Stones or pebbles left on top of this ancient tombstone, in accordance with Jewish tradition and custom, indicates that someone has visited the grave in the Old Jewish Cemetery in Josefov, the Jewish Quarter in Prague, capital of Czechia / Czech Republic. The headstone, with a Hebrew inscription carved in relief, is among about 12,000 crammed over nearly 350 years into the walled city centre space, with around 100,000 inhabitants of the former ghetto lying in up to 12 layers below them. The earliest gravestone dates from 1439 and the last interment was in 1787.
Prague, Czechia / Czech Republic: stones or pebbles left on top of this ancient tombstone, in accordance with Jewish tradition and custom, indicates that someone has visited the grave in the Old Jewish Cemetery in Josefov, the Czech capital’s Jewish Quarter. The headstone, with a Hebrew inscription carved in relief, is among about 12,000 crammed over nearly 350 years into the walled city centre space, with around 100,000 inhabitants of the former ghetto lying in up to 12 layers below them. Although the cemetery’s foundation date is not known, the earliest tombstone, of rabbi and liturgical poet Avigdor Kara, dates from 1439. The last burial was in 1787, by which time the cemetery had long outgrown the land available. The ground level was raised well above surrounding streets and the soil was held in place by retaining walls. As the layers of burials increased, ancient tombstones were raised to the new surface, so those visible now may commemorate people buried several levels down. The cemetery is Europe’s second oldest Jewish graveyard and one of the oldest surviving Jewish burial grounds in the world. The earliest gravestones bear only Hebrew inscriptions, but later examples feature architectural devices. From the 16th century the deceased were characterised by symbols relating to their name, character or trade, such as pairs of blessing hands, wine grapes or animals such as lions, bears, deer and wolves. A harp or violin indicated a musician, a lancet a physician, a calf a butcher and a pair of scissors a tailor. Important Jewish figures buried here include scholar, teacher and writer Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezulel (died 1609), Mordecai Maisel (1601), developer of the Prague Jewish Town and David Gans (1613), Renaissance scholar, historian, mathematician and astronomer.
Size: 3872px × 2592px
Location: Old Jewish Cemetery, Jewish Quarter or Josefov, Prague, Czechia / Czech Republic.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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