Abstract
The inscription of the Haguenau Synagogue contains 9 lines which make up 5 verses. The last two are "marked": a) by series of three crowns; b) verse number 4 has 2 more words than the others, which have 6 each; c) they have words which are divided. Line 7 where one can read "May God send his servant Elijah to build (the Temple)" may also be read: "And God Yah sent (His son) and they served His son" (!!) It is then a sentence with a double meaning and it is plausible that this ambiguity was demanded by Christian authority. We believe that the distinguishing features in the last lines - and especially the addition of two words which allude to the expression "and they served His son" (two words in Hebrew) were intended to evoke the constraints that were suffered, and to strengthen the Jewish interpretation. The event at the origin of this text could have taken place in 1358, when Christian institutions were opposed to the establishing by Jews of a place of prayer on the former premises of a chapel.
| Translated title of the contribution | A Message Encrypted in the Registration of Haguenau Synagogal? |
|---|---|
| Original language | French |
| Pages (from-to) | 461-468 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Revue des Etudes Juives |
| Volume | 155 |
| Issue number | 3-4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1996 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cultural Studies
- History
- Religious studies
- Literature and Literary Theory