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The Rod of Aaron, Staff of Moses: Jewish
Wondrous Wands
A rod is a symbol of authority in many cultures. Jewish tradition tells of staffs endowed with miraculous
powers. In the Bible, the staff of Aaron was transformed into a serpent and was the instrument for summoning the first three
plagues against Egypt (Ex. 7:17; 8:5; 8:16-17; 9:23; 10:13).
["Shulamit," from Die Bucher der Bibel, by E.M. Lilien]
Aaron’s
rod, however, also delivered signs when not in his hands, as when it budded and blossomed overnight as part of a trial by
ordeal (Num. 17:8-10). Moses also possessed a rod (Ex.4:20) he used in performing miraculous deeds (Ex. 14:16; 17:9, Num.
20:11).
Later tradition claims all Biblical references to staves (Ps. 89:32 and Is. 10:24, for example) actually allude
to a single wondrous rod that was given to Adam, then traveled with the Patriarchs, Prophets, and Kings of Israel across history
(Num. R. 18:23; PdRE 40; Sefer Zerubbabel):
the staff with which Jacob crossed the Jordan is identical with that
which Judah gave to his daughter-in-law, Tamar (Gen. 32:10, 38:18). It is likewise the holy rod with which Moses worked (Exodus
4:20, 21), with which Aaron performed wonders before Pharaoh (Exodus 7:10), and with which, finally, David slew the giant
Goliath (I Sam. 17:40). David left it to his descendants, and the Davidic kings used it as a scepter until the destruction
of the Temple, when it miraculously disappeared. When the Messiah comes it will be given to him for a scepter in token of
his authority over the heathen (Yalkhut on Ps. 110, as translated in the Jewish Encyclopedia)
This rod, created on
the eve of the sixth day (Avot 5.6), was made of either sapphire or almond wood and bore an inscription of the Tetragrammaton
as well as an acrostic phrase constructed from the initials for the Ten Plagues (Mid. Teh. 9:1; Pes. 54a). It radiated light
from the divine name (Zohar I:9a). Like Excalibur, only the rightful owner could withdraw the rod once it was planted in the
ground. Others believed it was a staff of sapphire as listed in the bible. Even the throne of God in Revelations was made
of sapphires.
Created at twilight, before the Sabbath, it was given to Adam in the Garden of Eden. Adam gave it to
Enoch, who gave it to Methuselah; he in turn passed it on to Noah. Noah bequeathed it to his son Shem, who transmitted it
to Abraham. From Abraham to Isaac, and then to Jacob, who took it with him to Egypt. Jacob gave it to Joseph; upon Joseph's
death all his possessions were removed to Pharaoh's place. Jethro one of Pharaoh's advisers desired it, whereupon he took
it and stuck it in the ground in his garden in Midian. From then on no one could pull out the staff until Moses came. He read
the Hebrew on the staff, and pulled it out readily. Knowing then that Moses was the redeemer of Israel, Jethro gave him his
daughter Zepporah in marriage." (Pirkei de Rabbi Eliezer 40).
Hidden away by either Elijah or King Josiah (MdRI 1;
Tosefta Sotah 13a) in time the staff will reappear as a weapon in the hands of Hephzibah, the mother of the Messiah. It then
pass from her to the Messiah ben Joseph and then to the Messiah ben David, who will wield it in end-times struggles (Sefer
Zerubbabel; PdRE 40; Yalkut Ps. 110 # 869; Buber Tan., Yaeira 8).
But even out of reach, this awesome rod has power
to help Jews in distress. Several Hebrew and Aramaic amulets from Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages invoke the authority
of Aaron's rod in granting protection to the bearer (Naveh and Shaked, Magic Spells and Formulae).
Christianity developed
additional magical traditions about this legendary staff (Heb. 9:4), regarding it to be a relic from the Tree of Life and
linking it closely to various Biblical figures and finally to Jesus, for whom the staff served as the cross beam of his crucifix
(Origen; Book of the Bee).
In Ancient Hebrew Symbols the letter L stands for Lamed this means the staff or leader in
control... and is represented by a hook almost looking like a old fashioned fishing hook or upside down shepherds staff
The Staff of Moshe and the Rod of Aaron
The Torah contains some of the most awesome concepts buried in
the most unlikely places. I believe that the reason for this, is to save the diamonds for those who would “mine”
(intensely study) them. The jewels, so to speak, are not left out in the open for casual gathering.
In this study I would like to examine the staff of Moshe (Moshe) in an attempt to expose some deeply hidden
diamonds. In the process, we will also find that there is a very intriguing origin for some of the world’s myths. My
suggestion is that the parables of the Midrash are often changed by the world into the myths that we learn as children.
So, lets get some background on this staff. The first use of staff (Hebrew: matteh) is found in:
Bereshit (Genesis) 38:18 And he said, What pledge shall
I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that [is] in thine hand. And he gave [it] her,
and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.
Strong’s defines this as:
4294 matteh, mat-teh'; or
(fem.) mattah, mat-taw'; from 5186; a branch (as extending); fig. a tribe; also a rod, whether for chastising (fig. correction),
ruling (a sceptre), throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; fig. a support of life e.g. bread):-rod, staff, tribe.
The KJV translates this Hebrew word as staff, rod, or tribe primarily.
In fact, this word is more often translated as “tribe”, than any other way. So, our first task is to try to understand
how a staff is related to a tribe.
A staff is a branch which bends away from a tree, which has been
smoothed and sized for the owner. A tribe is the descendants of a particular person. So, Jacob would be like a main branch
of a tree, with his twelve sons being “staff” sized branches which bend away from their father. In the course
of their lives, HaShem has given His Torah to these sons in order that they might be smooth and properly sized.
Both a tribe and the staff are tools used by the hand of HaShem
to accomplish His purposes. From the definition given to us by Strong’s, we can see that there are several uses for
the staff, and therefore for the tribes.
From our understanding so far, we can see that there is a very
deep concept behind a seemingly insignificant staff.
