One hundred tiny inscriptions of Genesis 49:8-12 depict the Tribe of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob and leader and progenitor of the Davidic line. The staff [of leadership] shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh [the Messiah] comes.
These verses are the blessing that Jacob, laying on his deathbed, gave to his son Judah. The blessing describes the necessary qualifications for kingship that he found only in Judah from amongst all of his sons.
*Your hand is on the neck of your enemies
Judah was so strong in battle that all his enemies turned their backs and fled. *From the prey, my son, you have arisen
He was superior to his brothers spiritually and ethically. He was not unstable as Reuven, the firstborn, nor were instruments of battle in his hands, as they were in the hands of Shimon and Levi, the second and third sons. Here Jacob hinted that Judah?s hands were not bloodstained, but rather it was he who saved Joseph from being killed at the hands of his brothers. \'He crouches as a lion, and as an old lion, who shall rouse him up?
Judah had the required strength and persistence for leadership. He remained staunch as a crouching lion, and no one dared try to move him. It was for these reasons that the scepter shall not depart from Judah.
The curling, swerving design captures the look and feel of mosaic art that, as archeological finds show, was so highly valued in ancient times. The pomegranate adorning Judah?s crown is a repeated motif in Jewish art. The pomegranates crowned head is a symbol of royalty, while its multitude of seeds represents the fulfillment of the prophecy and commandment to be fruitful and multiply.
Ellen Miller Braun was born and educated in Chicago Illinois, U.S.A. She studied fine arts at Northeastern Illinois University. An ardent Zionist, Ellen immigrated to Israel with her husband and children in 1983. They live in Ginot Shomron, in the Biblical hills of Samaria. Ellen\'s traditionally observant Jewish background has guided and inspired her in the development of the Biblical themes of her artwork