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Art and the Jews

The Banner of the Jew

By REV. IGNATZ MUELLER

Greetings

According. to historical testimony,
Wake, Israel, wake! Recall today
there has been no people more ad-
THE WORLD IS HAPPIER NOW 'l'IIAN
dicted to agriculture than the Israel-
The glorious Maccabean rage,
ites. The Phoenicians, their near
HAS BEEN FOR A LONG TIME AND
The sire heroic, hoary-gray, •
neighbors, had no small a territory
WISH EVERYBODY THEREIN A SPLENDII ,
Ilis five-fold lion-lineage;
that they were obliged to carry on
commerce. Their business was to ex-
The Wise, the Elect, the Ilelp-of-God,
change, to buy and sell the goods pro-
The Burst-of-Spring, the Avenging Rod.
duced by others. They were the first
traders and brokers. The Egyptians,
a
and Assyrians cultivated Vie soil for
From Mizpeh's mountain-side they saw
food products, but jo'ned manufac-
Jerusalem's empty streets, her shrine
tures, navigation and trade to it.
The Greeks excelled chiefly in arts.'
Laid waste where Greeks profaned the Law,
The Romans despised mechanics, and
With idol and with pagan sign.
applied themselves to commerce, im-
porting all the necessities of life from
Mourners in tattered black were there,
other countries. We may set down
With ashes sprinkled on their hair.
for fact that all those peoples that
were not able to flourish by means of
agriculture, directed their attention
Then from the stony peak there rang
to sonic other occupation. While the
203 Hammond Bldg.
A blast to ope the graves; down poured
Israelites, whose land was sufficient
to maintain them, followed the occu-
The Maccabean clan, who sang
pation of farming, as the most honest
Their battle-anthem to the Lord.
way wherein man procures the means
of living. 'there was only one of the
Five heroes lead, and following see,
12 tribes of Israel, that of Zebulun,
Ten thousand rush to victory!
whose share of land lay near the sea
and had some temptation to trade.
In the blessing of Jacob, we find this
Oh, for Jerusalem's trumpet now,
foretold in the following words: "Ze-
To blow a blast of shattering power,
bulun - toward the sea coast shall
dwell; he shall be a road-stead for
To wake the sleepers high and low,
ships, and his coast reach unto
And rouse them to the urgent hour!
Zidon" I Gen. 49:131. But even 'Le-1
No band for vengeance—but to save,
bolus, described as a maritime and l
commercial tribe in Jacob's poem,
A million naked swords should wave.
does not appear to have been realized
to any considerable extent. It was
thus that long before the times of
Oh, deem not (lead that martial fire,
Ceres, the plow was the most noble
Say not the mystic flame is spent!
arms in the hands of our honorable
and high-minded ancestors. And in-
With Moses' law and David's lyre,
deed, by means of their agriculture,
Your ancient strength remains unbent.
they did as much essential service to
Let but an Ezra rise anew,
the world as by their culture. For,
both are necessary: cultivation to the
To lift the Banner of the Jew!
mind, and food to the body.
But, though the Israelites were an
A rag, a mock at first—ere long,
agricultural people, they were also
lovers of art, and attained sonic suc-
When men have bled and women wept,
cess in the production of works of ar-
To guard its precious folds from wrong,
tistic merit. In music and poetry,
Even they who shrunk, even they who slept,
their success is undoubted. These
two art have been, from their earliest
Shall leap to bless it and to save.
existence, intimately connected by
Strike! for the brave revere the brave!
them, and were held in the highest
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estimation. In their private as well
806 DONVAN BLDG.
as in their religious life, both music
EMMA LAZARUS.
and poesy were consecrated to their
service in the worship of God. Con-
sidering that the cultivation of these
arts was yet in its infancy among the
0
1:1
'
Greeks, the success won by the Israel-
h artisans and the proficiency o
ites is even more striking.
also learn that the Jewish architec- Jewis
h
workmen.
For
the
assistance
In the present article I wish to ture, even in those early days, had in Jewis
throw some light upon Jewish archi- its drawing up of its ground plan, given by the Phoenicians consisted
tecture and to consider the fine work symmetry and purity of form. No- mains y in felling cedar trees on
that had been done about some artis- ticeable also is the great skill mani- Moon t Lebanon and in manufactur-
0
tic structures, which prove that there fested at that time by the . Jewish ing s tone of the metal work.
lb ave already mentioned that the
were some highly ingenious men artisans in the manufacture of the
Dealers in
among the Israelites, well acquainted furniture of the Tabernacle. The Masa is Tabernacle served as a model 0
Canaries, Parrots and Gold-Fish
and skilled in mechanic art, and that, beautiful covers and curtains, with in t he construction of Solomon's