Moshe’s Staff
The staff of Moshe first appears in Torah when Moshe encounters the burning bush:
Shemot (Exodus) 3:16 – 4:5 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, HaShem God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and [seen] that which is
done to you in Egypt: And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites,
and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk
and honey. And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt,
and ye shall say unto him, HaShem God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey
into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to HaShem our God. And I am sure that the king of Egypt
will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that
he will let you go. And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when
ye go, ye shall not go empty: But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels
of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put [them] upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall
spoil the Egyptians. And Moshe answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they
will say, HaShem hath not appeared unto thee. And HaShem said unto him, What [is] that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moshe fled from before it.
And HaShem said unto Moshe, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it
became a rod in his hand: That they may believe that HaShem God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
Staff and Serpent
Pirke D'Rebbe Eliezer 40 (a Midrashic work composed by the school
of Rebbe Eliezer ben Hyrcanus [c.100]) gives the history of this amazing
staff.:
"Created at twilight, before the Sabbath, it was given to Adam in the Garden of Eden. Adam gave it to
Chanoch (Enoch), who gave it to Metushelach (Methuselah); he in turn passed it on to Noach (Noah). Noach bequeathed it to
his son Shem, who transmitted it to Avraham (Abraham). From Avraham to Yitzchak (Isaac), and then to Ya’aqov (Jacob),
who took it with him to Egypt. Ya’aqov
gave it to Yosef (Joseph); upon Yosef's death all his possessions were removed to Pharaoh's place. Yitro (Jethro) one of Pharaoh's
advisors desired it, whereupon he took it and stuck it in the ground in his garden in Midian. From then on no one could pull
out the staff until Moshe came. He read the Hebrew letters on the staff, and pulled it out readily. Knowing then that Moshe
was the redeemer of Israel, Yitro gave
him his daughter Tziporra (Zepporah) in marriage." Then, as a shepherd to Yitro, it was while investigating the phenomenon
of the Burning Bush, that HaShem said to Moshe:
Shemot (Exodus) 4:2 "What is in your hand? And he (Moshe)
said, ‘a staff'."
The staff which Moshe pulled from the ground in Yitro’s garden had been fashioned by HaShem Himself
who had then given it to Adam. It was passed down, after Moshe’s death, to King David and the succeeding Kings of Judah.
This was no ordinary wooden staff.
The Midrash tells this amazing story in a way which gives us insight into this most powerful staff:
MOSHE MARRIES ZIPPORAH
One of the seven maidens whom Moshe saw at the well attracted his
notice in particular on account of her modest demeanor, and he made her a proposal of marriage. But Zipporah repulsed him,
saying, "My father has a tree in his garden with which he tests every man that expresses a desire to marry one of his daughters,
and as soon as the suitor touches the tree, he is devoured by it."
Moshe: "Whence has he the tree?"
Zipporah: "It is the rod that the Holy One, blessed be He, created
in the twilight of the first Sabbath eve, and gave to Adam. He transmitted it to Enoch, from him it descended to Noah, then
to Shem, and Abraham, and Isaac, and finally to Jacob, who brought it with him to Egypt, and gave it to his son Joseph. When
Joseph died, the Egyptians pillaged his house, and the rod, which was in their booty, they brought to Pharaoh's palace. At
that time my father was one of the most prominent of the king's sacred scribes, and as such he had the opportunity of seeing
the rod. He felt a great desire to possess it, and he stole it and took it to his house. On this rod the Ineffable Name is
graven, and also the ten plagues that God will cause to visit the Egyptians in a future day. For many years it lay in my father's
house. One day he was walking in his garden carrying it, and he stuck it in the ground. When he attempted to draw it out again,
he found that it had sprouted, and was putting forth blossoms. That is the rod with which he tries any that desire to marry
his daughters. He insists that our suitors shall attempt to pull it out of the ground, but as soon as they touch it, it devours
them."
Having given him this account of her father's rod, Zipporah went
home, accompanied by her sisters, and Moshe followed them.
Jethro was not a little amazed to see his daughters return so soon
from the watering troughs. As a rule, the chicanery they had to suffer from the shepherds detained them until late. No sooner
had he heard their report about the wonder-working Egyptian than he exclaimed, "Mayhap he is one of the descendants of Abraham,
from whom issueth blessing for the whole world." He rebuked his daughters for not having invited the stranger that had done
them so valuable a service to come into their house, and he ordered them to fetch him, in the hope that he would take one
of his daughters to wife.
Moshe had been standing without all this time, and had allowed Jethro's
daughters to describe him as an Egyptian, without protesting and asserting his Hebrew birth. For this HaShem punished him
by causing him to die outside of the promised land. Joseph, who had proclaimed in public that he was a Hebrew, found his last
resting-place in the land of the Hebrews, and Moshe, who apparently had no objection to being considered an Egyptian, had
to live and die outside of that land.
Zipporah hastened forth to execute her father's wish, and no sooner
had she ushered him in, then Moshe requested her hand in marriage. Jethro replied, "If thou canst bring me the rod in my garden,
I will give her to thee." Moshe went out, found the sapphire rod that HaShem had bestowed upon Adam when he was driven
forth from Paradise, the rod that had reached Jethro after manifold vicissitudes, and which he had planted in the garden.
Moshe uprooted it and carried it to Jethro.
So, now we discover that this fantastic staff is made out of sapphire, not wood.
Now that we understand that this is a most unusual staff, lets see if the Midrash can shed any more light
on this fantastic staff:
Midrash Rabbah - Exodus VIII:3 ‘Go and exact a penalty of him.’ He
said to him: ‘How shall I bring upon him the ten plagues? ' The reply was: ’And thou shalt take in thy hand this
rod’ (IV, 17). R. Judah said: The rod weighed forty se'ah
and was of sapphire and the ten plagues were engraved thereon in an abbreviated form -De Za K, aDaSH, Be'aHa B. God said:
' In this order shalt thou bring upon him the plagues.’ And Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet (VII, 1). ‘Just
as the preacher sits and preaches whilst the interpreter sits before him, so shalt thou speak all that I shall command thee,
[to Aaron] and Aaron thy brother will speak unto Pharaoh.’ By means of both of them were all these things performed,
as it is said: And Moshe and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh (XI, 10).
