Monuments of Egypt 3

Synagogue of Ben Ezra

The Jewish synagogue stands in the midst of the Coptic churches. Once this synagogue was of the churches belonging to the hanging church but the patriarch Mikhail III the 56^th pope was forced to sell it to the Jews so as to be able to pay the taxes estimated by the governor Ahmed Ibn Tulun at the value of 20,000 gold dinars annually.

The Jews say about this synagogue that it goes back to the pre-Christianity, and that Moses the prophet lived in that area. If this is right it means that the old synagogue was destroyed. Then the church of Angel Michael was built in its stead. This church used to belong to the hanging church then the Jews bought it later on and transformed it into a synagogue once more. They also say that Moses and Jeremiah knelt in this place, consequently a special place called Guenizah was built inside. It is a safe place for keeping Moses Torah which was incomplete, it was put by Ezra the scribe. Later on the Rabbi Ibrahim Ben Ezra visited Egypt from Jerusalem in 1115 A.D. it was then that he rebuilt the synagogue and it still bears his name. the synagogue was restored recently in 1892 A.D.

Among the attractions in the Ben Ezra synagogue are :

1)    Moses Atlas which is called the Miracle Rock or Jeremiah's tomb

2)    An old Torah ( written on deer skin about 475 B.C.)

3)    An arabesque ceiling built in 1115 A.D.

4)    The Guenizah place.

5)    A clock of wood on which is carved Kuffic writing referring to the visit of Amr Ibn Al-Ass to that area. 

6)     A drawing of a 7 branched candelabra on deer skin.

7)    The spring ( Mikva ) 900 years old dating with the synagogue.

Description of the synagogue

From the outside it is a 2 story building. Its entrance is at the north end. From the inside it is a rectangle 16.98*11.30m. it is divided into 3 parts the biggest is the middle one which is on a basilica and its wide is 4.75m. these parts are divided by steel bars painted in marble-like color.

The synagogue has 2 floors the lower for men, the upper for women. At the end of the middle hall in the first floor there is the chapel containing the Torah to reach it there are 4 stairs each is 3.0*1.20m.

The dimensions of the Torah wardrobe are 1.4*2.55m and the width of its wooden frame is 3.35m, and that of each of its wooden side walls is 1.68m. the arch right above the closet is 85cm height.

The lector platform is found in front of the sanctuary, where the Rabbi stands to read the Torah. Its dimensions are 4.90*1.90m it is an octagonal-shaped made of white marble while the eighth side opposite to the sanctuary. Has a copper fence on which the Torah and its rolls are to rest, and the side opposite to this one faces the stairs leading to the sanctuary.

In front of the platform, the memorial stela is found, it is built higher than the surface of the floor and its dimensions are 2.50*1.45m , in the middle of which a higher part that consists of 2 semi-arches carried on 3 pillars and its height is 85cm. between these 2 semi-arches, there is a wreath of rose that goes back to the age of Rococo and Barok, with the bright golden colors, and on the columns we find 5 parted roses, above them 2straight elements ending with the same roses. While both side-columns ends with bulb shape with a bar extending out of it, the sides of the columns have a decorative shape twisting outward and ends with a hexagonal-parted golden rose. At the 4 edges of the building there are 4 heads of mabove short rectangular elements.

Below the 2 semi-circle arches there is a text in Hebrew written in golden color that says then Moses said " when I get out of the city I'll raise my hands to God, the thunder stops and there will be no cold too, just to know that the earth is owned by God".

The 2 rooms in each side of the holy Ark measure 3.70*2.60m, while in the side walls of the 1^st floor there are 3 closet in the walls with wooden doors decorated with geometrical patterns like hexagonal stars made of ivory, each closet measures 0.95*1.35m that include geometrical shapes and others.

The 2^nd floor is reached by a staircase from outside the building and a corridor leads to the secret door or the women door. An aisle turns round 3 sides of the chapel and contains 5 columns made of steel, width of the aisle is 3.45m and the length of the corridor leading to the women door is 9.9m.

The southeastern side of this floor ends with the Geniza room, a room with no doors but a high opening near the ceiling measures 76*88cm , the room measures 5.2*2.5m.

While the room on the other side measures 3.15*3.13m. this floor has 5 windows on each side each one measure 1.6*2.66m. on the northern side we find a door in the middle of the passage facing the box of laws. This door leads to a balcony, both the balcony and the synagogue ceiling are adorned with floral decorations, and each measures 78*52m. the walls of this floor are decorated with floral figures named ( the Hatay) and geometrical patterns of hexagonal stars.

As for the 4 windows of the 1^st floor, they measures 1.3*2.62m ,the currently used entrance is one of the 3 old doors of the synagogue, they used to be a big central door and 2 smaller doors, these doors must be facing the Torah Closet, so the visitor could bow in front of it. Also it is not decent to get into the synagogue from the holy side, that is why there is a corridor a person go through to get in.

The 1^st floor's windows are two next to the chapel while the two others are next to the marble memorial stela, and there is a religious necessity for windows as prophet Daniel mentioned describing how he prayed next to some windows while he was facing Jerusalem.

The Torah also warned not to pray in a room with no windows. Another opinion said that the synagogue should have 12 windows resembling the 12 tribes sons of Israel "amarchi" as the windows let the one who pray be able to see the sky and if a wall was to be built before the windows it should be dropped or be apart from the synagogue by 6 feet for the sake of light.

There are 2 small windows which measure 2.30*0.95m. the mezuza in the outer door is 9cm long and at a height of 1.65m while the central old door width is 1.95m. around the synagogue there are some annex, among of them is the Mekva, purification basin measures 1.78*2.62m, above it there is the Jewish school "midrash" another building in front of the synagogue devoted to keep valuable items and as a dwelling place for the Rabbis in the past behind the synagogue there is an old well with an edge built around and covered with an iron grid with floral patterns, measures 2.2m.