Recumbent Sephardic funerary slab from Amsterdam

This horizontal funerary slab, laid flat upon the grave, is characteristic of cemeteries of the Sephardic Portuguese diaspora, in contrast to the vertical tombstones of the Ashkenazic world. It bears a long epitaph, often bilingual (Hebrew and Portuguese or Spanish), recounting the identity and merits of the deceased. In Amsterdam, these stones frequently feature figurative reliefs illustrating the name of the deceased (through a biblical namesake) or a scene from his life and death, in a style close to baroque funerary art. These slabs constitute an exceptional ensemble testifying to the culture of Sephardic Jews in Western Europe.