From this Midrash we learn that this sapphire staff weighed 40 se’ah. Forty se’ah is the amount
of water used in a mikveh (baptismal) to immerse an object or a person. To put it mildly: This sapphire staff weighed HUNDREDS
of pounds! No ordinary man could even pick it up much less pull it out of the ground or wave it around.
Lets look at exactly what the World Book Encyclopedia can tell us about sapphire:
Sapphire, a hard and clear gem,
is a variety of the mineral corundum. The best-known sapphires are blue. Their color results from small amounts of iron and
titanium in the stone. Sapphires are also found in many other colors, including yellow, green, white, black, violet, and orange.
Non-blue sapphires are called fancy sapphires. The red variety of corundum is known as a ruby.
The most valuable sapphires once
came from Kashmir, in India. They are
a magnificent cornflower blue, the color to which all sapphires are compared. Today, Thailand is the most important source of blue sapphires. Blue and fancy sapphires
are also found in Burma, Sri Lanka,
Australia, and the state of Montana in
the United States.
Star sapphires contain needles
of the mineral rutile that reflect light in six star like rays. The most highly prized star sapphires are blue. Black or white
star sapphires are less valuable.
Among minerals, sapphires and rubies
rank second only to diamonds in hardness. For this reason, sapphires are sometimes used as abrasive or polishing agents. Large
numbers of inexpensive imitation sapphires are manufactured every year. But the natural stones have maintained their high
value because of a demand for the real gems.
The Throne of Glory was also seen as made of sapphire (Ezekiel 1:26, 10:1). This stone is related to wisdom
(Bachya on Exodus 28:18), and the Hebrew word sappir is related to sefer, a book (Tzioni). It is also related
to vision (Bachya loc. cit.). Some say that this "sapphire" is like a "third eye," through which mystical vision is
attained (Raavad on Sefer Yetzirah 1:1), and indeed, this third eye is associated with a sapphire blue color.
The Hebrew word for sapphire is Sapir. The Hebrew word "sefirah" has several meanings. The famous
Kabbalist, the RaMak (R. Moshe Kordevero, d. 1570), in his monumental work the "Pardes", writes that "sefirah" comes both
from the root "counting" (mispar, number) and "sipur", as in relating a story. A third root of "sefirah" is "sapir", a sapphire
stone, which is a translucent crystal that shines brightly.
During Iyar, when the first plague began, the "lower reality" is slowly refined to become a proper vessel
able to receive the revelation of the essence of the "higher reality." This is accomplished by fulfilling the commandment
of sefirat ha-omer ("the counting of the omer; the word for "counting," sefirah is from the same root as "sapphire," the brilliant
stone known as ‘even sapir’, denoting the light scintillating from within lowly materiality).
So, now we know that sapphire is extremely hard. Engraved, not just written, on this, extremely hard, sapphire
staff are the abbreviations for the ten plagues. At this point, we need to understand a bit about the plagues in Egypt in order to gain some insight into this staff
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The purpose of the first group:
G-d's existence.
These were initiated by Aaron, with the staff of Moshe, and they involved water and
land. |
The purpose of the second group:
Divine
providence.
These were initiated by G-d, without the staff of Moshe, and they involved those dwelling
on the land: |
The purpose of the third group:
A universal
G-d.
These were initiated by Moshe, with his staff, and they revealed G-d's power to strike
from the air: |
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1. Blood - Exodus 7:14-25 |
4. Beasts -
Exodus 8:20-32 |
7. Hail/Fire - Exodus 9:13-35 |
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Preceded by a warning |
Preceded by a warning |
Preceded by a warning |
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"…in the morning…" Exodus 7:15 |
"… in the morning…" Exodus 8:16 |
"…in the morning…" Exodus 9:13 |
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"…you shalt know that I am HASHEM Exodus 7:17 |
"…you will know that I, HASHEM, am in
this land." Exodus 8:22 |
"… so you may know that there is no one
like me in all the earth. |
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Paro hardened his heart. – Exodus 8:28 |
HASHEM hardened the heart of Paro. – Exodus 9:27,34,35 - Exodus 10:1 |
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Reduced the Egyptians in their own land to the insecure existence of strangers. |
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2. Frogs
- Exodus 8:1-15 |
5. Plague
- Exodus 9:1-7 |
8. Locusts
- Exodus 10:1-20 |
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Preceded by a warning |
Preceded by a warning |
Preceded by a warning |
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"Go in to Pharaoh…" Exodus 7:26 |
"Go in to Pharaoh…" Exodus 9:1 |
"…Go in to Pharaoh…" Exodus 10:1 |
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Paro hardened his heart. – Exodus 8:11 |
Paro hardened his heart. – Exodus 9:7 |
HASHEM hardened the heart of Paro. – Exodus 10:20 |
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Robbed the Egyptians of their pride, their possessions, and their sense of superiority,
reducing them to lowly submission. |
Robbed the Egyptians of their pride, their possessions, and their sense of superiority,
reducing them to lowly submission. |
Robbed the Egyptians of their pride, their possessions, and their sense of superiority,
reducing them to lowly submission. |
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3. Lice
- Exodus 8:16-19 |
6. Boils
- Exodus 9:8-12 |
9. Darkness - Exodus 10:21-29 |
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No warning! Exodus 8:16 |
No warning! Exodus 9:8 |
No warning! Exodus 10:21 |
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Paro hardened his heart. – Exodus 8:15 |
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Imposed upon the Egyptians actual physical suffering. |
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10. Death
- This was brought on by G-d: - Exodus 12:29-33 |
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From the above chart, we can see that six of the ten plagues were performed with this
staff. Further, we see that EVERY plague initiated by men, was initiated with THIS sapphire staff. The only plagues not initiated
with this staff, were initiated by HaShem Himself. Never the less, since this staff was fashioned by HaShem, we can understand
why it was not necessary for those plagues which demonstrated Divine providence.
