"For over 2000 years Jewish law has required that every husband present his wife, at the time of their marriage, with a marriage contract or ketubbah, guaranteeing the wife's financial rights in case of the husband's death or divorce." These Kettubot are a rich source for studying Jewish history, customs, and art, as many were decorated according to the locality and period and reflected local customs. In addition, each was a legal document with exact dates and place names, allowing historians to identify them precisely in time and place. The Jewish National and University Library (JNUL) has the largest collection of Kettubot in the world, with over 1,200 items. They have now created an online database of these documents, allowing scholars and others worldwide to access images and bibliographic information. Visitors may browse the collection by country or search by keyword. Images of the Kettubot are available in three resolutions, and bibliographic records include title, place, country, year, material, and size. The names of the parties to the contract and witnesses are also listed, but they appear to be in Hebrew, and users will need the appropriate language capability in their browsers.
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