Ahasuerus reading the Book of Records (Es. 6:1-3)
Mordecai's triumph (Es. 6:11)
Esther pleads with Ahasuerus to save Jewish people (Es. 7:3)
Haman hanged (Es. 7:10)
Haman, the vizier
Foliate and floral ornaments
Flower
Bird
Two fish
Ahasuerus extending his scepter to Esther (Es. 5:2)
Mordecai at the king's gate (Es. 2:19 and/or 2:21) |
The opening part is very dark and the decorations on it are damaged.
Some parts of the text are erased.
Sheet no. 2
The upper and lower margins are decorated with belts filled with foliate and floral ornaments in which birds and fish are woven.
Illustrations between roundel nos. 4 and 5: The upper scene shows two scribes sitting at a round table with a vase (?) who are writing one of the decrees (possibly Haman's decree, Es. 3:12). It is inscribed סופרי המלך ("the king's scribes").
The lower scene shows Mordecai on a chair, inscribed מרדכי יושב בשער המלך, and a soldier with a sword and halberd, inscribed שומר שער ("guard of the gate").
Illustrations between roundel nos. 5 and 6: The scene of the triumph of Mordecai (Es. 6:11) is divided into two parts; here only Mordecai on horseback is depicted and Haman proclaming his glory is shown on the other side of the roundel. The figure of Mordecai is inscribed in Hebrew:
מרדכי רוכב בלבוש מלכות על סוס המלך וכתר מלכות בראשו
Below, Ahasuerus from the throne extends his scepter to Esther who is kneeling before him (Es. 5:2). The scene is inscribed in Hebrew:
ותפול אסתר לפני אגלי המלך ותגיד ותתחנן על עמה ויושט לה המלך השרביט הזהב אשר בידו ותגע בראש השרביט
Illustrations between roundel nos. 6 and 7: Haman with a whip in his hand belongs to the scene of the triumph of Mordecai (Es. 6:11) that is represented on the other side of the roundel.
The upper figure depicts Haman; it is inscribed in Hebrew:
והמן רץ לפני מרדכי ברחוב העיר וקרא לפניו ככה יעשה לאיש אשר המלך חפץ ביקרו
The lower scene shows Haman hanged on the gallows (Es. 7:10); it is inscribed in Hebrew:
המן תלוי על עץ גבה חמשים אמה על אשר בקש לשלח יד ביהודים ולהגרם ביום אחד
The Book of Esther in Hebrew
The scroll is formed of 3 sheets containing in total 9 columns of text (8 of them is written in roundels) with 28, 30, or 31 lines each, except for col. 8 which has 11 lines divided into two half-columns.
The number of columns of text per sheet: no. 1 - 4 columns, no. 2 - 3 columns, no. 3 - 2 columns.
The text is written in Hebrew square Ashkenazi script with tagin in dark brown and brown ink on parchment membranes.
The letters ח (Es. 1:6) and ת (Es. 9:29) are enlarged and bolded. Other enlarged and diminished letters are included in col. 8.
The letters of the name of God are marked with tagin bent to the right.
Several letters in the scroll are decorated with tiny swirls.
The ruling is almost invisible; only in a few places, its traces can be discerned.
The pricking on the membranes' edges can be seen; it is visible either on the side of the text and decorations or on the blank side of the parchments.
The membranes of the scroll are glued together.
None
The third membrane is different from the two first membranes in the scroll; it is more suede and yellower than them and its quality influenced the text and decorations.
The fragments of the scroll are reproduced in some publications, but no comprehensive discussion on it is available.