The Midrash also speaks of this division of the plagues:
Midrash
Rabbah - Exodus XII:4 AND MOSHE STRETCHED FORTH HIS ROD TOWARD HEAVEN (IX, 23). Three of the plagues came through the
agency of Aaron, three through Moshe, three through God, and one through the united efforts of all three. Blood, frogs, and
gnats, being on the earth, were through Aaron; hail, locusts, and darkness, through Moshe, because they were in the air and
Moshe had power over earth and heaven; the swarms, the murrain, and the plague of the firstborn through God, and the boils--
through all of them.
The Midrash also gives us some insight into the engraving on this staff:
Midrash Rabbah - Exodus V:6 AND THE
HaShem SAID UNTO MOSHE: WHEN THOU GOEST BACK INTO EGYPT, SEE THAT THOU Do BEFORE PHARAOH ALL THE WONDERS, etc. (IV, 21). To
which of the wonders did He refer? Should you say to the serpent, to the leprosy, or the blood, well, did not God tell him
to perform these wonders only before Israel? Moreover, we do not find that Moshe performed these wonders before Pharaoh? The meaning of ALL
THE WONDERS WHICH I HAVE PUT IN THY HAND (ib.) is the rod on which were inscribed the Ten Plagues, for it had inscribed upon
it the abbreviations De Za K, ‘a Da SH Be'a Ha B.
God said unto him: ‘These are the plagues which I have put in thy hand; do them before Pharaoh with this rod.’
The plagues were performed in the following order on the date specified:
Nisan 1:
Egypt was afflicted with the first plague: Blood. Exodus 7:19 Seder Olam 3
(Sapphire staff)
Iyar:
No plague.
Sivan:
No plague.
Tammuz:
No Plague.
Av 1:
Egypt was afflicted with the second
plague: Frogs. Exodus 8:2 Seder HaDoros (Sapphire staff)
Elul 1:
Egypt was afflicted with the third
plague: Lice. Exodus 8:16 Zikhron Yemot Olam (Sapphire staff)
Tishri 1:
Egypt was afflicted with the fourth
plague: Beasts Exodus 8:24 Zihron Yemot Olam (HaShem)
Cheshvan 1:
Egypt was afflicted with the fifth
plague: Cattle plague Exodus 9:3
Zihron Yemot Olam (HaShem)
Kislev 1:
Egypt was afflicted with the sixth
plague: Boils. Exodus 9:9 Zichron Yemot Olam (HaShem)
Tevet 1:
Egypt was afflicted with the seventh
plague: Hail and fire. Exodus 9:24
Zichron Yemot Olam (Sapphire staff)
Shevat 1:
Egypt was afflicted with the eighth
plague: Locusts. Exodus 10:4
Zichron Yemot Olam (Sapphire staff)
Adar 1:
Egypt was afflicted with the ninth
plague: Darkness. Exodus 10:21
Zikhron Yemot Olam. (Sapphire staff)
Nisan 15:
Egypt was afflicted with the tenth
plague: Death of the firstborn. Exodus
33:3-4 (HaShem)
Later, in Shemot (Exodus) 4, we see this sapphire staff again:
Shemot (Exodus)
4:17,20 "And you shall take in your hand this staff (matteh), with which
you will work wonders ... and he took the staff (matteh) of Elokim in his hand."
Shemot (Exodus)
4:1-5 And Moshe answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor
hearken unto my voice: for they will say, HaShem hath not appeared unto thee. And HaShem said unto him, What [is] that in
thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent;
and Moshe fled from before it. And HaShem said unto Moshe, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth
his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: That they may believe that HaShem God of their fathers, the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
This sapphire staff was turned into a serpent, and not just any serpent, as we have
already seen. This was the serpent that tempted Eve. This was the same staff/serpent that set off the ten plagues; that divided
the Reed (Red) Sea; and that brought forth water from rocks. Made of sapphire with HaShem’s ineffable Name written upon
it, this staff was no ordinary staff, its origin was part of the creation process. It was the agent of creation in that it
controls creation. This staff was able to put the world on it’s track of goodness.
This staff is capable of transforming evil into it’s good form, and of transforming
good into it’s evil form. This is graphically demonstrated when Moshe casts the staff down and it is converted into
THE primal snake. When he grasps The primal snake’s tail, it is converted back into a staff. In his hand it is a staff.
On the ground, out of his hand, it is THE primal snake.
Since this sapphire staff was part of creation, it comes as no wonder that when it
was transformed, on the ground (not in his hand), it became the serpent of the creation story. The Midrash tells us why this
particular serpent was used in this demonstration:
Midrash Rabbah - Exodus III:12 AND MOSHE
ANSWERED AND SAID: BUT, BEHOLD, THEY WILL NOT BELIEVE ME (IV, 1). Moshe then spoke not befittingly; for God had said to him:
’And they shall hearken to thy voice’ (III, 18), and he said: BUT, BEHOLD, THEY WILL NOT BELIEVE ME. Whereupon
God answered him on his own lines and gave him signs according to his words. See what it says after this: AND THE HaShem SAID
UNTO HIM: WHAT IS (MAZEH) THAT IN THY HAND? AND HE SAID: A ROD (IV, 2), that is to say: ‘Thou art worthy of being smitten
with that (mizzeh) which is in thy
hand, for thou didst speak slanderously of my children who are believers and the sons of believers.’ They are believers,
as it says: And the people believed (Ex. XIV, 31); and the sons of believers, as it says: And he believed in the Lord (Gen.
XV, 6). Moshe had followed
the example of the serpent who had spoken slanderously of his Creator, as it is said: For God doth know (ib. III, 5); so just
as the serpent was punished, so will he be punished. See what is written: AND HE SAID: CAST IT ON THE GROUND. AND HE CAST
IT ON THE GROUND AND IT BECAME A SERPENT (IV, 3). Because he had copied the example of the serpent, God showed him the serpent,
as if to say: ' Thou didst do the thing that this serpent did.’
