia Antica Synagogue with Andrea Stoler - Coming this summer 2022

The Ostia Antica Synagogue The Synagogue, the oldest in Europe, at Ostia Antica was initially built in the first or second century (CE), when Ostia became the port on the Mediterranean for Rome, at the mouth of the Tiber River. In a short period of time, this was the seat of commercial activities, notable by the presence of people of diverse religious beliefs and attracted numerous Jews. Grain was one of its most important imports. The city grew and changed, as did the synagogue. Its final reconstruction dates to the fifth century (CE), during a period when the port of Ostia was still busy. The Synagogue covers a large area, including an entrance, its façade, and many other rooms. In its earliest form, the synagogue featured a main hall with benches along three walls; a monumental gateway featuring tall Corinthian columns; a dining room with couches along three walls, and a basin near the entryway for ritual washings. Importantly, as it should be, benches around the apse faced Jerusalem, not Rome. The most notable Jewish feature among the ruins are columns—technically—and architrave, with an incised menorah, a shofar, and the lulav and etrog (used for the holiday of Sukkot). The Virtual Walking Tour of Ostia Antica The Virtual Walking Tour of Ostia Antica with Andrea Stoler will highlight the synagogue, but there are also amazing ruins of Ostia Antica to be seen (as good as Pompeii some people have commented). One can view the remains of a flour mill: places to store the wheat, the millstones for grinding it, and a large oven for baking bread. Related and fascinating, at the synagogue bread or matzoh were made, as ruins of an oven and marble table are present. She will point out how the architectural elegance of this particular sacred structure, a little synagogue, seems out-of-place within the empty landscape and overgrown weeds. But the history is very provocative, originally being near water and on the outside of the city walls. Looks and location can be deceiving, as recently it has been postulated to be a relatively populated area with villas during the final reconstruction phase. [caption id="attachment_34077" align="alignnone" width="540"] Andrea Stoler[/caption] Take a journey through time, visit ruins of a relatively intact ancient Roman city and hear stories about the oldest synagogue in Europe which has features similar to synagogues today. Her virtual tour will include images of important aspects of the Ostia Antica Port and an explanation of the entire complex, including fascinating lesser-known archaeological finds that will soon be published. About the Writer, Brenda Lee Bohen Brenda is a Latina and a proud Veteran of the United States Army Reserves. She holds dual citizenship in both the United States and Italy. She is a trained historic preservationist who tirelessly advocates the scholarship and history of the Jews of Rome. She has her certification in Jewish leadership and continues advanced studies at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. Brenda is also a licensed and accredited tour guide at the Jewish Museum of Rome and the Vatican Museums. Read more blogs from Brenda: Tour of Jewish Catacombs in Rome, 3 Literary Treasures of The Jewish Museum of Rome Sources: https://museoebraico.roma.it/en/ Treasures Of The Jewish Museum Of Rome: Guide To The Museum And Its Collections, by Daniela Di Castro. Araldo De Luca Editore, Rome 2010; reprinted 2016
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Tour of Jewish Catacombs in Rome with a Jew from Rome. Micaela Pavoncello

