The Ben Ezra Synagogue

The Ben Ezra Synagogue, named after Ezra the scribe[1], is located in the district of Old Cairo in Fostat. It was probably originally a synagogue that was then converted into an orthodox church, and then sold to the Jewish community in order to reimburse unpaid taxes. It then returned to its original function. It is one of the oldest synagogues in Egypt, and also one of the most important because of the discoveries made there. Indeed, at the end of the nineteenth century, Jacob Saphir discovered the building’s geniza (meaning ‘storage’), which comprises over 140,000 fragments of works—archives that provide us with precious information about the economic, social, and religious history of the Jewish community, which were later studied by professor Solomon Schechter[2].

The term geniza, the origin of the word gnosis, is said to be Persian in origin. It refers to the hidden and secret science, and designates in rabbinical literature the place where the souls of the righteous reside. The term refers to a place in the synagogue for storing damaged liturgical objects, old books, or writings that couldn’t be destroyed or abandoned because they bore the name of God. These documents were kept for a while before being buried, hence the term Janazah (funerals).

The synagogue, which faces towards Jerusalem, has a basilical plan. The building’s two-storey elevation was built for religious reasons: as is often the case, the ground floor was reserved for the men, and the first for the women. The marble columns that define the central nave are adorned with beautiful carved capitals. In this area is housed the traditional liturgical furniture: in the centre stands the Tebah (or Bimah, for Ashkenazim) from which the person reads the Torah. In the east, near the choir, elevated on a platform, is the ark that contains the scrolls of the Torah, hidden by carved doors and an inner curtain. The decorative repertoire in this synagogue reflects the art found in Egypt and its many influences—antique, Byzantine, and Islamic.

The story of the foundation of this synagogue is rich in symbols. Legend has it that it was built near the place of prayer chosen by Prophet Moses near the Nile, a place called Hisn Bablyon, the Fort of Babylon, located in old Egypt. History recounts that Moses and Irmia prostrated themselves at this spot, and that Abraham Ben Ezra, who came from Jerusalem to visit Egypt in 1115, began the reconstruction of the temple that still bears his name. It seems, therefore, that the original building on this spot was a synagogue and that, after its destruction, a church dedicated to the archangel Michael was constructed. It was then sold as a synagogue.

[2] Amongst others: the Atlas of the Prophet Moses, which is called the Rock of Miracles, where the tomb of Irmia lies, according to Jewish writings; a fragment of the Torah written on gazelle skin dating to 475 BC; a wooden ceiling dating to 1115; the case containing the scrolls of the Torah; a wooden plank with Kufic inscriptions which relate the visit to this site by ‘Amr ibn al-Ās; and an image drawn on a gazelle skin representing a seven-branch chandelier.