though the plastic art in general was their inwoven cherubim+, the seven- Tem pie. In the fourth year of his
Also Bird, Fish, Dog and Poultry Supplies
discouraged by the law, and had no branched golden candlestick of beaten reign , 1012 B. C., he commenced the
opportunity for development, their work, and the circular-shaped laver grea t undertaking, and in seven years
HIRAM JACKSON
0
ARTHUR A. CURD
style and system of building bears the made by them from the metallic mir- he co mpleted a building of which per-
specific character of Jewish origin, rors presented by the women of the haps no other has excited so much
— AND
and assuredly possess a grandeur and community, evidence their talent and at ten tion. Classical antiquity has be-
Opposite Interurban Station.
O
corn e largely indebted to the Jewish Y
dignity of their own.
taste for the fine arts.
sane tuary for many details of art,
The erection of the Tabernacle, as
It is, indeed, surprising how our an-
Israel's first sanctuary is called, sug- cestors came to be is well learned and throughout the Middle Ages the
Empire 6626 II
form and shape of all Christian
000ttotittotxtoottoct
gests to us the idea that architecture
and skilled in arts that were not only
*********Gott000ttoor(*******auult
chur ches were, as the Catholic
had its origin in religion, or at least
= 01=0=10=
10
very different, but also very different
0=i0=10=0=
chur ches are even today, modeled af-
owes its development to it. It is, by
from one another. They understood
A. R. Campbell, Vice-President
ter its design. Thus, the attention
all means, the first architectural at-
Elmer H. Christe, President
melting metals, cutting and engraving
David Oppenheim, Treasurer
and interest which the Temple has
tempt
in
which
the
Jewish
national
W, T. Greenwood, Secretary
precious stones; they were joiners.
cxci ted among non-Jews allows little
life and character had been expressed.
makers of tapestry, embroiderers and
dou bt of its extraordinary artistic and
It was the tent of Jehovah, standing
perfumers.
arch itectural value. Its form and
in the midst of the tents of the peo-
Bezalel and Aholiab were the arti- mod e of structure as well as its size,
ple, in the center of the camp. The
ficers
to
whom
Moses
confided
the
de-
bea uty and utility we find minutely
fact, however, that the original design
of the Tabernacle had been retained sign and execution of the works of desc ribed in the First Book of Kings,
and used on a larger scale at the con- art required for the Tabernacle of cha pters 5-10. Here we can learn
struction of the subsequent temples the congregation. Their charge was why Alexander von Humboldt, one
at Jerusalem shows that there must chiefly in all works of metal, wood of t he greatest of naturalists, affirms
have been some special beauty about and stone, and also the textile fab- wit h intense solemnity and emphasis:
No where in antiquity, and not even
it and that it was of more than pass- fries. These two men were nomi-
ing importance. From this we may nated to make everything necessary am ong the Greeks, is so much sense
1919 Dime Bank Building, Detroit
for the service of God. And while for the beauties of nature met with
we read in our Torah that they were as in the Bible."
filled with the spirit of God in wis-
shall not undertake to give the
Licensed by the Michigan State Insurance Department.
dom and in understanding, and in cha racteristics of all the other archi-
knowledge, and in all manner of tee tural works of Solomon and other
workmanship, we find Bezalel so high- Jew ish kings, though some of the pal-
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ly complimented in the Talmud, that ace s they built rivaled the temples
years
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10=10
0171011====0 00C
as the etymology of Bezalel is "in the the mselves in splendor and beauty.
shadow of God," he dwelt, true to Fo ✓ I wish to restrict myself to the
his name, in the very shadow, i. e., sac red buildings in the history of the
11
under the protection of God,
Je ws. In subsequent times two more
Whether the Israelites had learned to mples were built after the design
the art of architecture from the of Solomon's. Zerubbabel, the reeve-
0
Egyptians or their skill was divinely niz ed prince of Judah in the captiv-
237 Bagley Ave.
inspired, as Holy Scriptures seem to ity , availed himself of the permission
0
insinuate, cannot enter into our dis- an it assistance of Cyrus, king of
1363
cussion. So much we know, that Pe rsia, in the year 555, B. C., and
236 Madison Ave., Lenox Hotel
Manufacturers
Egypt in the early age of the world PI aced himself at the head of those
excelled all other nations in the of his countrymen, "whose spirit God
and Wholesalers of
knowledge of art, and the Lsraelites, ha it raised to go an to build the house
in consequence of remaining in Egypt of the Lord, which is Jerusalem,
PLUMBERS'
and
