Figurative scenes above and below the third column of the text (sheet no. 1).
The oval above includes two scenes: on the right, Mordecai with young Esther coming to the palace are shown (Es. 2:7) and on the left, there is an unidentified scene. It depicts the king seated on the throne and before him, two men are standing - they can be Hegai and Shashgas, the keepers of the king's harem.
On the left side of the oval, Noah's ark is depicted while heavy rain is raining on it (Genesis 7:11-24 (?)).
The lower scene presents Hegai taking Esther and other maidens to the king (Es. 2:8), who sits on the throne - on the left - with a scepter in his raised hand. The maidens are coming from a city depicted on the right.
On the left side of the oval, the scene of taking Joseph from the pit by his brothers is presented (Genesis 37:28), which is labeled: אחי יוסף ויוסף מבור.
The length of the sheets in the scroll: 1) ca. 775 mm, 2) 735 mm, 3) 445 mm.
Dimensions of the selected details in the scroll:
- text column: ca. 142x90 mm;
- decorative columns between the columns of the text: ca. 160x15-20 mm;
- illustration: 35 x ca. 85 mm;
- an average letter: 3 mm;
- spaces between the lines of the text: 3 mm.
There is some blank space at the beginning (ca. 110 mm) and the end (ca. 75 mm) of the scroll.
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Hegai taking Esther and the maiden(s) to the palace (Es. 2:8)
A | Adam and Eve
J | Joseph | Joseph's dreams
J | Joseph | Joseph's dreams | Eleven stars, sun and moon
C | Columns
O | Ornamentation: | Ornament
C | City
N | Noah | Noah, the Flood Story | Noah's Ark
J | Joseph | Joseph, cast into pit (Gen. 37:24)
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Mordecai with young Esther (Hadassa) (Es. 2:7)
|
The Book of Esther in Hebrew
The scroll is formed of 3 sheets containing 15 columns of the text with 26 or 27 lines, except for col. 13 with 11 lines divided into two parts.
Sheets nos. 1 and 2 contain 6 columns of the text, and the third sheet contains 3 columns.
The text is inscribed in the Hebrew square Italian script with tagim, in dark brown ink, on the flesh side of parchment sheets that are bright, of medium thickness, and rather stiff. The blank side of the sheets is very dark.
Tagin seem to be marked in darker ink than the text was written.
The letter ח (Es. 1:6) is marked by its form - it is composed of two parts joined with a roof. The letter ת (Es. 9:29) is enlarged. Other enlarged and diminished letters are included in col. 13.
The ruling was possibly drawn with a pencil along with the whole sheet.
The membranes in the scroll are stitched.
None
Originally some details could be painted in gold.
The paints' shades are not the same on all membranes.