The third sheet in the scroll includes three columns of text (cols. 6-8).
In col. 8 an illustration is incorporated; however, it is difficult to find a direct connection between its meaning and the Book of Esther. It shows two bearded men in the center; on the left, there is a man with a sword or a tool, while another figure is depicted with a ladder. On the right, yet another man leads a horse and passes by a house with a smoking chimney. In the background, another building with figures on the roof is depicted. A horse led by a man is the only detail that can be related to the narrative of the Book of Esther because it could be a horse that was led to Mordecai by Haman (Es. 6:11). All other details in the scene seem to allude rather to the Passover Haggadah and particularly to its section saying about Israelites building the cities of Pithom and Raamses.
The scroll is preserved in very good condition.
Slight damage is visible at the beginning and end of the scroll.
The Book of Esther in Hebrew
The scroll is formed of 6 paper sheets containing 16 columns of the text. Some columns contain narrative illustrations, so the number of lines of text in each column varies.
Every sheet in the scroll contains three columns of text and/or illustrations.
The text is printed but it features the practices commonly employed in both decorated and undecorated handwritten megillot, such as the names of Haman's sons (Es. 9:6-10) copied in 11 lines divided into two parts, highlighted letters forming the Tetragrammaton, and enlarged letters ח (Es. 1:6) and ת (Es. 9:29).
The opening word of the book is printed in enlarged and bolded letters.
The sheets in the scroll are glued together.
None
Hand-decorated and printed paper scrolls are very rare.
Only one exemplar featuring the same illustrations has been located so far (see "Related objects").
As was noticed by William Gross, the owner of this scroll's other printing in the Index, illustrations incorporated in this scroll resemble "illustrations made at this time for haggadot, the birkat ha-mazon, minhagim books and tzeena ureena story books".
Olga Sixtova, O svitku / Form of the Scroll [katalog k výstavě konané v Galerii Roberta Guttmanna Židovského muzea v Praze od 22. června do 26. července 2006], Praha 2006, 42.
http://collections.jewishmuseum.cz/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/object_id/221263 (accessed on 7.11.2020).