The mezuzah (literally translated as "door post") is a small case inside of which is placed the first two sections of the Shema, an important prayer which serves as an affirmation of a Jewish person's faith. The Shema is recited every morning and evening by religious Jews. When placed in the mezuzah, the Shema is written on the skin of a Kosher animal and is folded several times so that it can fit inside the small case. The mezuzah must be attached to the right door post of all the entranceways in a Jewish building (home, office, etc.).

This mezuzah is about twenty centimeters long and was used before the year 1726. The casing for the Shema is made up of glass, so that the parchment is visible but not vulnerable. The casing is roughly of cylindrical shape, but is more elliptical rather than circular. On either end of the parchment the glass indents. At the bottom of the mezuzah it forms a spherical knob after the indentation. At the top of the mezuzah the glass resumes the shape of an ellipse after it narrows. The parchment is visible through the glass, but the Shema written on it is not. However, the Hebrew word Shaddai is written in the center of the visible side of the parchment. The word Shaddai means "Almighty", a divine name. The Hebrew letters of the word Shaddai also represent the Hebrew words "Shomer Daltot Israel" which means "Guardian of the Doors of Israel". As it is here, Shaddai is usually inscribed on the opposite side of the parchment of the side on which the Shema is written.

This silver and brass mezuzah is about forty centimeters high making it a relatively large mezuzah. Its main section consists of a thin back panel on which a rectangular box rests. This contains the Shema. The box is brass, with some silver decoration at both the top and bottom of the container. The silver parts are decorated with some abstract designs and other representational images including leaf-like images. There is a stone on each the top and the bottom silver portion. The brass middle portion of the Shema container is also highly decorated, images of leaves and a shell can be made out. The middle portion contains a small rectangular window through which the parchment on which the Shema and the word Shaddai, Guardian of the Doors of Israel, are written. The brass back panel is decorated with silver roses. The top portion is made of silver, is decorated with flowers, and is topped by a crown. Crowns are symbolic of the crown of the High Priest and of every Jew's responsibility to lead a noble and holy life. Another panel is attached to the mezuzah at the bottom of the rectangular parchment container. It is silver and is decorated with leaf-like designs. It bears the Hebrew inscription "Shema Israel", "Listen Israel", referring to the prayer on the parchment inside. At the very bottom of the mezuzah, attached to this panel, is a small silver bell.

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