The Bimah or Tevah
ArkGlossary Term [1] to the Bimah from where the Torah is read in public to the congregation. The Bimah, like the ArkGlossary Term [2], may be simply or lavishly treated. It may be constructed of timber or stone, frequently with a metalwork balustrade. In Britain, it is generally rectangular in form, with stairs accessing it from the sides or, sometimes, from the rear. ArkGlossary Term [3] is elevated, is placed in the centre of the space. However, this is not invariably the case. There is no archaeologicalGlossary Term [4] evidence for the position of the Bimah, nor even for the existence of a Bimah, before the Middle Ages. In Ashkenazi (Central and East European, German and Yiddish speaking)communities the Bimah is in the centre - as in the majority of congregations in the UK. However, in the Sephardi (Spanish & Portuguese)tradition, where it is known as the Tevah, it is placed towards the west end, for example in Britain's oldest synagogue, Bevis Marks, London (1701).