Viering van de Sabbat bij een joods gezin 1685 - 1725

This engraving by Philip van Gunst depicts a Jewish family celebrating the Sabbath. Notice the woman extending a long stick towards a hanging lamp, a symbolic gesture to usher in the holy day by lighting the Sabbath candles. This act connects to ancient rituals across cultures where light symbolizes spiritual illumination and the banishment of darkness. Consider how, in Christian traditions, candles are lit during prayer, or how the flame has been used in pagan rituals to represent the divine spark. In each context, the flame is a beacon. The act of lighting the Sabbath lamp is not just a physical act, but an invocation, a calling forth of a sacred space within the home. This ritual—reappearing in different guises throughout history—demonstrates the human need to mark time and sanctify domestic life. These moments become anchors for collective memory, imbued with a deep, almost subconscious emotional power. The cyclical recurrence and evolution of these symbols reveal our shared human experience.