Img. ID: 341442
Illustration no. 4 (between col. 4 on sheet no. 2 and col. 5 on sheet no. 3) depicts Queen Esther approaching King Ahasuerus. Wearing a dress with a long train and a netted veil, she bows to Ahasuerus, who sits at the top of a curving staircase and greets her with a welcoming gesture. He is guarded by a servant holding some sort of parasol, and there is a smoking vessel (perhaps containing incense) in the foreground. The scene is labeled מה לך, אסתר המלכה, ומה בקשתך ("What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request?" - Es. 5:3).
The scroll is preserved in very good condition.
The Book of Esther in Hebrew
The printed text in the scroll does not feature the scribal practices of hand-written Esther scrolls.
Each column starts with a large decorated word. Additionally, there are some words printed in larger letters than the rest of the text.
The paper sheets of the scroll are glued together.
None
Another number of the scroll: 2001/0551/01, 02.
Some examples of megillat Esther illustrated with the same drawings by Zvi Livni (Malabenchik) but in a form of a Leporello book are extant too. For another copy sharing the same ornamentation see "Related objects".
The illustration depicting the triumph of Mordecai (Es. 6:11) is not represented in the images of this scroll in the Index, but it is in the scroll; for this illustration in another copy see ID 33782.
The images of the scroll are available on https://collections.jewishmuseum.cz/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/object_id/221890 (accessed on 12.11.2020).