Levite jug
Gravestone in the Buttenhausen Jewish cemetery
Gravestone in the Gelnhausen Jewish cemetery
The Levite jug as a symbol on tombstones indicates a Levitic descent. The Levites were also responsible for the cultic purity in the Jerusalem temple and washed the hands of the priests before the sacrificial cult.
The symbol of the jug can often be found on tombstones in Jewish cemeteries . The Levite jug is represented in various forms: as a bulbous washing jug , usually with a saucer, or as a tall, slim watering vessel, often influenced by contemporary watering and washing vessels. Sometimes they are engraved, but mostly they are three-dimensional. They mostly decorate the gable or rarely the base of a tombstone.
The Levite goblets can be found on entrances or drives near the houses of Jewish residents.
See also
Web links
Commons : Levitic Pot - Collection of images, videos and audio files
