The Crown The rule of kings and queens has been a sensitive subject in Jewish history. According to Jewish belief the one and only true king is God, and humans, even while sitting on thrones are prone to faults and weaknesses as all other humans. In the Book of Shmuel, we are told of the people of Israel’s desire for a king. God was not pleased with this request and considered it the last act of betrayal on the side of his people, but nevertheless relented as his people found it too difficult to not have the kind of figurehead other nations around them had. And yet, the Jewish king was different from the other kings. Unlike them, he was not considered divine and had no significant part in any religious ceremony, he was not responsible for delivering the word of God and was not declaring any religious laws. The wish for a Jewish king was more symbolic than anything else and his position and status was very complex. The Jews in the diaspora too were living in monarchies but couldn’t dream of a king of their own. Therefore, they used the symbols of royalty in a broader sense. The best example is the Crown of the Torah (Keter Torah), also known as “Atara”. This Crown-like object which decorates the top of the Torah scroll instead of the head of a person. Rabbi Shimon Said: “There are three crowns; the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood and the Crown of Royalty. But the crown of good name surpasses them all ''. This saying from Pirkei Avot is connecting the different meanings the crown has in Judaism as well as the different exhibits in this Exhibition.