Tour of Jewish Catacombs in Rome with Micaela Pavoncello Pavoncello is a member of the Jewish Community of Rome and she shares specific insights, with majestic detail, about her ancestors - the Roman Jews. Pavoncello and her team of educators from the community, all Roman Jews, are on an educational mission to ensure that tourists from all backgrounds be exposed to Rome's Jewish history by teaching and sharing their authentic Roman Jewish religion, culture, and traditions. The Catacombs of Rome The importance of the ancient Jewish community of Imperial Rome is attested by numerous symbols, such as the menorah, the shofar, oil lamps, amphorae, and the Four Species, most of which come from the Jewish catacombs. The Catacombs are deep, subterranean tunnels (underground cemeteries) with long corridors, burial niches, and cubicles. The Jewish catacombs were never venues of liturgical celebration-- according to Jewish belief, contact with the dead renders one impure. Jewish law and tradition command that Jews be buried in the ground. Burial niches were also dug in the catacombs. The name catacomb originates from the late Latin catacumba (etymology is uncertain), indicated, at first. a particular cave, hence, for instance, there were the Catacumbas, on the Appian Way outside the city center of Rome. In Rome, there is evidence of six catacombs, but only two, the Villa Torlonia on Via Nomentana and Vigna Randanini near the Via Antica, are accessible today. The Stone Epitaphs Pavoncello provides full-day excursions involving accurate explanations of how the Jews of Rome bury their dead, from antiquity to present times. Her explanations include an overview of the valuable documentation of stone epitaphs. These include cast copies and some originals found today in the Jewish Museum of Rome, the Vatican Museums, the Capitoline Museums, the Roman National Museum, and the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. The funerary stone epigraphical inscriptions identify those buried. They enable us to know the different names of the Roman Jews from the time of the Roman Empire, as well as the names of the various congregations to which they belonged. The inscriptions likewise include the administrative positions and the organizational structure of the Roman Jewish community. Some of the oldest epigraphical documentation which Pavoncello explains date back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries of the Common Era and are inscribed in ancient Greek. There is one particular inscription within the Jewish Museum’s collection which is in Aramaic and Greek,  It belongs to a Jewess named Isadora and entails important information about the Jewish women in ancient Rome. In fact, there are several epitaphs dedicated to women in ancient Rome, proving how women held leadership roles and were cherished and respected by their husbands, sons, and the community. Pavoncello’s tours provide a direct relationship to the Roman Jewish past and still thriving community, and more interestingly, the symbolism used by ancient Roman Jews are symbols Jews will recognize and consider important even today. “The Jewish catacombs are a source of pride for our Jewish community, which is often referred to as one of the most ancient of the Diaspora since they attest to our presence in Rome since far-off times,” says the Chief Rabbi of Rome Riccardo Di Segni. “The catacombs belong to a very specific period in the history of Judaism, when the verse ‘For dust you are, and to dust, you shall return (Bereshit 3, 19) was fulfilled not by burying the dead in the ground, but in the loculi excavated in the stone,” Di Segni added, explaining what it is possible to learn about the Jewish life of that times. About the Writer, Brenda Lee Bohen Brenda is a Latina and a proud Veteran of the United States Army Reserves. She holds dual citizenship in both the United States and Italy. She is a trained historic preservationist who tirelessly advocates the scholarship and history of the Jews of Rome. She has her certification in Jewish leadership and continues advanced studies at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. Brenda is also a licensed and accredited tour guide at the Jewish Museum of Rome and the Vatican Museums. Read more blogs from Brenda: Jewish Rome, 3 Literary Treasures of The Jewish Museum of Rome Sources: Treasures of The Jewish Museum of Rome: Guide to The Museum and Its Collections by Daniela Di Castro. Arnaldo De Luca Editore, Rome 2010; reprinted 2016. Ancient Symbols for A New History, 38-40 Jewish Museum of Rome https://museoebraico.roma.it/en/ Jewish Roma http://www.jewishroma.com  https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-rome-spectacular-ancient-jewish-catacombs-opening-haunted-by-delays/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/inside-the-catacombs-buried-history-ties-jews-to-ancient-rome/  
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Micaela Pavoncello Jewish Roma Walking Tours

