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Betrothal and Wedding Rings: Jewish

Leo Modena, in his 'History of the Rites, Customs, and Manner of Life of the Present Jews throughout the World' (translated by Edm. Chilmead, 8vo. ; London, 1650), alluding to the Jewish manner of marrying, states that 'before the bride's dowry is produced and read, the bridegroom putteth a ring upon her finger, in the presence of two witnesses, which commonly used to be the Rabbines, saying, withal, unto her : "Behold thou art my espoused wife, according to the custom of Moses and of Israel."" Selden says that rings were first given in lieu of dowrymoney,¹ and that the wedding-ring came into general use by the Jews after they saw it was everywhere prevalent. These Jewish rings were, in past ages, generally of large size and elaborate workmanship. Some curious examples are mentioned in the Londesborough Collection Catalogue. One ring, formerly belonging to the late Crofton Croker, is of German or Flemish work of the seventeenth century. It is of brass, with three points, or bosses, and belongs to a class of ring called Mazul-touv (pronounced Mussul-taub), or, freely translated, 'Joy be with you,' or 'Good luck to you.' In the same collection is a Jewish 'tower' betrothal ring, enamelled blue, of the sixteenth century. Another betrothal ring belongs to the same class and date, called 'temple,' or 'tower,' from the figure of the sacred temple placed on their summit. In one of the Londesborough specimens it takes the form of a sexagonal building with a domed roof of an Eastern character; in another it is square, with a deeply-pitched roof, having movable vanes at the angles, and is probably the work of some German goldsmith. On the former of these rings the inscription is in enamelled letters, 'Joy be with you;' and the same words 1 It was formerly the custom in Brittany that, on the night after the marriage, the husband presented his wife with a ring and act of dowry. are in more richly-designed letters on the curve of the latter ring.