Img. ID: 332727
Text panels nos. 7 and 8 (sheet 3) surrounded by the hand-painted decoration.
Upper margin:
10. A walled city - likely depiction of Susa (Shushan).
11. A group of several men wearing Chinese costumes who represent Mordecai and the Jews in mourning (Es. 4:1-3).
12. Flowers.
13. A group of several men wearing Chinese costumes - an unidentified scene.
Upper margin:
11. Three people in Chinese clothing kneeling before a man - people bowing to Haman (Es. 3:2).
12. A group of men (two of them are on horseback, one blows a trumpet, the next one is walking, and yet another one is a hunter - the king's messengers delivering Haman's decree (Es. 3:13).
13. An oversized bird.
All the above-listed figures are depicted against the background of oversized blossoming plants.
14. A gate that is a part of the illustration depicted on the next membrane.
| Codex hebraicus 345
| Codex hebraicus 345
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Mordecai in mourning (Es. 4:1)
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Jews mourning and praying (Es. 4:3)
C | Chinoiserie
F | Flower
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Servants bowing down before Haman (Es. 3:2)
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Messenger(s) delivering the decree of Haman (Es. 3:13)
B | Bird
G | Gate
E | Evronot, Book of (listed according to the types of illustration) | Illustrations of unclear link to the text | Man on horseback
|
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).