The Jewish community has lived in Rome for 2,200 years without interruption, which makes it one of the oldest communities present outside the land of Israel. Yet I found that, though the numerous tour guides explaining the ghetto have great interest in the Jewish community, their knowledge about it seems limited, especially about practical details. The purpose of my blog is to educate travel professionals, educational and religious institutions from around the globe to learn and expand their knowledge of the people, neighborhood, synagogues, institutions, and cultural events that shape today’s thriving Jewish community of Rome. Jewish Roma Walking Tours Micaela is an Italian Roman Jewish woman.  Her ancestors came to the Eternal City at the time of the Maccabim before the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem (70 CE). Interestingly, the Roman Jewish community is one of the oldest in the world, dating back to when Judah the Maccabee sent embassies to Rome due to the conflict with the Greeks. This is considered the earliest record of contact between the Jews and the Roman Republic. [caption id="attachment_32370" align="alignnone" width="1125"] Pavoncello has been captivating international audiences from all backgrounds for twenty years about the history of her people—The Jews of Rome.[/caption] Jewish Roma Walking Tours are given by Pavoncello and her colleagues from the community. The three-hour excursion, which explains the history of the Roman Jews from antiquity to the present day includes a visit to the museum rooms, the Spanish Synagogue, the Tempio Maggiore (Great Synagogue), and a walk around the former Ghetto Quarter. During their visit participants will learn about the ancient epigraphical collection, the unique Torah textiles and fabrics, view the collection of liturgy instruments/artefacts, the current exhibition 1848-1871: The Jews of Rome between Segregation to Emancipation, the Shoah and what it was like from Roman Jews, the Libyan community present in Rome, and the history of the Cinque Scole. Jewish Roma  The Diaspora started after the Roman conquest, particularly during the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 135 CE, and the Jews were dispersed throughout Spain and along with the Mediterranean, (Sephardic Jews) in Central and Northern Europe (Ashkenazi Jews) and in Italy, where Jewish settlements already existed. According to tradition, prayers originated in two different locations, the land of Israel and Babylon. Both traditions are based on a common formula, the Seder Rav Amram, composed in Babylon during the 9th BCE with continuous migrations. the communities scattered throughout the world set down their own autonomous minhag with variations on the main text, additional minhag, and original forms of recitation. Judaism is both a culture and a religion. It is a way of living and examining life in accordance with the Hebrew Scriptures and rabbinic traditions. The Roman Italian (liturgy) minhag bnei Roma (“from the children of Rome”). Its origins are the closest to the Land of Israel, diverse prayer from other branches of Judaism, and it is recited today in Tempio Maggiore – The Great Synagogue. Ghetto  From 1555 to 1870, a walled ghetto was instituted in an area near the banks of the Tiber River, which overflowed regularly. It was a walled quarter separating the city’s Jews from the Christian population, its gates opening at dawn and closing at dusk. The Jews were forced to sell their land and property. Jews were required to wear a yellow badge so that they can be recognized as they were forbidden to fraternize with Christians. Jewish physicians were prohibited from treating Christian patients, Jewish merchants were only limited to selling used objects, and the activity of money lenders was regulated to favor the development of Christian-owned banks. The old ghetto was in the form of a rectangular trapezoid and contained two main streets running parallel to the Tiber River, it had several small streets and alleys, three piazzas, and four piazette that together occupied about one-third of the seven-acre enclosure. The houses were cramped close together and extraordinary measures had to take place in which families had to build floors on top of other floors. Living conditions for Rome’s Jews remained terribly harsh and cruel until the Ghetto was finally demolished in 1870. Cinque Scole The Jews forced into the Ghetto were from very different places and cultures. There were local Roman Jews decedents from before and after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem together with those who were forced into Rome from large numbers of towns in the Lazio region. There were also large numbers of Jews from Sicily, Spain, and Portugal after the expulsion order in 1492, the Inquisition. All of these Jewish groups had different liturgies, languages, customs, and rituals, so that the beginning of the sixteenth century, there were nine to ten different Scole: Tempio, Nova, Quattro Capi, di Porta and/or Portaleone, Catalan-Aragonese, Castilian, French, German and Sicilian. The Pope mandated the use of only one building for worship and this led to the development of placing Cinque Scole (five synagogues joined by stairways and corridors) under one roof. Shoah (Shoà) When discussing the experience of Roman Jewry during Nazi Occupation, it is important to learn about Jewish life in Rome from a member of the community. On July 14, 1938, under the auspices of the Ministry of Popular Culture, there were scientists who produced a document called Il fascimo e I problemi della razza – Manifesto of Race. The manifesto document was edited by Benito Mussolini himself, was inconsistent by a scientific viewpoint, and was drafted for propaganda purposes, to demonstrate that the Jewish problem was founded in biology, and was no longer only religious, psychological, or philosophical. The Italian Jewish population was forced to declare itself the “Jewish race”: a real and true census. All those who had at least one Jewish parent had to incriminate themselves. This was not just an isolated historical event, but something much bigger and more complex. It placed all people of the Jewish faith, considered as belonging to a different race, inferior and dangerous. Pavoncello narrates on her tours the darkest and most painful day of Roman Judaism –October 16, 1943. She tells personal family stories about anti-Semitism and when the Nazis deported her great-grandmother. In addition, she also shares with participants a great day of emotion for the entire Pavoncello family, when the great-grandchildren of Nonna Emma Di Porto Pavoncello all gathered in the Garbatella district in Rome for the laying of the Stolperstein stumbling block in her memory. Never Forget! Authors note: Explanations inside the museum and synagogue complexes are only allowed from a member and/or an authorized educator from the Jewish community of Rome. About the Writer, Brenda Lee Bohen Brenda is a Latina and a proud Veteran of the United States Army Reserves. She holds dual citizenship in both the United States and Italy. She is a trained historic preservationist who tirelessly advocates the scholarship and history of the Jews of Rome. She has her certification in Jewish leadership and continues advanced studies at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. Brenda is also a licensed and accredited tour guide at the Jewish Museum of Rome and the Vatican Museums. Read more blogs from Brenda: Jewish Rome, 3 Literary Treasures of The Jewish Museum of Rome Sources: Jewish Roma http://www.jewishroma.com Jewish Museum of Rome https://museoebraico.roma.it/en/ The Italians of the Jewish Race: The anti-Semitic Laws of 1938 and the Jews of Rome (Palombi Editore, 2018) Treasures Of The Jewish Museum Of Rome: Guide To The Museum And Its Collections by Daniela Di Castro. Arnaldo De Luca Editore, Rome 2010; reprinted 2016
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Sistine Chapel Virtual Tour From a Jewish Point of View

