Israeli Jewish Holiday (Rosh Ha-Shanah) Object: "Shofar" Prayer Horn

This is an Israeli Jewish ram's-horn trumpet, called a "shofar." The shofar was used by ancient Jews in religious ceremonies and as a battle signal. Now the shofar is sounded at the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, and Yom Kippur, the day of atonement.

Judaism is a religion in which people believe that there is one god (monotheism), the same god the Christians and Muslims worship, who created the universe and has a personal relationship with humans. The religion was founded in Israel about 4,000 years ago by Abraham, who entered into a covenant with God to follow the laws of God. Moses received the Jewish holy book from God. Scholars disagree about whether there is an afterlife. Jews are waiting for the Messiah who may bring about an afterlife.

The shofar is to be sounded on Rosh Ha-Shanah, which is designated as "a day of blowing". The Bible refers to two kinds of trumpet sounds: teki'ah, a long blast, and teru'ah, a short blast. During Rosh Ha-Shanah, the shofar is blown in three sets of a teki'ah, a teru'ah and teki'ah.
Source:
Source Citation: Lewis, Albert L. "Shofar." Encyclopaedia Judaica. Ed. Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik. 2nd ed. Vol. 18. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2007. 506-508. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. Document URL http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE|CX2587518382&v=2.1&u=lapl&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w