THE WORD MADE BEAUTIFUL
Any discussion of Jewish cultural expressions (material culture) must consider the centrality of the Torah scroll in post-temple Judaism. It stands in its own special case in the synagogue, and is dressed in jewels and velvet whenever possible.
Here we see two Torah scrolls, one wrapped in its velvet covering, and the other uncovered and unrolled.
Additionally, Torah scrolls are conventionally adorned with breastplates and crowns, as pictured here:
right:
A breastplate, featuring typical Jewish motifs
left: Crowns designed to fit over the rollers of a Torah scroll
The writing of a Torah scroll itself is one cultural product of Jews that has remained constant, and untouched by external cultural influence. Other Jewish ritual texts, however, have often been the occasion for remarkable Jewish artistry. In the middle ages, very wealth Jews would commission illuminated haggadahs (the ritual manual used during the Passover Seder), like this one:
