Text panels nos. 7 and 8 (sheet 4) surrounded by the hand-painted decoration.
Upper margin:
14. Esther kneeling before the king who extends the scepter to her and she touches it (Es. 5:2). The queen is attended by three maidservants.
15. The king reclaining in the bed - sleepless night of Ahasuerus (Es. 6:1).
16. A man in a long Oriental gown before the king seated on the throne - Haman advises Ahasuerus how to honor a man he wishes to reward (Es. 6:5-10.
17. Three figures seated at the table - the second Esther's banquet (Es. 7:1).
18. On the left, the king attented by two servants is visible. On the right, a bed on which the queen reclines and a man standing close to her. The scene represents the moment when Ahasuerus returns from the garden and Haman is falling on Esther's bed, begging for his life (Es. 7:8).
Lower margin:
15. Three figures seated at the table - the second Esther's banquet (Es. 5:5-8).
16. On the right, a woman in a long fashionable dress stands between three men whose gestures suggest conversation - an unidentified scene with Esther and Mordecai. The rest of the margins is filled with several mounted men - likely the king's messengers.
| Codex hebraicus 345
| Codex hebraicus 345
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Esther touching the scepter (Es. 5:2)
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Sleepless night of the king (Es. 6:1)
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Ahasuerus asks Haman how to honour a man he wishes to reward (Es. 6:5-10)
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Esther's first banquet (Es. 5:5-8)
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Esther's second banquet (Es. 7:1)
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Haman begging for his life (Es. 7:8)
S | Scene, unidentified
E | Evronot, Book of (listed according to the types of illustration) | Illustrations of unclear link to the text | Man on horseback
C | Chinoiserie
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Ahasuerus returns from the palace garden (Es. 7:8)
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Haman falling on Esther's bed (Es. 7:8)
|
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).