Img. ID: 332760
The third text column (sheet no. 1) surrounded by the hand-painted decoration. The roundel in the upper margin contains a bust of the king. The scene in the frame in the lower margin is difficult to recognize but most likely it depicts a plot of Bightan and Teresh against the king. Four figures are shown on the right, a king is sitting on a throne in the center, and on the left, Mordecai sits at the palace gate. The prototype includes only the depiction of Mordecai at the gate.
The pillars flanking the text column are surmounted by a bust of a king (on the right) and a crowned woman - Esther (?) (on the left). Below the pillar, a vase appears.
| Cod. Levy 160
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Mordecai at the king's gate (Es. 2:19 and/or 2:21)
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | Plot of Bightan and Teresh against King Ahasuerus (Es. 2:21)
E | Esther, Book of (following the order of the story) | *Esther's Story Characters (depicted not in narrative scenes): | Ahasuerus, the king
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): | Esther, the queen
P | Portrait | Portrait medallion
H | Herm(a)
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).