Ben Ezra Synagogue / Coptic Cairo

Ben Ezra Synagogue / Coptic Cairo When was Ben Ezra Synagogue Built, and where is it Located? The Ben Ezra Synagogue which is also known as The Genesis Synagogue or The Levant Synagogue which is in Old Cairo Egypt, and according to Local Traditions is in the Place where Moses was found. A Geniza which means Warehouse was discovered in the Nineteenth Century Synagogue and contains an authentic wealth of accumulated Worldly Religious Writings from Aramaic , Hebrew and Jewish –Arabic, the collection was moved to Cambridge and is now owned by several Academic Libraries. The Egyptian Jewish Community being at the end of a sudden decline from approx.. Eighty Thousand People residing in 1920 to the dozens of Jews of Egyptian Origin who still live in Cairo. The Ben Ezra Synagogue now functions as a Museum and Tourist Museum and does not Practice Religious Ceremonies. The Ben Ezra Synagogue which is Located in the intertwining Alleyways of Coptic Cairo is the Oldest Jewish Temple in Cairo, which dates from the Nineth Century AD, and like mainly all of Egypt’s Synagogues it has become a Tourist Attraction following the departure of almost all of Egypt’s noteably Jewish Community during the 1950s after the discovery of Israel and the Free Officers Revolution, however the Site still holds a great Importance in the Contemporary History of Judaism. A discovery in the Nineteenth Century of a vast Cache of Documents in the Synagogue’s treasury, which recorded the History and transactions of Cairo’s Jewish Community since the Eleventh Century, presented the most complete account of Medievil Jewry anywhere in the World, these Documents are now hosted at Cambridge University in England. There are two Myths which state that the Synagogue is built on the Site where the Pharaoh’s Daughter found Moses hidden in the Reeds of the River Nile, or on the Site of the Temple of Jeremiah. What is a Synagogue? As reported by The Encyclopidia Britannica , a Synagogue is a place where the Jewish People perform their Prayers, however back in Old Greek Days Synagogue means the Place where the Jews receive the Religious Teachings and the Place to Worship God. Originally known as El-Shamieen Church the Synagogue of Ben Ezra in Cairo is today located behind the famous Hanging Church within the Area of Old Cairo. The Synagogue which at one time had an Old Copy of the Old Testament, was believed that the Prophet Ezra or Al-Azir had written it, and also believed that the Site of the Synagogue is where the Basket with the Baby Moses inside was discovered and taken by the Wife of the Pharaoh at that time. Originally the Synagogue of Ben Ezra was a Christian Church which the Christians sold to the Jews in 882 AD, so that they were able to pay their annual Taxes which were imposed by the Muslim Controllers at that time. As a result, Abraham Ben-Ezra who came from Jerusalem during Ahmed Ibn Tulun’s reign, bought the Church for Twenty Thousand Dinars. During the past Centuries, the Synagogue received regular restorations and renovations. The Construction that exists now dates back to 1892 after the original collapse, and was built in the shape of a Basillica or a rectangular shape, which consists of two floors. The First Floor being dedicated to the Men and the Second one dedicated to the Women, also the Entrance is Located on the North Side.