כתובות (Ketubot)
Item
Country
IL
Name of institution (English)
The National Library of Israel
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
heb
Contact information: postal address
Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, POB 39105 Jerusalem, 9139002
Contact information: phone number
00972 074 733 6400
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
reference@nli.org.il
Reference number
Ms. Heb.
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Ketubot
Title (official language of the state)
כתובות (Ketubot)
Language of title
heb
Creator / accumulator
The National Library of Israel
Date note
11th century/20th century
Language(s)
heb
others
Extent
c. 2,290 storage units
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
The National Library of Israel holds an extensive collection of Sephardic and Ashkenazi ketubot from all over the Jewish world. There is a large number of ketubot originally from Italy, with over 360 ketubot written in Ancona and more than 80 in Rome. However, other European countries are also represented in the collection, with, for instance, a few ketubot written in Antwerp, Lisbon, Berlin, Frankfurt am Maine, Munich, Prague, London, Vienna, and Copenhagen, among others. There can be found ketubot from the Caribbean, North Africa, the Near East, and the Middle East regions.
Included in the collection are a couple of 15th-century ketubot originally from Spain. The first is dated 1480 and establishes the marriage of Yitzhak ben Temanos and Luna, daughter of Shlomo di Avila (Ms. Heb. 901.36=8). The other one was written in Zamora and celebrates the marriage of Moshe ben Shmuel Color and Lonberi, daughter of Yosef Shabi (Ms. Heb. 901.839=2). The marriage was witnessed by Moshe ben Shnior (Senior?).
From Amsterdam, there is a ketubah written in 1713, establishing the marriage of Avraham ben Daniel Zemach Abuhab and Rebecca, daughter of Yitzchak Lopes Maiado (Ms. Heb. 901.138=2). The groom signed the document in Latin characters. In 1791, it was celebrated in the Netherlands the marriage of Aharon ben Elisha and Kila, daughter of Avraham (Ms. Heb. 901.350=8). The document bears no witness signatures.
The collection also includes a couple of ketubot written in The Hague. The first is dated 1710 and established the marriage of Beniman ben Yitchak Haim Shinior-Tisheira, and Rivka bet Shmuel Shinior-Tisheira (Ms. Heb. 901.574=2). The marriage was witnessed by Joseph de Vega and Avraham de Pinto. The other ketubah is dated 1766 and celebrates the marriage of Aharon ben David ben Yitzchak Franco-Mendes and Rachel Bat David Teisheira (Ms. Heb. 901.442=4). The marriage was witnessed by Solomon Saruco and Benjamin Ozorio-Junior. The former was the rabbi of the Sephardic community in The Hague between 1752 and 1789.
The collection contains several ketubot written in Livorno. For instance, in 1745 it was celebrated the marriage of Avraham ben Yosef Solima and Rebecca Bat Emanuel Rodriguez (Ms. Heb. 901.1416=8); and, in 1656, it was established the marriage of Jacob ben Avraham Lopez Miranda and Sara Bat Yishai Mendes (Ms. Heb. 901.460=2).
There are also several exquisitely decorated ketubot written in Venice. For instance, in 1750, the marriage of Jacob ben David Mindis (Mendes?) and Esther, daughter of Moshe Cardozo (Ms. Heb. 901.269=1) was celebrated. The marriage was witnessed by Yosef ben Raphael Buaino. In 1774, it was established the marriage of Eliezer ben Ya'akov Cameo and Dolcita, daughter of Shimon Midoro (Ms. Heb. 901.142=2). The marriage was witnessed by Avraham ben Yitzchak Pacifico.
These are only a few examples of numerous ketubot preserved in the National Library of Israel. The collection holds several other noteworthy documents written in many locations, such as Gibraltar, France, Greece, and Germany, among others.
Included in the collection are a couple of 15th-century ketubot originally from Spain. The first is dated 1480 and establishes the marriage of Yitzhak ben Temanos and Luna, daughter of Shlomo di Avila (Ms. Heb. 901.36=8). The other one was written in Zamora and celebrates the marriage of Moshe ben Shmuel Color and Lonberi, daughter of Yosef Shabi (Ms. Heb. 901.839=2). The marriage was witnessed by Moshe ben Shnior (Senior?).
From Amsterdam, there is a ketubah written in 1713, establishing the marriage of Avraham ben Daniel Zemach Abuhab and Rebecca, daughter of Yitzchak Lopes Maiado (Ms. Heb. 901.138=2). The groom signed the document in Latin characters. In 1791, it was celebrated in the Netherlands the marriage of Aharon ben Elisha and Kila, daughter of Avraham (Ms. Heb. 901.350=8). The document bears no witness signatures.
