Sheet no. 2
The third roundel is decorated with various animals (two of them are difficult to recognize) and trees.
On the right, seven women are shown - they are Esther's maidservants (Es. 2:9) and below them, two men are standing. Possibly they are the king's messengers delivering Haman's decree (Es. 3:13). They are on the first membrane and invisible in the image.
On the left, there are men and women seated at a long table set with food - possibly it depicts the first feast given by Esther (Es. 5:5-8). Below them, there is an unidentified scene with two men and two dogs.
The fourth roundel is decorated with the signs of the Zodiac. On the left, there is Haman aiming at the Zodiac wheel with a stick. This represents the moment of casting pur (Es. 3:7), though in the biblical text Haman himself does not do it. This detail is invisible in the image.
A | Animals and Beasts
D | Deer
B | Bear
L | Lion
F | Fox
U | Unicorn
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Esther's first banquet (Es. 5:5-8)
S | Scene, unidentified
H | Human Figure
D | Dog
Z | Zodiac Signs
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Haman casting the lot/Pur - Haman aiming at the Zodiac wheel (based on Midrash)
O | Ornamentation: | Main text framed
| (?)
The scroll is preserved in good condition, although its final part is damaged - the membrane is crumpled and the decorations are slightly visible.
The Book of Esther in Hebrew
The scroll is formed of 4 sheets, in total containing 12 columns of text with 23-26 lines of different lengths, except for col. 10 which has 11 lines divided into two half-columns.
The number of columns of text per sheet: no. 1 - 2, nos. 2 and 3 - 3, no. 4 - 4.
The text is written in Hebrew square Ashkenazi script in dark brown-black ink on parchment membranes.
The letters ח (Es. 1:6) and ת (Es. 9:29) and the letters of the name of God are enlarged and bolded. Other enlarged and diminished letters are included in col. 10.
There are some corrections and erasures in the text.
The ruling is invisible.
The pricking on the membranes' edges can be seen.
The membranes of the scroll are glued together.
It seems that this scroll and two other scrolls featuring the same style (see "Related objects) were executed by the same artist, although two of them are decorated with roundels while the third one is decorated with octagons.
The Jewish World 365 Days, from the Collections of The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, New York 2004, 182-183.