AND MOSHE FLED FROM BEFORE IT. A Roman lady once boasted
to R. Jose: ‘My God is greater than yours.’ ' In which way? ' he asked. She replied: ' For when your God revealed
Himself unto Moshe at the thorn-bush, he merely hid his face, but when he beheld the serpent, who is my god, immediately he
fled from before it.’ To which he replied: ‘Woe to her. When our God revealed Himself at the thorn-bush, there
was no room for him to flee anywhere. Where could he flee? To the heavens? Or to the sea, or dry land? See what it says in
reference to our God: Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord (Jer. XXIII, 24). Whereas, your god, the serpent, a man can escape from merely by
running away a few paces; for this reason does it say, AND MOSHE FLED FROM BEFORE IT,’ Another reason of his flight
is because he had sinned by his words. Had he not sinned, he would not have fled, for not the serpent brings death, but sin,
as it is written in the story of R. Hanina b. Dosa.
AND THE HaShem SAID UNTO MOSHE: PUT FORTH THY HAND, AND TAKE IT BY THE TAIL (IV, 4). We have already explained what the serpent
implied for Moshe; but what did this sign signify for Israel?
R. Eleazar opined that the rod was converted into a serpent as symbolic Of Pharaoh who was called a serpent, as it says: Behold,
I am against thee, Pharaoh King of Egypt, the great-dragon (Ezek. XXIX, 3). He is also referred to as the leviathan the slant
serpent (Isa. XXVII, 1), because he hit Israel.
God said to him [Moshe]: ' Dost thou see Pharaoh who is like a serpent? Well, thou wilt smite him with the rod and in the
end he will become like wood; and just as the rod cannot bite, so he will no longer bite’; hence: PUT FORTH THY HAND
AND TAKE IT BY THE TAIL. THAT THEY MAY BELIEVE THAT THE HaShem, THE GOD OF THEIR FATHERS... HATH APPEARED UNTO THEE (IV, 5).
Go and perform before them this miracle that they should believe that I appeared unto thee.
So, midda kneged midda, measure for measure, HaShem punished Moshe’s slander
with the one who first slandered. From the above Midrash we can see that HaShem accomplished multiple tasks with this “serpent”
sign.
Lets look again at this passage in Shemot 4:
Shemot (Exodus)
4:17,20 "And you shall take in your hand this staff (matteh), with which
you will work wonders ... and he took the staff (matteh) of Elokim in his hand."
This pasuk indicates that the “staff of Moshe” was, in reality, the staff
of Elokim (G-d). Elokim again reminds us of creation where HaShem used this name for creating. The Midrash gives some insight
into G-d’s staff:
Midrash Rabbah - Exodus VIII:1 …
One must not make use of the sceptre of a mortal king, but God handed His sceptre to Moshe, as it says: And Moshe took the
rod of God in his hand (Ex. IV, 20). …
A Staff in the Hand
As we have noted several times, the action of the staff when it is in the hand of Moshe
or Aaron is far different that the action of the staff when it is on the ground.
While it is in Moshe’s or Aaron’s hand it performs the most amazing wonders,
the wonders of creation:
It separates the waters and creates dry land:
Bereshit (Genesis)
1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the
firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so.
Versus:
Shemot
(Exodus) 14:21 And Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea; and HaShem caused
the sea to go [back] by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry [land], and the waters were divided.
It creates animals and swarming creatures on the Earth:
Bereshit (Genesis)
1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his
kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
Versus:
Shemot (Exodus)
8:20-21 And HaShem said unto Moshe, Rise up early in the morning, and stand
before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith HaShem, Let my people go, that they may serve
me. Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms [of flies]
upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full
of swarms [of flies], and also the ground whereon they [are].
And:
Shemot
(Exodus) 8:2-15 And if thou refuse to let [them] go, behold, I will smite all
thy borders with frogs: And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and
into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and
into thy kneading troughs: And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. And HaShem
spake unto Moshe, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds,
and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.
And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs
came up, and covered the land of Egypt.
And:
Shemot
(Exodus) 8:16-17 And HaShem said unto Moshe, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy
rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so; for Aaron
stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust
of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
Shemot (Exodus) 17:4-6 And Moshe cried unto HaShem, saying, What shall I do unto this
people? they be almost ready to stone me. And HaShem said unto Moshe, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders
of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou
smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt
smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moshe did so in the sight of the elders
of Israel.
So, in the hand of Moshe and Aaron, two great Tzaddikim (righteous men), this sapphire
staff had the power of creation. It was called Elokim’s staff because Elokim is the name HaShem uses when executing
strict justice (The world was justly created).
This link to creation is also shown when Moshe let go of the rod and cast it to the
earth. At this point, the staff transforms itself into the serpent who tempted Eve. Out of Moshe’s hand, this staff
becomes unspeakable evil. When Moshe confronts his fear and takes the serpent in his hand (taking control so to speak), the
serpent becomes again an instrument of creation:
Shemot (Exodus) 4:2-5 And HaShem said unto him, What [is] that in thine hand? And he
said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moshe fled from
before it. And HaShem said unto Moshe, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught
it, and it became a rod in his hand: That they may believe that HaShem God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
When we take a hold of creation to perform the will of HaShem, we create a G-dly reality.
When we relinquish control to the base things of this world, we unleash unspeakable evil on the earth. It is my fervent tefillah,
prayer, that we grasp and use creation correctly, for the glory of HaShem.
The Sword in the Stone
By now, I am sure that most of you have made the connection between Moshe’s staff
and Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur. In this myth, Arthur becomes king after he removes a sword named Excalibur, from
a stone which miraculously held it. Because he was able to do this, Arthur was made king. As king, Arthur redeemed the people
of England from all their enemies.
The parallels between Moshe’s staff and Excalibur are striking. Moshe removes
the staff from Yitro’s (Jethro’s) garden, where it had been miraculously held. After doing this feat, Moshe is
recognized as the redeemer of HaShem’s people. Moshe eventually becomes like a king over the Jewish people. Instead
of using a sword to vanquish his enemies, Moshe uses the staff of G-d. Instead of a round table with 13 knights, Moshe has
a “round” camp with 13 tribes.
