GAMING PIECE

An incomplete cast lead gaming piece for the dreidle game. Probably Post-Medieval or Modern date. Length: 23.2mm; width: 13.9mm and 12.2mm thick. Weight: 13.56g. The object is roughly cube-shaped with a pointed base and a small handle at the top. The upper part of the cube is part hollow and the central handle, now incomplete, is sub-circular in cross-section. The base is formed by a rib at each corner. Each rib extends downwards and meet at the centre to form a point that enabled the piece to spin in a similar way to that of a spinning top. Each face has a Hebrew letter in raised relief that represents the initials of the phrase, Nes Gadol Haya Sham (a Great Miracle Happened There): N (nicht, nothing) Nun, G (all) Gimmel, H (halb, half) Hey, S (stell ein, put in) Shin, The Dreidel Game began in Germany hundreds of years ago. Rabbis in Germany allowed people to gamble only during Hanukkah. German gambling dice had four letters on their sides, which Jewish people translated into their Hebrew equivalent. A sentence using the four letters is a reminder of the story of Hanukkah: Nes Gadol Haya Sham, A great miracle happened there. In this way a gambling game was changed into a reminder of the miracle of Hanukkah. Hanukkah (or Chanukah), חנוכה‎ in Hebrew. Also known as the Festival of Lights, this is an eight-day Jewish holiday beginning on the 25th day of the month of Kislev, which may fall anytime from late November to late December. It celebrates the re-kindling of the Temple menorah at the time of the Maccabee rebellion. The festival is observed in Jewish homes by the kindling of lights on each night of the holiday - one on the first night, two on the second, and so on. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah and http://www.yourpage.org/vdreidle.html