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The 237 epitaphs presented here in chronological order, which are engraved on tombstones in the ancient Jewish cemetery in Prague, date from 1439 to 1787. They are accompanied by copious historical notes presenting what is known of the life histories and familial relations of the persons whose names appear in the epitaphs, based largely on documents preserved in the archives of the Prague city council. These documents are published in an appendix to the book in their original languages – Latin or Czech.
For each epitaph, the date of death by civil reckoning and the measurements of the gravestone are indicated, and each is accompanied by cues to its literary sources in the Bible and rabbinic literature and by references to earlier publications. The first chapter of the Introduction, devoted to the form and artistic design employed by the stonecutters, is illustrated by photographs of 170 tombstones.