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© Ardon Bar Hama, Photographer: Bar Hama, Ardon, -

Opening panel: The panel contains all three benedictions recited before the reading of Megillah; they start from the enlarged letter ב. In the upper margin, the royal couple and several servants are depicted. In the lower margin, crowned Mordecai rides on horseback, and the horse is led by a man - Haman. In the background a walled city is visible. The scene is depicted twice in the scroll (see description of col. 11).

Col. 1: In the upper margin, a bust of the king is depicted. In the lower margin, possibly, the king's feast is enclosed. At the table, seven men are seated, and they are accompanied by two men (servants?) who are standing on either side of the table.

Col. 2: In the upper margin, a bust of one of the queens is depicted; it is just above the second text column, so it can be assumed that she is Queen Vashti. In the lower margin, possibly, the feast of Queen Vashti is shown. In the image, there is a table with seven people seated at it; above a central figure, a canopy is marked.

Col. 3: In the upper margin, a bust of a bearded man is depicted; he can be Mordecai. In the lower margin, several women are lead by a man (most likely Hegai) to the buildings depicted on the right.

Col. 4: In the upper margin, a bust of a young woman is depicted; she can be Esther before she became a queen. In the lower margin, an unidentified scene is represented. On the left, the king sits on a throne and a man gives him a cup; there is a gate on the right. It could be an allusion to the Midrashic tale saying about poisoned wine that the chamberlains, Bightan and Teresh, planned to give to the king.

Name/Title
Hand-Painted Copy of Esther Scroll with Portrait Medallions | Unknown
Object Detail
opening panel and cols. 1-4
Settings
Unknown
Date
late 19th century
Active dates
Reconstruction dates
Artist/ Maker
Unknown (Unknown)
Origin
Austria
| (?)
Historical Origin
Unknown
Community type
Unknown |
Congregation
Unknown
Location
Unknown |
Site
Unknown
School/Style
Unknown|
Period
Unknown
Period Detail
Collection
Documentation / Research project
Unknown
Material / Technique
Ink and paints on parchment + wood and ivory
Material Stucture
Material Decoration
Material Bonding
Material Inscription
Material Additions
Material Cloth
Material Lining
Tesserae Arrangement
Density
Colors
Construction material
Measurements
Height
177 mm
Length
Width
Depth
Circumference
Thickness
Diameter
Weight
Axis
Panel Measurements
Condition
The manuscript (parchment, decoration, text, and rod) is preserved in very good condition.
Extant
Documented by CJA
Surveyed by CJA
Present Usage
Present Usage Details
Condition of Building Fabric
Architectural Significance type
Historical significance: Event/Period
Historical significance: Collective Memory/Folklore
Historical significance: Person
Architectural Significance: Style
Architectural Significance: Artistic Decoration
Urban significance
Significance Rating
Textual Content
Unknown |
Languages of inscription
Unknown
Shape / Form
Unknown
0
Ornamentation
Custom
Contents
Book of Esther in Hebrew with initial and final benedictions and a shortened version of ארור המן Arur Haman
Codicology

The scroll consists of 3 membranes containing 22 text columns with 22 lines, except for col. 19 with 11 lines divided into two parts.

Every letter ל in the words המלך occurring in the first lines of the text columns is decorated with elaborate tagim.

The text includes an enlarged ח (Es. 1:6) that is formed of two parts joined with a roof and its legs end with serifs. In the text, the enlarged letter ת (Es. 9:29) is included too. In addition, traditional enlarged and diminished letters are in col. 19; they are also decorated with elaborated tagim and in the case of two of the letters, additional strokes are drawn below them.

In the first text panel are inscribed all three benedictions preceded by an adequate Hebrew headline ברכות מגלה. Whereas the last panel contains the final benediction followed by a shortened version of ארור המן Arur Haman.

In general, the ruling is slightly visible.

The parchment is bright; both sides of the sheets are very similar so it is difficult to distinguish between the flesh and hair side of a sheet.

The membranes are glued which was relatively rare for Esther scrolls.

Scribes
Script
Number of Lines
Ruling
Pricking
Quires
Catchwords
Hebrew Numeration
Blank Leaves
Direction/Location
Façade (main)
Endivances
Location of Torah Ark
Location of Apse
Location of Niche
Location of Reader's Desk
Location of Platform
Temp: Architecture Axis
Arrangement of Seats
Location of Women's Section
Direction Prayer
Direction Toward Jerusalem
Coin
Coin Series
Coin Ruler
Coin Year
Denomination
Signature
Colophon
None
Scribal Notes
Watermark
Hallmark
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Trade Mark
Binding
Decoration Program
Summary and Remarks

In the institutional and private collections, other scrolls decorated with a similar pattern are stored.

Remarks
Suggested Reconsdivuction
History/Provenance
Formerly ES1 in the Gross Family Collection.
Main Surveys & Excavations
Bibliography
Short Name
Full Name
Volume
Page
Type
Documenter
Tova Szeintuch; Dagmara Budzioch | 15/1/2017; 2020
Author of description
Dagmara Budzioch | 2020
Architectural Drawings
|
Computer Reconstruction
|
Section Head
|
Language Editor
|
Donor
|
Negative/Photo. No.
M002064