JERUSALEM (Press Release) – One of the oldest sacred books of the Beta Israel community—the Orit—was transported for the first time from the National Library of Israel to the Western Wall for a special Sigd prayer ceremony Thursday. This marks the first time the 300-year-old manuscript has left the Library since being deposited in 2016.
The Orit was brought to Israel in 1982 by Kes Isaac Yaso (“Yitzhak the Teacher”) during his arduous journey from Ethiopia to Israel through Sudan that included harrowing events in which the book was saved from bandits. Following his passing, and in accordance with his wishes, in 2016, the family donated the manuscript to the Library for preservation.
Written in the ancient language of Ge‘ez on parchment, the Orit is the most important holy text of the Beta Israel community. It is an Octateuch, the traditional name for the first eight books of the Bible, comprising the Five Books of Moses, along with the books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth.
At the request of the family and community leaders, the Orit left the Library for several hours to serve as the centerpiece of a special Sigd prayer ceremony led by community dignitaries at the Western Wall.
The sacred writings of Beta Israel—among them the Orit, the Books of Jubilees and Enoch, and various prayer books—are considered rare and of exceptional cultural significance. Over the past year, the National Library has partnered with the Tofsei HaOrit (“Orit Catchers”) program at Tel Aviv University, and with the Ethiopian Jewry Heritage Center, to digitize additional manuscripts and make these treasures accessible to the public online.
To date, 16 manuscripts have been digitized, including two of the earliest known Orits from the 15th century, as well as Mezmur Dawit (translation of the Psalms of David into Ge’ez), prayer books for the Sabbath and Yom Kippur, the Book of Jubilees, the Arde’et (“The Magic Book of the Disciples”), and the Book of Enoch.
Explains Dr. Chaim Neria, Curator of the Jewish Collection at the National Library of Israel, “Sigd is an ancient Ethiopian Jewish holiday celebrated 50 days after Yom Kippur. It is a day of fasting and prayer that commemorates the renewal of the covenant between God and the Jewish people and expresses a deep yearning for Jerusalem.”
Oren Weinberg, CEO of the National Library of Israel said today, that while bringing the ancient volume outside the confines of the Library was highly unusual, “We responded to request by the kessim, the family members and the community, out of deep respect for them, and in honor of Kes Yaso, who helped initiate this unique ceremony. The book he entrusted to the Library remains, above all, a living text used by his community.”
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Preceding provided by the National Library of Israel. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency published a related story about Sigd being celebrated for the first time at New York’s City Hall.