Text panels nos. 1 and 2 (sheet 1) surrounded by hand-painted decoration.
Upper margin:
1. At the table, the king and several other men are seated who likely are princes of Media and Persia taking part in Ahasuerus' banquet (Es. 1:14).
2. A couple walking in a garden.
3. A building - an entrance to the king's palace (?).
4. Oversized bird, musicians: a man playing flute (?) and a drummer.
Lower margin:
1. Walled city - likely depiction of Susa (Shushan).
2. Six men standing before the king - likely Ahasuerus' courtiers at the moment when he commands them to bring Vashti before him (Es. 1:10-11).
3. Unidentified scene - on the left, the king is seated at the table and four women are standing next to it.
4. Oversized birds and a tree.
5. Musicians: a man playing flute (?) and a drummer.
| Codex hebraicus 345
| Codex hebraicus 345
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Ahasuerus and the seven princes of Persia and Media (Es. 1:13-15)
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Ahasuerus commanding his servant(s) to bring Vashti before him (Es. 1:10-11)
S | Scene, unidentified
M | Musician
M | Musical Instruments
B | Buildings
C | City
C | Couple
B | Bird
|
The scroll is formed of 7 sheets containing 28 columns of the text with 17 lines except for col. 23 with 11 lines divided into two parts.
Each membrane contains 2 text panels with 4 columns of the text.
The text is inscribed in the Hebrew square Italian script, in black ink, on the flesh side of parchment membranes that is brighter than the blank side that is more yellow.
The letter ח (Es. 1:6) is highlighted by its form (it is formed of two elements joined with a roof) and size (it is larger than an average letter in the scroll). The letter ת is enlarged and bolded (Es. 9:29). Other enlarged and diminished letters are included in col. 23.
The ruling is slightly visible, in some places only.
The membranes in the scroll are stitched.
None
A similar megillah stored in the Library of Congress, the African and Middle Eastern Division in Washington (no. 038.00.00) is described: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/an-illuminated-megillah-judaic-treasures (accessed on 24.09.2020).
Hans-Walter Stork, Falk Wiesemann, Codex hebraicus 345, [in:] Irina Wandrey ed., Manuscript Cultures, vol. 6, 249-252.
Images of the scroll are available on https://resolver.sub.uni-hamburg.de/kitodo/PPN895256576 (accessed on 24.09.2020).