The collection also includes a couple of ketubot written in The Hague. The first is dated 1710 and established the marriage of Beniman ben Yitchak Haim Shinior-Tisheira, and Rivka bet Shmuel Shinior-Tisheira (Ms. Heb. 901.574=2). The marriage was witnessed by Joseph de Vega and Avraham de Pinto. The other ketubah is dated 1766 and celebrates the marriage of Aharon ben David ben Yitzchak Franco-Mendes and Rachel Bat David Teisheira (Ms. Heb. 901.442=4). The marriage was witnessed by Solomon Saruco and Benjamin Ozorio-Junior. The former was the rabbi of the Sephardic community in The Hague between 1752 and 1789.
The collection contains several ketubot written in Livorno. For instance, in 1745 it was celebrated the marriage of Avraham ben Yosef Solima and Rebecca Bat Emanuel Rodriguez (Ms. Heb. 901.1416=8); and, in 1656, it was established the marriage of Jacob ben Avraham Lopez Miranda and Sara Bat Yishai Mendes (Ms. Heb. 901.460=2).
There are also several exquisitely decorated ketubot written in Venice. For instance, in 1750, the marriage of Jacob ben David Mindis (Mendes?) and Esther, daughter of Moshe Cardozo (Ms. Heb. 901.269=1) was celebrated. The marriage was witnessed by Yosef ben Raphael Buaino. In 1774, it was established the marriage of Eliezer ben Ya'akov Cameo and Dolcita, daughter of Shimon Midoro (Ms. Heb. 901.142=2). The marriage was witnessed by Avraham ben Yitzchak Pacifico.
These are only a few examples of numerous ketubot preserved in the National Library of Israel. The collection holds several other noteworthy documents written in many locations, such as Gibraltar, France, Greece, and Germany, among others.
Administrative / Biographical history
In 1892, B'nai B'rith opened the Midrash Abarbanel Library in Jerusalem, with a mandate to collect "the treasures of Jewish literature." The city’s first free public library, it quickly became a cultural centre of the yishuv, and when Zionist physician Dr Joseph Chasanowich transferred his collection of 10,000 volumes from Bialystok to Jerusalem in 1895, Midrash Abarbanel became a sizeable library. With the establishment of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1925, the library was moved to the Mount Scopus campus, was officially renamed "The Jewish National and University Library" (JNUL), and the scope of its mission and collections was greatly expanded.
During Israel's War of Independence in 1947-48, when access to Mount Scopus was cut off from West Jerusalem, the JNUL collection was smuggled out and dispersed among several buildings in the city but retained its status as the central national collection. In 1953, the Knesset enacted the "Legal Deposit Law," mandating that two copies of every publication in Israel be deposited in the Jewish National and University Library for posterity.
In November 1960, the JNUL moved to the newly dedicated Lady Davis Building (Montreal Canada) on the Givat Ram Campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This building served as the Library's home for over 60 years. During this period, NLI filled three central roles: the national library of the State of Israel, the national library of the Jewish people, and the central research library of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the subject areas of Israel Studies, Jewish Studies, Islamic and Middle-Eastern Studies, and the General Humanities.
The National Library Law was adopted by the Knesset in 2007, officially establishing "the National Library of Israel" and defining its purpose: to collect, preserve, cultivate, and endow treasures of knowledge, heritage, and culture, with an emphasis on the Land of Israel, the State of Israel and the Jewish people.
During Israel's War of Independence in 1947-48, when access to Mount Scopus was cut off from West Jerusalem, the JNUL collection was smuggled out and dispersed among several buildings in the city but retained its status as the central national collection. In 1953, the Knesset enacted the "Legal Deposit Law," mandating that two copies of every publication in Israel be deposited in the Jewish National and University Library for posterity.
In November 1960, the JNUL moved to the newly dedicated Lady Davis Building (Montreal Canada) on the Givat Ram Campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This building served as the Library's home for over 60 years. During this period, NLI filled three central roles: the national library of the State of Israel, the national library of the Jewish people, and the central research library of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the subject areas of Israel Studies, Jewish Studies, Islamic and Middle-Eastern Studies, and the General Humanities.
The National Library Law was adopted by the Knesset in 2007, officially establishing "the National Library of Israel" and defining its purpose: to collect, preserve, cultivate, and endow treasures of knowledge, heritage, and culture, with an emphasis on the Land of Israel, the State of Israel and the Jewish people.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
Access, restrictions
Digitized copies of the ketubot are available at:
Links to finding aids
Existence and location of copies
Author of the description
Joana Rodrigues, 2023
Linked resources
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