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Cemetery, Zliten, Libya

Description

Zliten was home to a Jewish settlement as early as the 2nd century. However, the settlement grew substantially between the 1600s and 1800s. Between the founding of the settlement and the growing of the community, there was a time where there was no Jewish community in Zliten. During the 12th and 13th centuries, The Almohad Dynasty (From Arabic الموحدون al-Muwahhidun, i.e. "the monotheists" or "the Unitarians") controlled Zliten. They were a Berber, Muslim dynasty that persecuted the Jewish community and led to the destruction of the community which would not be revived until the 1600s (1). 

The Jewish cemetery in Zliten was located near the Al-Bazah mosque. In addition to the cemetery and two synagogues, Zliten had a chevra kadisha (2). A chevra kadisha is an organization of Jewish people who see to it that the bodies of deceased Jews are prepared for burial according to Jewish tradition and are protected from desecration until burial. The ritual of tahara, or purification is an important part of a chevra kadisha’s responsibility. The body is first thoroughly cleansed of dirt, bodily fluids, and solids, and then is ritually purified by water starting from the head and over the entire body. Once the body is purified, it is dressed in tachrichim, or shrouds, of white pure muslin or linen garments made up of ten pieces for a male and twelve for a female. Once the body is shrouded, the casket is closed. For burial in Israel, however, a casket is not used in most cemeteries (2). Caskets would have been used in Zliten cemetery, however, many members of the Zliten Jewish community would have been buried in Israel as they fled there after World War II. 

Zliten, Libya

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