STEAM-
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for hundreds of years, must have, no and after many hindrances and de
doubt, become initiated, to a consid- lays, rebuilt the Temple, and dedi- UMW
FITTERS' SUPPLIES
erable degree, into the production of cated it with much pomp and rejoic-
GLENDALE 021 2
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artistic works. And though Moses ing. While King Herod, who, next
Enamel Ware, Closets,
did not enact any special laws in to Solomon, was the most art-loving
Greetings of the Season from
favor of the arts, yet, as he certainly monarch the Jews had, adorned Jeru-
Brass Goods, Pipe and
peaks in praise of art and artificers, salem with many splendid monument ,
of
his
taste
and
magnificence,
and
re-
r
can easily understand the general
Fittings.
-timid of culture and architectural built the Temple in the year 16, B.
arming the Israelites and corn- C., with scrupulous care. During the
RANGE BOILERS
tirehend why our ancestors, though reign of Herod, however, the influ-
Hey were an agricultural people, ence of Greek taste began to make it-
LAUNDRY TRAYS
were neither dull nor ignorant in the self felt in Palestine, and we are told
art which so disposed of beauty and that, in addition to the Temple, he
,lorned the edifices raised by them also built colonnades, castles and the-
Branch:
!hat they give us not only the impres- aters. The beauty of King Ilerod's
10125 SHOEMAKER AVE.
■■■ 11 of beauty and holiness, but of residential palace was beyond all de-
-iimething ethereal and superhuman. scription. It consisted of a block of
, .
Rubbish and Dirt Remo
I;oethe says that art is called "Art" various marble dwellings, with artis-
to 5-ton Trucks
simply because it is not nature. Oth- tically formed roofs, each building
Warehouse 111111 Branch now be-
2058 MICHIGAN AVENUE
i.rs, again, are of the opinion that having magnificent halls and colon-
ing established on Myers Road
t he mission of art is to represent na- nades. Pleasure grounds, tiny for-
and P. R. R.
NORTHWAY
ture. Now, Biblical art has the ad- ests and gardens of every kind sur-
4170
vantage of nature, in so far as it rounded it. and elaborate waterworks
gives a reverent expression of the were built to give these grounds a
soul's delight in the moral and spirit- never-failing freshness of appearance.
ual glory; said of God: "Glorious in
I could greatly increase on the art
holiness" IEx. 15:111. "High art among the Jews. Yet, mindful of
consists neither in altering nor im- the well-known proverb: "Ars longa.
proving nature, but in seeking vita brevis," I shall only add the refit
throughout nature for 'whatsoever son why no iron tools were used at
things are lovely, whatsoever things the building of the Temple. This is
to teach us that in Jewish art truth
are pure' " tRu.skin).
The erection of the Tabernacle is never absent. The Temple and
was followed by sonic centuries of altar of God were erected to main-
architectural and artistic barrenness. tain pence: iron. however, is a metal
The time when the Judges and, sub- from which weapons of war are made
sequently, King Saul were in com- that destroy human life. Therefore.
,
mand, was marked by internal and no iron at all was used in the erec-
a s- -
Liberty and
external struggles, and consequently tion of the altar, and as little as p
did not admit the free development sible at the building of the Temple.
David, though in other respects he
of
arts
which,
as
a
rule,
flourishes
,
,
only in times of peace. In the reignsl was called "A man after God's own
of David and Solomon, however, the heart," yet waged wars, fought bat-
general spread of culture and archi- tles, and thus was also "a man of
,
tectural skill became manifest, andl blood;" he, therefore, was not per-
grew prosperously. The sacred and mitted to build the house of God.
royal buildings and particularly the Solomon, on the other hand—his very
. temples at Jerusalem show the pitch name, "Sholomo," indicates peace—
of artistic excellence which they had was to build it. A temple, though it
attained. It was-David who first pro- be a constructive work, if without
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL
posed to replace the Tabernacle by peace, is no house of God.
342
a more permanent building. But,
AT G. T. R. R.
though he collected materials and
There are four Jewish mayors of
made arrangements, the execution of
English cities, according to the Jew
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL
the task was left for his son Solomon.
,
29
ish Chronicle of London. C. Stanley
With the assistance of Hiram, king
Cross of Paddington, recently chosen 'g 1367 Michigan
of Tyre. Solomon commenced the
■
mayor. is the first Jew to fill tha
great undertaking whose fame and
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a sit y.
n that
; magnificence is due to the skill of office in

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