A beautifully written scroll of the Book of Esther, one of the Five Megillot or Five Scrolls, being the third major section of the Tanakh, the Ketu'vim. This was written in the 19th century. The Five are the Song of Songs, the Book of Ruth, the Book of Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and the Book of Esther. The Book of Esther is by far the most commonly encountered of the Five due to its enduring popularity throughout the generations as Queen Esther of Persia who thwarts a genocide against the Jewish peoples. In all Jewish communities, the Book of Esther is read twice during the celebration of Purim - on the evening of Purim, and once again the next morning.
The story takes place during the reign of King Ahasuerus in the First Persian Empire. Queen Vashti, the wife of King Ahasuerus, is banished from the court for disobeying the king's orders. To find a new queen, a beauty pageant is held and Esther, a young Jewish woman living in Persia, is chosen as the new queen. Esther's cousin Mordechai, who is a Jewish leader, discovers a plot to kill all of the Jews in the empire by Haman, one of the king's advisors. Mordechai urges Esther to use her position as queen to intervene and save their people. Esther reveals her Jewish identity to the king and begs for mercy for her people. She exposes Haman's plot and convinces the king to spare the Jews. The Jewish festival of Purim is established to celebrate the victory of the Jews of the First Persian Empire over their enemies, and Esther becomes a heroine of the Jewish people.
Imagine using a beautifully written antique Book of Esther during the celebration of Purim! For Christians there is of course also significance as Esther forms a much loved part of the canonical Old Testament.
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Size: 220 mm (height, text height is approx. 170 mm)
Condition:
Externally excellent, without an attached roller. Occasional small repairs not affecting the text. Written on well prepared gevil (perhaps goatskin?). Some stains to the right edge (beginning of the book) but none affecting the legibility. The complete scroll is fully legible and the majority is exceptionally clean with the ink clear and bright. An excellent Esther scroll.
