Ketubah - The Jewish Wedding Document

 

The Ketubah / ketuba is a Jewish document that has traditionally outlined a husband's obligation during wedding / marriage towards his wife, including clothing and conjugal rights. References to these historic judaic obligations can be found in Exodus (21:10,11) although no mention is made of a Jewish wedding document. The Apocrypha, however, contains mention of a scroll that was brought to the Jewish marriage ceremony of Tobias and Sarah, an early form of the Ketubah.

 

During the Babylonian Exile, 586-536 B.C.E., the need arose to protect Jewish women regarding property that was held in her husband's name. Many Jewish men migrated to Egypt and left wives and families behind. The Babylonian predeliction for written legal contracts was a firm basis for the start of the Ketubah / Ketuba. Papyrus records dating from around 440 B.C.E. in Aramaic (a later form of Hebrew) clearly outline the Jewish marriage wedding principle of securing the wife's property. Included in this ketubah is the sum of the bridal price paid to the father of the bride, as well as the sum of the bride and bridegroom's dower contribution. In addition, the wife is named as the beneficiary of the estate should the husband die.

 

Nearly four hundred years later, the ketubah / ketuba introduced a price that would be paid by the Jewish husband to the bride on the death or dissolution of the marriage. The Ketubah became a Jewish wedding contract written by the Jewish groom and was presented to the Jewish bride. The earliest actual ketubah formula is set down in the Talmud and exists today in the Orthodox text.

 

The practice of illuminating manuscripts and of decorating ritual objects goes back many hundred's of years. The concept of Hiddur Mitzvah, or the beautification of a mitzvah, has led to the creation of legacy of Jewish ritual art objects. Richly decorated Ketubot (including papercuts) can be found in the great museums of the world from Persia, Italy, Turkey, Israel and even the United States. The design of a ketubah would often reflect the style of the times, and could include symbols of the country such as flags or crowns. Jewish symbols were also prevalent - the lions of Judah can often be seen in historical Ketubahs as well as Hebrew calligraphy in stylized forms.

 

Today, the ketubah is one of the predominant forms of Jewish art, or judaica, found in the home. Ketubas are often hung prominently in the home by the married couple as a daily reminder of their vows and responsibilities to each other. Ketubahs have been made in a wide range of designs, usually following the tastes and styles of the era and region in which they are made. Many couples follow the Jewish tradition of hiddur mitzvah which calls for ceremonial objects such as the ketubah to be made as beautiful as possible.