The truth of the parable of Moshe, though, is far more profound and powerful than the
myth of King Arthur. There is some hint that most of the myths of the world are mere knockoffs of the truth found in the Midrash.
The Staff of Power
It appears that the origin of the magic wand, was Moshe’s rod.
This rod, in the hand of Moshe, was an instrument of creation. When thrown to the ground,
out of Moshe’s hand, it became a serpent of indescribable evil. It became the serpent which tempted Eve in the garden
of Eden. These same thoughts are a part of the myth of the magic wand: That which is
taken in the hand to do good or evil.
The differences between the magic wand and the staff of Moshe are manifest:
- Moshe’s staff was too
heavy to be picked up without miraculous intervention.
- Moshe’s staff was real.
- Moshe’s staff was made
of sapphire.
- Moshe’s staff was G-d’s
staff.
- Moshe’s staff was engraved
with the name of HaShem.
- Moshe’s staff was used
by the righteous to perform the will of HaShem.
A concluding thought:
Sanhedrin 99b R. Abbahu said: He who
causes his neighbour to fulfill a precept is regarded by Scripture as though he had done it himself, for it is written, [The
Lord said unto Moshe . . . take . . . ] thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river: did Moshe then smite it? Aaron smote it! But, he who causes his
neighbour to fulfill a precept, is regarded by Scripture as though he had done it himself.
Staff of Moses (also Staff of Aaron, Staff of God) to the Ark. Basically it seems like the
staff may have been transported with the Ark. Is this generally accepted as true? If so, does that mean the staff on display
in the Birmingham Museum is definitely not THE staff, as it would still be with the Ark.
Moshe Staff could be a key to the Ark?
When the ark was carried around by the Hebrews there was several items in it. The Ten Commandments, a gold jar of manna
and Aaron's staff that budded, (almonds), Hebrews 9:4. The story of why Aaron's staff had budded is found in Numbers 16 and
17 which deals with Korahs rebellion against Moses, awesome story. Its neat, I just got through reading "Indiana Jones and
the Secret of the Sphinx" and it deals with Aaron's staff. As far as the location of the ark I believe it is in a church in
Ethiopia or in a hidden cave in Israel hidden by Jeremiah before the Babylonians captured the Southern kingdom (Judah).
I know the Ark has not been destroyed because the book of Revelation talks about it in the future. I have also seen it
in dreams. Just as I have seen M
At one point, it seems that the rod that budded was removed from the Ark.
Meaning that that would probably be located
elsewhere, if it still survives.
After the Bablyonian Seige, the Ark is missing. Ron Wyatt believed that Jeremiah had
hidden the Ark so that it would not be captured (Through a cave system that is documented throughout underground Mt. Moriah).
I have been in those caves, and will be going back in the Summer, to do an excavation where Ron Wyatt said he thought it was
located.
Some believe that the ark was in a cave under the site where Christ was crucified. After the death of Christ the earthquake
sent a crack through the rock to where the ark was hidden. Christ's blood ran through the crack and onto the ark. Symbolizing
the ultimate atonement and fulfillment of the Israelite rituals of placing blood on the mercy seat at Pentecost. "The
Ark of the Covenant" by Bob Cornuke, if you have not already read it. He is a Christian adventurer and police investigator.
He believes the ark is in Ethiopia as a result of King Solomon and the queen of Sheba and their son Menelik. The ruins of
the queen's palace are in Ethiopia some believe.
The top of the ark is called the "mercy seat" I believe it is a literal seat. Why I think this:
Isa 18:7 In that
time shall a present be brought unto Jehovah of hosts from a people tall and smooth, even from a people terrible from their
beginning onward, a nation that meteth out and treadeth down, whose land the rivers divide, to the place of the name
of Jehovah of hosts, the mount Zion. In the future these things will all find there way back to New Zion once the holy ones
come.
"People tall and smooth" refer to the people from Ethiopia in scripture as well as "land the rivers divide".
The
only physical gift worth to be brought into mount Zion in the throne room would be the Ark of The covenant.
God gave to Moses a monstrous commission - ‘deliver Israel out of the land of Egypt. ‘ Moses felt
ill equipped for the task. "What is that in your hand?" God asked. "A staff," Moses replied. His walking stick to help
him deal with the journey of life. In his life it helped him deal with daily issues as they arose, it held special significance
in it that he used it in daily life to walk with and deal with issues.
Then God demonstrated to him the miraculous potential in that seemingly insignificant staff "to the unknowing
eye"–and Moses actually fled in terror from his own walking stick! But when instructed to pick up the snake by the tail,
once again, it returned into a staff in his own hand. Something simple and common, turned into a power authoritative tool,
and then back to something simple and common. When God finished showing to Moses that his staff was an instrument of divine
power and authority, it was all he needed to fulfill his task. With that rod Moses defeated the magicians of Egypt, stripped
Pharaoh of his power, humiliated Egypt's gods and brought Israel out from slavery to freedom.*
When Israel was challenged by the Amalekites, Joshua's success in battle hinged on the interceding raised
hands of Moses, the raised hands that held the walking stick - the staff of God!
How we, like Moses, treat a staff or rod even prayer as common, insignificant, simply a walking stick to help
us through the journey of life! But it is so much more. Throughout scripture, the "staff" is a symbol of authority and power.
Commanders, rulers, kings had a staff or rod symbolizing their power. When David challenged Goliath, he did so with 5 smooth
stones and his staff (I Sam 17:40). Elisha regarded his staff as powerful enough to deliver a child from death (II Kings 4:29).
Where God delivers, the power of the enemy is broken, symbolized repeatedly by the enemy's broken staff (Jeremiah 48:17, II
Kings 18:21, Ezekiel 29:6, Isaiah 14:5). The "rod of God" is pictured throughout scripture as the power and authority of God
to judge and discipline the nations (Job 9:32, 21:9, Lamentations 3:1, Micah 6:9). Jesus, before his crucifixion was given
a staff, symbolizing his power and authority, and then they took it from him and beat him with it, symbolizing that his rod
was powerless (Matthew 27:29). Yet Jesus crucified was the power of God for our salvation. Jesus crucified was the staff of
God to destroy the works of the evil one. "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them,
triumphing over them by the cross" (Colossians 2:15).