The Sistine Chapel is one of the Vatican’s proudest features. The chapel is famous for its amazing collection of Renaissance art, painted by some of the world’s most famous artists. What grabs people’s attention is that the frescoes completely cover the walls and the ceiling. Also, Popes are elected here, and the history of the world has been changed by the casting of ballots, making it one of the most famous places in the world. A visit to the Sistine Chapel from a Jewish perspective is different from a Christian view. Jewish interpretations immediately reveal the stories from the Torah. Sistine Chapel from a Jewish Point of View In the Sistine Chapel, the Torah is visual to Jewish visitors. American scholar Andrea Beth Stoler has been conducting Judeo-Christian-themed tours for over a decade. With her scientific background and sense of humor, she will be observing, explaining, and passing on this ancient wisdom through her new Vatican Museum and Basilica virtual tours. Jewish visitors will immediately notice the presence of the story of Moses and Hebrew prophets. In addition, the story of Judith, who beheaded the pagan enemy general Holofernes and the story of David who beheaded Goliath (Samuel I:17) can be seen. Interestingly, the story of Esther and Haman (both in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles), read every year by the Jews on the holiday of Purim can also be seen in the Pope’s private chapel. One thing for sure is that you will see aspects of Torah, Midrash, and Kabala in the chapel. To really see the Torah is not about a fleeting or casual glance; it is a long, loving look that changes us spiritually. [caption id="attachment_32265" align="alignnone" width="1512"] Andrea Beth Stoler[/caption] Andrea, who lives full time in Rome is an accredited tour guide in the Vatican Museums, making her the only Jewish American Woman who regularly takes visitors from all backgrounds through its artistic treasures. She has launched a new Virtual Tour called “A Virtual Tour of the Sistine Chapel from a Jewish Point of View” guiding you to a more profound encounter of the Torah and hidden messages by Michelangelo and his relationship with Judaism. About the Writer, Brenda Lee Bohen Brenda is a Latina and a proud Veteran of the United States Army Reserves. She holds dual citizenship in both the United States and Italy. She is a trained historic preservationist who tirelessly advocates the scholarship and history of the Jews of Rome. She has her certification in Jewish leadership and continues advanced studies at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. Brenda is also a licensed and accredited tour guide at the Jewish Museum of Rome and the Vatican Museums. Read more blogs from Brenda: Jewish Rome, 3 Literary Treasures of The Jewish Museum of Rome

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Persecution, October 16, 1943 and the Deportation of the Jews of Rome

Deportation of the Jews of Rome On September 25th, 1943, the chief of the police of the German occupation, Herbert Kappler, summoned the president of the Jewish community of Rome, Ugo Foà, and the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, Dante Almansi, ordering them to come up with 110 pounds (50 kilograms of pure gold within 36 hours, no exception. If the community was unable to meet those demands, 200 members from the community were to be deported immediately. [caption id="attachment_32010" align="alignnone" width="480"] Ugo Foà as Attorney General of the Rome Court of Appeals, 1935-1938, Jewish Museum of Rome (Portrait painter, Federico Spoltore)[/caption] On September 28, when it came to saving a Jewish life, a human life, every Roman Jew, together with non-Jewish Romans, desperately searched for, collected, and delivered the gold to the Germans. The following day, a German military unit went to the Community offices and seized the files with the list of all the contributors. On October 8, the Germans raided the Community Library, as well as the Library of the Rabbinical College, and looted volumes of inestimable value. It is sad to learn that the majority of Roman Jews didn’t realize the risk they ran by remaining in the city. Even if they had been more aware they did not have the means of finding refuge elsewhere. The first Italian round-up of Jews included the entire city of Rome, a raid that took place in the early morning hours of the 16th of October, 1943. Small teams of German police went to all the addresses of Jewish families, and a note in Italian was given to the head of the family with instructions for immediate deportation. The note indicated that the families had only 20 minutes to pack a suitcase, and abandon their houses, locking the doors behind them. Everyone then had to get into the military trucks which then gradually began to fill up. The round-up of the Jews of Rome was concluded in the late morning. 1,022 persons, including one Catholic woman, Carolina Milani who had decided not to abandon the old Jewish woman for whom she was caring, were all arrested and taken to the Military College, where they would await their deportation. What is less known is that a high percentage of these persons was constituted only of women and children, due to the rumors in the preceding days of the possible arrests of adult males to be sent to work camps. It is for this reason, as many males had fled or were hiding, that the majority of the Jews of Rome who were seized and placed in Rome’s Military College, not far from the Vatican, were the elderly along with women and children. [caption id="attachment_32007" align="alignnone" width="480"] L’oro di Roma, internationally released as Gold of Rome (1961 film by Carlo Lizzani)The film is based on actual events surrounding the Nazi’s raid of Rome’s Jewish Ghetto[/caption] The 1,022 Jews were imprisoned for two days. Then, on the morning of October 18, the victims were loaded onto trucks and taken to the Tiburtina station, and from there deported on a freight train to Poland --to the Complex of concentration camps, the work camps, and the extermination camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Of the Roman Jews taken away on October 16, only sixteen returned: fifteen men and only one woman. In the following months, in Rome, another 700-800 people were captured, mostly due to tipoffs by Italian collaborators. The Jewish Museum of Rome In the Jewish Museum of Rome, one woman survivor, Settimia Spizzichino, out of the 16 who survived shares her testimony in a video segment of:  "A Star on the Tiber", narrating the history in both Italian and English located in Room six: From Emancipation to Today. In addition, this room exhibits precious documentation, photographs. and objects narrating the sad period of the Jewish Community during the racial laws of 1938, followed by the deportation period with testimonies and video footage.  The Jewish Museum of Rome is proud to provide Holocaust educational tours. This educational effort focuses on ensuring that participants are equipped with relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies. Special consideration is given in particular to the many non-Jewish grade school through high school children who visit. Learning first-hand with museum educators empowers these participants with an authentic educational experience and understanding of anti-Semitism during the Nazi occupation. The aim is for all visitors to learn to value the importance of human rights and to resist the stereotypes and most importantly misconceptions—which could lead to discrimination and violence against Jews or other diverse groups. [caption id="attachment_32005" align="alignnone" width="640"] Portico of Octavia (Jewish Quarter)[/caption] Brenda Lee Bohen Brenda is a Latina and a proud Veteran of the United States Army Reserves. She holds dual citizenship in both the United States and Italy. She is a trained historic preservationist who tirelessly advocates the scholarship and history of the Jews of Rome. She has her certification in Jewish leadership and continues advanced studies at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. Brenda is also a licensed and accredited tour guide at the Jewish Museum of Rome and the Vatican Museums. Read more blogs from Brenda: Jewish Rome, 3 Literary Treasures of The Jewish Museum of Rome Sources Jewish Museum of Rome Room Six: From emancipation to today https://museoebraico.roma.it/en/ The Italians of the Jewish Race: The anti-Semitic Laws of 1938 and the Jews of Rome (Palombi Editore, 2018) Treasures Of The Jewish Museum Of Rome: Guide To The Museum And Its Collections, by Daniela Di Castro. Araldo De Luca Editore, Rome 2010; reprinted 2016    
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Astonishing Jewish Tour of the Sistine Chapel

