فارسی
A picture of Zaghal, where, according to written documents, people of Jewish faith resided before the coming of Islam.
Jews of Ardestan
Origin of Ardestan
Ardestan is one of the ancient cities of Iran with a history that goes back to Ardeshir II Achaemenid. Some believe it goes back to the age of the Parthians. An ancient aqueduct in the region, called Aruna, dating back thousands of years, indicates the antiquity of this Iranian desert city.
Peak Era of Ardestan
The city experienced its peak during the Parthian and Sassanian era. Some believe this village is where the great Anushirvan the Just was born, and spent his childhood with his mother. When he became king, Anushirvan ordered that 80 palaces be built in this village for his 80 childhood friends. That area is now known as “Lab-e Juy-e Kooshk”. This village still hosted a few Jewish families up until the Pahlavi era.
Jewish Presence
According to historical records and local accounts, Ardestan has been home to a small Jewish population since ancient times, with some families remaining until the early years of Mohammad Reza Shah’s reign.
Origin of the Jews
Some believe that the Jews who lived in Zaghal were originally from Kashan, but historical evidence, including the information that exists in the book “Ardestan Fire Temple” — which has documented the history of the city — state that Zaghal had Jewish inhabitants before Islam came to Iran. Further evidence is a mosque in this village that was built during the early Islamic era, but it had two qiblas — one facing Mecca and the other facing Jerusalem. The author believes the mosque still exists and the dual-qibla suggests that it was originally a synagogue that was later converted to a mosque.
Contemporary Jews
In contemporary times, the Jews of Ardestan were said to comprise four families, the most famous of which was known as Shaban Yahudi (Simon the Jew), and an individual named Molla Morad. Shaban was actually a merchant and seller of silk fabrics and spoke Persian with a distinct accent. The others were renowned for their expertise in medicine and archaeology.
Simon’s famous story
Little is known about the contemporary Jews of Ardestan, but a story about Shimon the Jew remains popular:
One day, Simon, angry with his son, decided to curse him, “May God make you jobless and idle”. The people around who heard him found it an amusing curse, “What kind of a curse is that supposed to be?!” Simon responded, “You have no idea. Idleness is the cause of all ruin and misery. For us Jews, idleness is the worst curse.”
Simon’s family
Years later, in 1990s, the inhabitants of Ardestan decided to acquire a village called “Gazgahor”. But they were informed by the Registration Office that the village belongs to a certain Shimon Yahudi. Shimon the Jew, had passed away years earlier, and his children were living in the United States. This marks the last known information about the fate of the Jews of Ardestan.
Source
From the notes of Abbas Tabatabai
A picture of Labjoy Koshk neighborhood, where the remaining Jews of Ardestan lived until about 50 years ago.