Img. ID: 332759
The second text column (sheet no. 1) surrounded by the hand-painted decoration. The roundel in the upper margin contains a bust of a young woman (Esther?) and in the frame in the lower margin, the execution of Vashti is shown (not mentioned in the text). The queen stands in the center and two people strangulate her with a scarf (?). A soldier is shown on the right and there are two children on the left. In the prototype, only the queen and two women on either side are represented.
The pillar on the left side of the text column is surmounted by a bust of a crowned man. Below the pillar, a depiction of a vase appears.
| Cod. Levy 160
V | Vase | Vase with flowers
H | Human Figure | Bust (Human figure)
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | *Esther's Story Characters (depicted not in narrative scenes): | Ahasuerus, the king
A | Angel | Angel's head
H | Herm(a)
P | Putto (Putti in Plural)
P | Portrait | Portrait medallion
A | Acanthus Leaf
|
The Book of Esther in Hebrew
The scroll is formed of 4 sheets containing 16 columns of the text with 22 lines, except for col. 14 with 11 lines divided into two parts.
The text is inscribed the square Hebrew Ashkenazi script with tagim, in black ink, on parchment sheets.
The letter ח (Es. 1:6) is highlighted by its size and form (it is decorated with scrolling feet and tagim placed on both ends of the roof). The letter ת (Es. 9:29) is enlarged too. Other enlarged and diminished letters are included in col. 14.
The letters in the Tetragrammaton are marked by short strokes bent to the right.
There are some erasures and corrections in the text.
The membranes in the scroll are stitched.
None
The stickers with the name of the collection and the manuscript's number on the right edge of the first membrane are placed. There are also a calculation of the date (?) and a stamp on it.
Falk Wiesemann, Codex Levy 160, [in:] Irina Wandrey ed., Manuscript Cultures, vol. 6, 260-262.
Ernst Róth, Hans Striedl, Die Handschriften der Sammlung H. B. Levy an der Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg. Verzeichnis der orientalischen Handschriften in Deutschland, vol. VI, 3, Wiesbaden 1984, no. 9.
Images of the scroll are available on https://resolver.sub.uni-hamburg.de/kitodo/PPN893258369 (accessed on 24.09.2020).