Rejecting the Image
Focussing on the word: a yad is used to follow the text during readings from the Torah, to avoid any damage to the delicate parchment.
A striking cobalt blue mosque lamp, from around 1570, shows an Islamic way of doing honour to the word - calligraphy. In Jewish religious ceremonies a yad - a small silver rod with a little hand and a pointing index finger - is used to follow the text during readings from the Torah, to avoid any damage to the delicate parchment. Neil MacGregor reflects on faiths which focus on the word rather than the image as an expression of beliefs.
Image: A yad, Credit: British Museum
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Broadcasts
- Sun 18 Mar 201803:32GMTBBC World Service except News Internet
- Sun 18 Mar 201819:32GMTBBC World Service except News Internet
Animations
Neil MacGregor tells the stories of some of the key objects in the series.
Living with the Gods - the Podcast
Your weekly dose of anthropology and spirituality to subscribe to or download