Jesus told us to pray in his name, the name that now has all authority and power (Matthew 28:18). He is the
Sovereign Lord who rules with an Iron Scepter (another picture of the staff of God) (Psalm 2, Acts 4:24).
Its time to change our perception of prayer from something common to something extraordinary, powerful, in our
hands to use in the service of the kingdom of God.
May we, like Moses, be surprised, even terrified at times, by the power of the staff in our hands and prayer!
Another story of the Staffs, rods, or wands of God is another interesting
After their defeat, Moses led the people back into the wilderness. There
they were to camp and wander for forty years; until all those over twenty years old had died. Other than Moses, Aaron, Mariam,
only Joshua and Caleb and their families were to remain alive to enter the promised land.
Soon after their return to the desert, Korah of the tribe of Levi that God had chosen to do His work, and
Dathan and Abiram of the tribe of Reuben, along with two hundred and fifty other leaders, their families and followers came
forward and opposed Moses. They said to Moses, "You have gone too far. The whole congregation is Holy; why do you set yourselves
above the people?"
As is often the case with people who want power, these men weren't concerned for the people, but wanted to
be the leaders themselves. They had no right to take over Moses and Aaron's job, even had they had the best interest of the
people at heart, which was highly unlikely. They craved authority and wanted to exercise power over the people. Moses had
shown by his actions that he was highly concerned with the welfare of the people. When God had said He would destroy all the
people and make a great nation of Moses' descendants, Moses had pleaded with God not to do so, and even offered to have his
own name removed from God's book of life, in order to save the people.
When Moses heard the accusation of Korah and his followers he bowed down before God and prayed for all concerned.
While he was praying God gave him a message for Korah and the others. "Tomorrow morning God will show who belongs to Him and
is holy and will serve Him. In the morning all of you take censers and put incense in them and light them before the Lord
- the man the Lord chooses will be the one who is holy.
"God has chosen you Levites and separated you from the rest of Israel for the honor of serving Him, to work
at God's tabernacle and to minister to all the people. He has brought you all very near to Him but that's not enough for you,
you want the priesthood too. Who is Aaron that you should try to usurp him - it is God Himself you have banded together to
oppose!"
Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram who were not of the tribe of Levi but of Reuben, but they would not
come. "We will not come!" they said, "You have brought us out of a land of plenty into the desert to kill us, and now you
want to lord it over us. You haven't brought us into the land flowing with milk and honey as you promised or given us fields
and vineyards! Will you next make us all your slaves? No, we will not come!"
When he heard this Moses became very angry and said to God, "Do not accept their offerings! I have not taken
a thing from any of them, not so much as a donkey, nor have I wronged any of them."
Then he went to Korah again and told him to come to the tabernacle in the morning with his two hundred and
fifty followers, every one with a censer. Korah and Aaron would stand before the tabernacle and God would show who He would
choose.
The next morning everyone gathered at the tabernacle with censers of burning incense. The pillar of fire and
cloud, the glory of the Lord, appeared and God said to Moses and Aaron, "Get away from this whole assembly of Israel so that
I can destroy them right now!"
But Moses and Aaron fell on their faces and prayed to God, "O God, Lord of the spirits of all mankind, will
you be angry at everyone for the sins of one man?"
Then God said to Moses, "Tell the people to move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram."
So Moses went to the areas where these men were camped and warned all those camped nearby to move back and
to not touch anything that belonged to the rebels or they too would be swept away. For once the people listened and obeyed
Moses.
Korah, Dathan and Abiram had gone back to their tents and were standing there when Moses said to all within
earshot, "If these men and their families die a natural death such as happens to all men then you will know that God has not
sent me. But if the Lord sends a new kind of death to them, if the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up, then you will
know that these men have treated God with contempt."
As soon as Moses had finished saying these words, the ground under the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram split
apart and they and all their families, their tents and their possessions went down into the ground and the earth closed on
them. The people round about fled in terror shouting, "The earth is going to swallow us too!"
Then fire came from God and devoured the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.
God told Moses, "Have Eleazar, Aaron's son, gather together the censors that the two hundred and fifty men
used, for because these censors were used to offer incense before me, they have become holy. Hammer the censors into a sheet
to cover the altar." This was done to remind the people that if any except the descendants of Aaron ever offered incense before
God as the followers of Korah had done, they would suffer a fate such as Korah's.
Now you might think this would be the end of the matter; that the people would have developed some respect
for God and Moses. But the next day most of the people grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have killed God's people."
As if Moses and Aaron had the power to open the earth and swallow up those specific people!
Again the glory of God came to the tabernacle and God again, for the fourth time, said to get away from the
people so he could destroy them. But again Moses asked for God's mercy. But this time God sent a plague. Moses told Aaron
to quickly get a censer, put incense in it and light it from the coals on the altar and go into the midst of the people and
make an atonement for their sins. Aaron did so and stood between the living and those who had already died from the plague.
God stopped the plague, but not before fourteen thousand seven hundred of the people had died.
God knew that there would be continuing confrontations like this if He did not make His will known specifically.
So He had Moses gather the heads of each of the twelve tribe together. Each one was told to carve their name on their staff.
Then Moses was to take them, including Aaron's, into the tabernacle and leave them there overnight. God said, "The staff that
belongs to the man I choose will sprout and I will rid Myself of this constant grumbling about the leadership of Moses and
Aaron."
The next morning Moses brought out the rods and the one with Aaron's name carved on it had sprouted and had
buds, blossoms and ripe olives on it. Each man, except Aaron, took his staff. God told Moses to put Aaron's staff back in
the tabernacle as a continual sign against those who would grumble against God.
Now the people complained to Moses, "We will die! We are all lost; anyone who comes near the tabernacle will
die! We are all going to die!" And of course during the next forty years they all did die.
