
The ketubbot digitization project aims to create a
worldwide registry of ketubbot in public and private collections throughout the
world. Based on the collection of the Jewish National and University Library
with over 1600 items, the project contains ketubbot originating from dozens of
different countries, and covering a time period of over 900 years. It is a major resource for research in
Jewish history, law and art..
For over 2000 years Jewish law has required that
every husband present his wife, at the time of their marriage, with a marriage
contract or ketubbah, guaranteeing the wife's financial rights in case of
the husband's death or divorce. Over generations, various local customs found
their way into the legal text of the ketubbah and ketubbah decorations
reflected the Jewish art of each locality and period. Ketubbot are therefore a
rich source of material on Jewish history, customs and art. The fact that, as
legal documents, ketubbot contain exact dates and place names allows their
absolute identification with specific communities and periods.