The largest Jewish-themed fresco painting in the entire world, over 10,000 square feet is Michelangelo's ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. The first two Torah sections of the book of Genesis--event by event. There is not one single image from Christian tradition. The Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel was designed to be a copy of the holy Jewish Temple in Jerusalem built by King Solomon. According to the prophet Samuel, the exact measurements of the Heichel, the long, rectangular back section of the first holy Temple completed by King Solomon and his architect, King Hiram of Tyre, in 930 B.C.E., are 134.28 feet long by 43.99 feet wide by 67.91 feet high. And these are the exact dimensions used for the construction of the Sistine Chapel. It is even less known by most visitors to the Sistine Chapel that, in keeping with the intent to simulate the sacred site existing in ancient Jerusalem, the sanctuary was built on two levels. The Western half, containing the altar and the private area for the Pope and his court, is about six inches higher than the Eastern half, originally intended for the common laymen (people). This elevated section corresponds to the farthest recesses of the original holy Temple – the Kodesh Kodoshim, the Holy of Holies – where only the high priest could enter, only once a year, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. To show exactly where the Porochet, the curtain separating the two, would have been in the Temple of Jerusalem, a grand partition grill of white marble was commissioned, with seven marble flames on top, to correspond to the holy menorah in the Jewish sanctuary in biblical times. Sailko, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons There are seven Hebrew prophets and five sibyls (originating from the Greek work Sibylla, which means prophetess, but originally derives from the earlier Babylonian/Aramaic sabba-il, an ancient one of God) surrounding the nine scenes from the Torah, gazing down upon us from the inner sanctum of King Solomon’s Temple, now reproduced and reified as the Sistine Chapel. A brief overview of the Seven Prophets from the "The Sistine Secrets"(Harper Collins 2008).  The prophets give evidence that Christianity developed from Judaism. More importantly, they demonstrate how the artist Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, better known as Michelangelo (1475-1564), had great knowledge and respect for Jewish tradition. The selection of the specific seven prophets is another multilayered way of viewing the universe, as alluded to in the Talmud and the Kabbala. The number seven has symbolic significance, such as the seven days of creation. However, in the Kabbala, not only the material universe but also Reality itself was brought into being during these seven days. Yet, another significance to the number seven is its connection with the seven lights of the seven-branched candelabra (menorah) was inside the Holy Temple of Jerusalem. Michelangelo specifically chose the following prophets that represent the Seven Middot (seven characteristics of the seven s’firot or spheres on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. The Seven Middot are also considered to be seven spiritual steps to bring us closer to God. Zechariah represents the attribute of Malchut - empire, kingdom. His name means "God has remembered" and his mission emphasizes all the empires in the material world that sought to wipe out the Jewish religion. God remembered and redeemed the Jewish people, as illustrated in all four corner panel frescoes. Joel represents the attribute of Yesod -- foundation. His name means "God is God". It is the foundation of spirituality and religion, and the basic link between heaven and earth Isaiah represents the attribute of Hod -- glory, splendor. His name means that "God is my salvation." He warned of the terrible defeats and sufferings that the Jews would have to endure, but also encouraged them to hold on to their faith and to keep one’s word to God, no matter what. Ezekiel represents the attribute of Netzach -- victory, eternity. His name means "God is my strength." He told the suffering Jews that perseverance would win back Jerusalem and build the Third Holy Temple there. Daniel represents the attribute of Tiferet -- beauty. His name means "God has judged". This is the central s’firah of the Seven Middot and of the Tree of Life. The prophet Daniel represents balance, the unifying and harmonizing of future redemption to both Jews and Christians. Jeremiah represents the attribute of G’vurah – strength, power. His name means "God has exalted me". He was the harshest orator of all the prophets., candigly pointing out all the corruption he found in the priesthood, as well as in national leaders. Jonah represents the attribute of Chessed – mercy, compassion, loving-kindness. His name means "God will answer". Jonah is given the command to preach repentance to the corrupt pagan city of Nineveh against his own wishes. The very last words of his book are from God, telling Jonah why it was important to have mercy on this vast city and its people, regardless of they were gentile or Jewish. Moreover, the prophets were charged with telling the Jews the Who (God) was giving the orders, Why God was doing it, the How, When, Where, and Why was telling them to achieve these goals, even if the people did not understand. The prophets were the mouthpiece of God, and this is what Michelangelo depicted as the Sistine ceiling. The Five Sibyls Sibyls are not the same as Jewish prophets. A sibyl, or oracle, will respond only to a question asked of her, whereas a prophet/prophetess is a messenger (mouthpiece) for God, speaking, blessing, cursing, and predicting the future -- without human influence. The location of each of the five sibyls in the ceiling is of great significance and helps us understand the four corner spandrels (fan-shaped panels) in the chapel’s corners representing the four major exiles of the Jews according to the book of Daniel: Egypt, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. Michelangelo brilliantly juxtaposed each sibyl nearest the exile it represents. The Delphic Sibyl represents Greece's dominance; she is next to the Judith-and-Holofernes corner panel, which deals with the Hanukkah story in the book of Maccabees, recalling the freedom of the Jewish people from Hellenistic (Greek) dominance. The Libyan Sibyl represents Egypt, is next to the corner panel of Moses’s copper serpent saving the Jews who had been redeemed from Egypt. The Persian Sibyl is next to the corner panel dealing with the story of Esther, who saves the Jews of Persia from the genocidal Haman. The Erythraen Sibyl, middle Eastern sibyl, is next to the corner panel which depicts the Jewish hero David defeating Goliath, the Philistine Giant. During the lifetime of Michelangelo, the Jews were under the control of the Church. Therefore, the Cumaean Sibyl represents Rome. Scenes from the Torah The nine Torah scenes are undoubtedly the most famous part of the entire Sistine Chapel. Here are a few fascinating examples from The Sistine Secrets that discuss in great depth Michelangelo and his Sistine Chapel. 1) The forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden is an apple, in Christianity. However, according to the Talmud, it is a fig. In the middle of the Pope's ceiling, Michelangelo paints a fig tree. 2) Jonah is swallowed by a whale. However, in the Jewish original and in Midrash, is it a giant fish called Leviathan. Michelangelo depicts a giant fish, not a whale. 3) Noah's ark is a giant boat. However, in the Talmud and Midrash, it is a giant floating box. Michelangelo's version of the ark is the only one in the Renaissance where it is a giant floating box. 4) Eve is made out of Adam's rib. However, according to the Talmud and Midrash, she is made from his side. Michelangelo depicts Eve emerging from Adam's side, not from his rib. 5) According to the Midrash, the serpent in the Garden of Eden had arms and legs. Michelangelo, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons The Kabbala of the Universal Last Judgement The Last Judgement represents the end of the world and the eternal judgment of God of the saved and the damned. However, Michelangelo depicts the same balance of the universe that he concealed in his ceiling. According to the Kabbala, there is a central point in the universe -- the ladder of Jacob. The passage can be found in Genesis 28:12, Jacob dreams of the divine ladder, by which the angels descend to earth and ascend to heaven. Therefore, this is the link between heaven and earth, humanity and angels, and the material and spiritual worlds. While every visitor who views the Universal Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel assumes that Jesus is the center of the fresco painting will be surprised to learn that the true center is just below Jesus, where Saint Lawrence is depicted with his iron grill. A closer look will disclose that the martyr’s iron grill has no legs and it resembles a ladder more than a grill. It is Jacob’s ladder and the bottom rung of the ladder is the exact center of the largest fresco in the world which one will see the dynamic motion of the fresco revolves perfectly around the angle of the ladder. Thus, Michelangelo embedded the central teaching of Jewish mysticism in one of the most famous Catholic masterpieces of all time. The Story of Moses The South (left) wall tell the story of Moses from right to left, in Hebrew order: Moses meets an angel; The Circumcision of the Second Born Child and Moses bids farewell to his father-in-law before setting out for Egypt. ( Pietro Perugino, 1466-1523 and Bernardino di Betto, known as Pinturicchio, 1454-1513). Seven episodes from the life of Moses - Moses kills an Egyptian and escapes to the land of Midian. Drives away the shepherds who are preventing the daughters of Jethro from drawing water. On Mount, Horeb Moses removes his sandals and receives his Mission from the burning bush and leads the Children of Israel from Egypt. (Sandro Botticelli, 1445-1510) The Crossing from the Sea of Reeds ( The Crossing of the Red Sea, Cosimo Rosselli, 1439-1507). Moses led the people into a new wilderness. The Punishment of Korah, Dathan. and Abiram. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram deny the authority of Moses and Joshua, Korah is consumed by fire, Dathan and Abiram are swallowed up by the earth. (Sandro Botticelli, 1445-1510) The Testament and Death of Moses -five episodes; in the foreground, Moses reads the testament and gives the Staff of command to Joshua. In the background an angel shows Canaan to Moses, Moses descends the mountain and prepares for death. Mourned by his family, he falls asleep on the ground. (Luca Signorelli, 1441-1523). In Conclusion The Torah (Jewish Bible) and the Old Testament are not the same things. The Old Testament is a Church-ordained re-editing of the original order of the Torah (Jewish Bible); it realigns the books of the major and minor prophets, and the Holy writings, to heighten the impression that the Hebrew Scriptures seem to be anticipating the coming of Christ. In addition, there are even many differences between the Catholic and Protestant versions of the Bible.   Brenda Lee Bohen Brenda is a Latina and a proud Veteran of the United States Army Reserves. She holds dual citizenship in both the United States and Italy. She is a trained historic preservationist who tirelessly advocates the scholarship and history of the Jews of Rome. She has her certification in Jewish leadership and continues advanced studies at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. Brenda is also a licensed and accredited tour guide at the Jewish Museum of Rome and the Vatican Museums. See more Blogs from Brenda: Jewish Rome, 3 Literary Treasures of the Jewish Museum of Rome Sources  Rabbi Benjamin Blech and Roy Doliner "The Sistine Secrets"(Harper Collins 2008).                                                              
Blogs