Sacred Relics in Topkapi Palace Museum , Istanbul
The Sacred Relics entrusted to the reader
Topkapi Palace was the residence of many Sultans and welcomed many visiting kings and ambassadors for centuries. However,
what makes the palace so special is not only the former residents, but the Sacred Relics, which include personal belongings
of prophets. Excavated from the most private and hidden rooms of the palace, the entire selection is compiled here for the
first time, including those that are not on exhibit for daily visits. From the staff of Prophet Moses to the Mantle of Prophet
Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon them, the Sacred Relics which Ottomans preserved in Topkapi Palace for centuries paying
utmost respect, are presented in this book.
When Sultan Selim returned from the Egyptian campaign (1517), he brought
to Istanbul the Sacred Relics from the treasuries of the Mamluk state, Abbasid Caliphate, and Hijaz Emirate.
Sultan
Selim I began to collect the Sacred Relics at Topkapi Palace , and his successors continued the tradition until the beginning
of the twentieth century. The sultans gathered the relics of the Prophet and other great Muslims, as well as items from respected
religious sites. At the beginning of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, protecting relics from potential damage by the
Wahhabis was a major concern. The Wahhabis thought those who showed reverence to objects were guilty of polytheism, so relics
were sent to Istanbul for protection and care. During World War I, when the surrender of Madina was being considered, the
city's guardian, Fahreddin Pasha, sent a number of valuable gifts which had been received over the centuries, along with some
Sacred Relics, to Istanbul .
Most of these are preserved in the Topkapi Palace Treasury Collection. Today, there are
605 items registered in the Topkapi Palace Museum Division of Sacred Relics. Moreover, there are many objects that can be
considered Sacred Relics cataloged in the museum's treasury, arms, clothes, and library divisions.
The items that
belonged to the Prophet are called Amanat (Trusts), while the items belonging to other great Muslims or sacred places are
called Tabarrukat (Sacred Objects). Today, all the items are called “Sacred Relics,” but in the past they were
registered as Blessed Relics ( Al-Amanat al-Mubaraka ).
The Ottomans did not attribute any holiness to material objects;
yet, they were well aware that property belonging to the Messenger of God had a share of divine blessings.
Tahsin Öz
wrote the following in his book Emanat-i Mukaddese [The Sacred Relics] published in 1953: “The Sacred Relics were collected
thanks to various historical manifestations of fate throughout centuries. This treasure passed to Turks piece by piece by
efforts motivated by faith and sometimes by fortune. It is clear that they are not only sacred objects collected and preserved
with a religious bond and love, but are valuable by world standards artistically and historically as well. The care and traditional
respect shown for the protection of these sacred objects so far has been infinite. As long as we exist, this sacred duty will
be performed with love, respect, and honor.”
THE HOLY MANTLE
Among all sacred relics, the Holy
Mantle of Prophet Muhammad holds a special place. Due to their respect for this honorable memory from the Prophet, the sultans
preserved it in gold cases in the Throne Room. Therefore, the entire complex which included the Throne Room, Audience Hall,
dormitory for pages, and the Treasury hosted became to be called Apartments of the Holy Mantle.
Prophet Muhammad, peace
and blessings be upon him, met opposition and resistance when he began calling people to Islam. One of his opponents was the
poet Ka‘b. After the conquest of Makka, the poet began to hide. Having been reprimanded by his brother, Ka‘b felt
regret. Taking a risk, he secretly went to Madina in disguise and approached the Prophet to ask whether a person who repented
his mistakes and embraced the faith would be forgiven or not. After the Messenger answered in the affirmative, the poet asked,
“Even Ka‘b ibn Zuhayr?” When the Prophet affirmed this,too, Ka'b revealed his identity and began to read
a poem, “Ode to the Mantle,” which would become famous. As a reward the Messenger of God took off his mantle and
put it on Ka‘b ibn Zuhayr's shoulders.
COLLECTION
The collection consists of many objects, like
Prophet Muhammad's mantle, standard, sandal, cup, footprint on a stone, swords, bow, his tooth that broke at Uhud, soil he
used for ritual ablution, and his seal. They also include a cooking vessel of the prophet Abraham; the turban of the prophet
Joseph; the sword of the prophet David; a strand from Abu Bakr's beard; the Qur'an that is believed to be the one Caliph ‘Uthman
ibn ‘Affan was reading when he was assassinated; swords of the Prophet's companions; Fatima al-Zahra's blouse, veil,
and mantle; her son Husayn's robe, his turban, and a piece of his mantle; Imam Abu Hanifa's robe; Uways al-Qarani's felt cap;
the crowns of ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani and Imam Sharani; the bowls of Jalal al-Din al-Rumi; the gold rain gutters of
the Ka‘ba; the gold and silver covers of the Black Stone; a wing of the Door of Repentance; the lock, keys, and covers
of the Ka‘ba; objects like hooks, candles, censers a nd rosewater flasks which were used in the Ka‘ba or in Masjid
al-Nabawi (the Prophet's Mosque); pieces of wood, stone, glass, porcelain tile, etc. used in repair of these places; covers
and soil from the Prophet's tomb; and the dust called Jawhar al-Saadat [The Jewel of Bliss] which was collected while cleaning
the Prophet's tomb. There are also items used for preserving the Sacred Relics through time, or for their transport from the
Ka‘ba, such as chests, drawers, covers (embroidered or plain), bundle wrappers, scabbards, and rahle s (low reading
desks). In addition, there are brooms and dust pans used to clean the Privy Chamber; candles; aloe wood; framed inscriptions
written by famous calligraphers or the sultans; writings describing the virtues of the Prophet ( hilya ); prayer rugs and
prayer beads; copper and silver bowls; candles; dervish headgear; zamzam water pitchers; and handkerchiefs and blocks for
printing on handkerchiefs.
About the author: Having specialized in art history, Hilmi Aydin is currently the deputy
manager of the Topkapi Palace Museum , Istanbul . He used to be the divisional manager of Pavilion of the Sacred Relics until
recently appointed to the current position.
"Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching and reason
with them in the best manners possible" Holy Quran (Sura Al-Nahl 16, Ayah 125)
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