Bidspirit auction | Collection of Samaritan Seals, 19th

Collection of Samaritan Seals, 19th and 20th Centuries / Seal of the Samaritan High Priest - Thirteen personal seals of Samaritan religious leaders and of the Samaritan High Priest Ya'akov ben Aharon ben Shlomo. Engraved in metal (brass and various white metals). Palestine, mid-19th century and early decades of 20th century. All seals bear inscriptions in Arabic (except for one which also bears a Hebrew inscription), giving the names of their owners, usually with the added titles ”Kahen” (=priest) or ”Al-Kahen” (=the priest), along with ”Amran” and ”Sadaka”; evidently, all the seals belonged to Samaritan priests. Most seals dated. 1. ”Atuha (?) Al-Halak Abed Al-Halak 63” (probably 1263 Hijri [= 1847 CE]). 2. ”Salam Ali Alamaran 85” (probably 1285 Hijri [= 1868 CE]). 3. ”Ra'is Ruhi Ta'aifat Al-Samra” [”Spiritual Leader of the Samaritan Congregation”] Yakoub Haroun Al-Kahen 1297” (1297 Hijri [= 1880 CE]). This is the 120th High Priest of the Samaritan Community, Ya'akov ben Aharon ben Shlomo. 4. ”Ishak Kahen 1313” (1313 Hijri [= 1895 CE]). 5. ”Shukrallah [in Hebrew] / min (?) Ishak Shukrallah Kahen (?).” 6. ”Shafiq Kahen 1321” (1321 Hijri [= 1903 CE]). 7. ”Abda Amran Ha-Kohen 1328 (?)” (1328 Hijri [= 1910 CE]). 8. ”Sadaka Kahen 328” (1328 Hijri [= 1910 CE]). 9. ”Ibrahim A'i (?) 1334” (1334 Hijri [= 1916 CE]). 10. ”Taufiq Kahen 1334” (1334 Hijri [= 1916 CE]). 11. ”Ishak Sadaka Kahen 1336” (1336 Hijri [= 1918 CE]. 12. ”Abda Ishak Al-Kahen 1337” (1337 Hijri [= 1919 CE]. 13. ”Ghazal Al-Kahen 931” (probably 1931 CE). Size varies, approx. 1X2 cm to approx. 1.5X2.5 cm; handles 2.4 cm to 4 cm in length. Condition varies, most in good condition.