3 Literary Treasures of The Jewish Museum of Rome

There’s something unique about the way authors of the Jewish community of Rome can take readers behind the parochet (curtain) of how their stories are told. Italian authors bring the same vigor and adroitness to the narratives of their cultural heritage. They turn the Jewish origins of their accounts into something educational, leading readers to view the telling of their unique history.  Whether you’re looking for a visit, or simply seeking a greater understanding of Rome’s Jewish heritage culture, there’s plenty to learn from these fascinating literary works. Treasures Of The Jewish Museum Of Rome: Guide To The Museum And Its Collections (2016) This is the first illustrated guide to the collection of the Jewish Museum of Rome. The objects photographed belong to the Museum’s magnificent collections. The catalog also describes how its content concerns a series of itineraries reflecting the museum exhibition, depicting the history of the Jewish community from its origins to modern times. The book is divided into themes explaining the basic cultural and religious aspects of Judaism and the rituals used in Rome. The book itself is a new step towards enhancing the cultural heritage of the Jewish community of Rome. Antique Roman Mappot: The Precious Textile Archive of the Jewish Museum of Rome (2017) This catalogue illustrates the artistic historical heritage of ancient mappot collections from the Jewish community of Rome. In the community’s museum, one of the most important collections of Jewish ceremonial textile artifacts in the world is preserved. The various mappot are the large wimples that wrap around the Pentateuch (Torah) scroll. They can be seen in the display cases and in the cabinet drawers arranged in the Textile Preservation room in the museum. Included in this marvelous collection are parochot, me’ilim, wimples, and tikkun tevah,  all of which were donated over four centuries, from the end of the 1500s to the end of the 1800s, to synagogues, by families forced to live in the Roman Ghetto. Antique Roman Ketubot: The Marriage Contracts of the Jewish Community of Rome (2018) This catalogue narrates the history of a collection of an interesting authentic Jewish Roman tradition, the artistically drafted and elegant marriage contracts ketubot. A close examination of these documents highlights connections among Jewish juridical traditions, general marriage customs, and the specificities of the Roman community. These specifics are explained by the meticulous studies accompanying the photographic documentation. The Jewish Museum of Rome houses and exhibits a rich collection of marriage contracts, ketubot, of the Roman Jewish community. Upon request, scholars are permitted to examine the intricate fabrics textiles and the actual ketubot, which are extremely important for their aesthetic historical value. In addition, since so much of the content of these artifacts is predicated upon Roman Jewish religion, customs, and traditions, the museum offers private guided visits with museum educators. The didactic visits are designed to provide an in-depth historical overview,  as well as an understanding of the Jews of Rome fostered by a member of the community. Brenda Lee Bohen Brenda is a Latina and a proud Veteran of the United States Army Reserves. She holds dual citizenship in both the United States and Italy. She is a trained historic preservationist who tirelessly advocates the scholarship and history of the Jews of Rome. She has her certification in Jewish leadership and continues advanced studies at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. Brenda is also a licensed and accredited tour guide at the Jewish Museum of Rome and the Vatican Museums. Read more blogs from Brenda: Jewish Rome Sources https://museoebraico.roma.it/en/ Treasures Of The Jewish Museum Of Rome: Guide To The Museum And Its Collections, by Daniela Di Castro. Araldo De Luca Editore, Rome 2010; reprinted 2016   Antique Roman Mappot: The Precious Textile Archive of the Jewish Museum of Rome, edited by Doretta Davanzo Poli, Olga Melasecchi, Amedeo Spagnoletto. Campisano Editore, Rome, 2017   Antique Roman Ketubot: The Marriage Contracts of the Jewish Community of Rome, edited by Olga Melasecchi, Amedeo Spagnoletto. Campisano Editore, Rome, 2018        
Blogs

