Mizrah
/mɪzˈrɑːx/noun
A Jewish decorative plaque or inscription indicating the direction of Jerusalem for prayer, traditionally placed on the eastern wall of a room.
Did you know?The word comes from the Hebrew root ז־ר־ח, associated with the sun’s rising, while a mizrah helped orient worshippers toward Jerusalem during prayer.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
זָרַח (zāraḥ)
“To rise or shine, especially of the sun”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
מִזְרָח (mizraḥ)
“The east—the direction of sunrise”
Medieval Hebrew
Hebrew
מִזְרָח (mizrah)
“An eastern marker or indication of the direction of Jerusalem for prayer”
Medieval and Early Modern Period
Jewish languages
mizrach / mizrekh
“A prayer-direction plaque or inscription placed on an eastern wall”
19th Century
English
mizrah
“A Jewish plaque marking the direction of Jerusalem”
Modern English
English
Mizrah
“A decorative Jewish prayer-direction plaque, often an artwork”