Mezuzoth

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A ritual object or parchment inscribed with biblical texts, typically affixed to doorposts in Jewish homes for religious observance
2. An ornamental case containing sacred verses, placed on the doorframe to fulfill a commandment in Jewish tradition
3. A Jewish religious symbol consisting of a small scroll with specific verses, serving as a reminder of faith and cultural identity

Etymology: "Mezuzoth" is simply the plural of "mezuzah," and the singular comes from a Hebrew word meaning "doorpost." The name points directly to the commandment in Deuteronomy 6:9 to write God's words "upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates," which is the scriptural basis for the practice. The object is attached to the doorframe of a home, and its name literally records where it is meant to go. Because the word is a post-Biblical Hebrew term, it is not the language of the original commandment itself but of the later tradition that developed around it. The scripture speaks of writing words on doorposts, and over time that instruction became a fixed practice: a small scroll inscribed with specific verses, placed in a case on the doorframe. The name of the object therefore came from the place it occupies rather than from the scroll inside.