Jewish Rome, Italy

Jewish Rome and the Torah Torah can be studied "up close and personal" via art, architecture, sculpture, and mosaic in Rome and throughout Italy. Since everyone has a different history and a different way of looking at the world, no two persons, even if they are the same age, family, religion, or socio-economic background, have identical perceptions. Everyone has her or his own דבר אחר ( another perspective/interpretation/opinion). Rome is an open museum, magically designed to celebrate, share and explore wisdom, art, and scholarship.  It is an intertwining of the ancient biblical past, present, and future. In this diverse and complex world in which we live, we must understand that people learn in many different ways. There is no right or wrong answer in interpreting artworks or passages from the Torah.  What is relevant is that we are all engaged in her/his דבר אחר  (another perspective/interpretation/opinion) which is a learning experience to understand that there are various literary and visual interpretations (inspirations) of just one or two mediums that the artist creates. Art and the Torah We also learn from the interpretations by the artists of his/her contemporary society at the time and we build from that--be it literary or even through the medium of paint, marble, bronze, fresco, or mosaic that the artist creates in his/her artworks. For example, when we examine the captivating figures from the Torah this helps us gain a full understanding of the scriptures. Just as Michelangelo and Bernini did over 500 years ago. Michelangelo made Florence the city of David, Rome the city of Moses, and the Vatican the city of the Seven Hebrew Prophets looking down upon us from the inner sanctum of King Solomon’s Temple, known as the Sistine Chapel. Bernini re-created the columns in bronze modeled after those in Solomon’s temple and the Keruvim from the Holy Ark. While His David captures the revelatory moment from I Samuel 17:49. When we as an audience interpret works of art from the ancient or recent past, medieval, renaissance, baroque, up to modernity, and post-modern we open up the worlds of meaning and experience for ourselves and for those who listen, hear, read or see our interpretations. It is through various interpretations of scripture and art and through their fascinating, insightful, intellectual, and emotional worlds of the visual contemporary world of the artists of their time, showing us how 'any audience' interprets Hebrew scriptures that is different from a Christian perspective. Jewish Rome Rome has some of the best museums, art galleries, architecture, archaeological sites, villas, catacombs, churches, synagogues, wineries, olive groves, piazzas, and fountains in the world. It is impossible to see everything in a single visit. However, with a Jewish tour guide who can navigate through these famous landmarks and sites. One can see the best of everything from a Jewish perspective. Interpreting artworks and reading passages from the Torah is successful and many good things occur.  Viewers are engaged in thinking and talking about the artwork at hand, as its aesthetics applies to their personal interests. And it is through examining these fascinating artworks that we can take a moment to reflect, appreciate, and most importantly respect one another and there can be many different responses to the same artwork, as opposed to the biases constraining artworks of the recent past. Thus, a Jewish audience can leave with meanings relevant to their own lives. Hence, scripture and art, architecture, sculpture, and mosaic in Rome are really much more contemporary than people think—it’s a דבר אחר (another perspective/interpretation/opinion). Brenda Lee Bohen Brenda is a Latina and a proud Veteran of the United States Army Reserves. She holds dual citizenship in both the United States and Italy. She is a trained historic preservationist who tirelessly advocates the scholarship and history of the Jews of Rome. She has her certification in Jewish leadership and continues advanced studies at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. Brenda is also a licensed and accredited tour guide at the Jewish Museum of Rome and the Vatican Museums. Read more blogs from Brenda: 3 Literary Treasures of The Jewish Museum of Rome, Astonishing Jewish Tour of the Sistine Chapel
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Step into the soul-stirring Pesach traditions of Jerusalem virtually. Experience the resonating echoes of Birkat Kohanim🌿

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Step into the soul-stirring Pesach traditions of Jerusalem virtually. Experience the resonating echoes of Birkat Kohanim🌿 Link is in our bio #VirtualTravel #JerusalemVibes #SpiritualJourney #JewishTravel #Isarel #BirkatKohanim #JewishJerusalem

Step into the soul-stirring Pesach traditions of Jerusalem virtually. Experience the resonating echoes of Birkat Kohanim🌿

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Discover the enigmatic “Donkey Stable” in Jerusalem's underground. Unveil the city's secrets from home. 🌌 Find link in our bio #JerusalemUnderground #CitySecrets #ExploreHistory #JewishTravel #Israel #Travel #WesternWall

Discover the enigmatic “Donkey Stable” in Jerusalem`s underground. Unveil the city`s secrets from home. 🌌

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🏰✨ Travel through time and faith without leaving home! Join on a virtual journey through Jerusalem’s Old City, a place where history and spirituality meet. Check our bio for more information🌟 #VirtualTour #Jerusalem #Passover #easter #JewishTravel #Israel

🏰✨ Travel through time and faith without leaving home! Join on a virtual journey through Jerusalem’s Old City, a place where history and spirituality meet.

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