Shofars for Sale: Styles and Accessories
The sweet sound of the shofar! This ceremonial horn is blown to welcome the start of the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah ("New Year") and Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement"). Crafted from a ram's horn, this powerful instrument is deeply rooted in Judaism. When it was sounded at the beginning of the New Year, it was believed to ward off demons and guarantee a happy start to the year.
In Biblical days, the shofar was used to announce the start of the Sabbath and other Jewish holidays. It also was sounded when a new king was crowned, to summon the troops to battle, announce victory or rebellion or to cease fighting. According to Jewish scriptures, Gideon used the sound of the Shofar to confuse and frighten the Midianites, who outnumbered Gideon's three hundred men (Judges, 6-7).
Even though the Shofar is predominantly identified with the Jewish religion, it is increasing in popularity among Christians, too. More and more Christian ministries are incorporating the Shofar into the start of their Sunday services. It can also be found in Christian churches and households as a decoration and symbol of respect for the roots of the Jewish faith.
Shofars
One of the first ways start to exploring your Jewish heritage is by celebrating Jewish holidays and keeping the Sabbath on Saturday. Using Judaica products is essential in that process. The JewishBoat store features a selection of shofars and accessories for every style and budget. Each one comes directly from the Holy Land and has been cleaned under strict rabbinical supervision.
Yemenite shofars are made from antelope horn. The silver shofars at JesusBoat.com are plated with sterling silver with gold highlights and are available in many motifs. Because the shofar is a natural product, colors and textures may vary.
Yemenite shofars are available in various sizes and come in polished or half polished/half natural. Sephardic Jews typically favor these horns. You also will find: Rare Jericho Shofars from Israel; large Jericho Ram Horn Shofars designed in the shape of those used by Joshua for bringing down the walls of Jericho (Joshua, 6:2-5); polished large Ram Horn Shofars; and silver and gold plated Ram Horn Shofars that feature a Menorah on one side and the Star of David on the other. Ram's Horns are generally preferred by Ashkenazi Jews.
Accessories
Showcase your shofar with a Ram Shofar Stand by Yair Emmanuel Jerusalem and Birds. This stand is hand-painted with a brush using acrylic colors and then lacquered. Ideal for shofar lovers, it is adorned with images of Old City Jerusalem, birds and flowers. It is available in two sizes: the 6.5"x 3.9" stand will hold a small shofar and the 8.9" x 3.9" model will accommodate larger horns. Clear plastic shofar stands also are available in two sizes: the 7.5" x 4"model is recommended for Rams Horn shofars and #30 Yemenite shofars, while the 18" x 6" works best with Yemenite shofars size #35 or larger.
JesusBoat.com also carries a variety of shofar bags. The Jerusalem Ram Shofar Bag is available in black or burgundy velvet and boasts an embroidered scene of Jerusalem. You can also find a navy blue velvet bag complete with cord and zipper for carrying your shofar around. Adorned with an embroidered scene of Jerusalem and the word "Jerusalem" written in Hebrew, it holds all Yemenite shofars from JesusBoat.com. Other bags include a blue velvet model with Psalms 150:3 embroidery and a Yemenite bag that comes in blue, burgundy and green.
The online Jesus Boat Shop, JesusBoat.com, offers the same prodigious products, service and experience as the one in Israel. So when you buy Judaica products online from JesusBoat.com you know you are getting something special to facilitate your spiritual walk.