Mizrah
/ˈmɪz.rɑːx/noun
A Jewish marker or inscription indicating the direction of Jerusalem for prayer, especially the east-facing wall of a home or synagogue.
Did you know?A mizrah may face east in Europe, but communities farther east or west orient it according to the actual direction of Jerusalem, so it is not always literally east-facing.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
מִזְרָח (mizrāḥ)
“East; the place of sunrise, from the root זרח, meaning “to rise” or “to shine””
Late Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
מִזְרַח (mizrach)
“The eastern direction or sunrise quarter”
Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
מִזְרָח
“The direction toward which Jews in many western lands turned during prayer, ultimately toward Jerusalem”
Medieval Jewish usage
Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic
Mizrah/Mizrach
“A designated eastern wall or inscription marking the direction of prayer”
19th Century
English
mizrah
“A decorative Jewish plaque or wall marker indicating the direction of Jerusalem”
Modern English
English
mizrah
“A Jewish directional marker, often artistically decorated with Hebrew text, maps, or biblical imagery”