Scroll of Esther

Scroll of Esther (Megillat Ester)
leather
Jerusalem?
Early 20th century
9 1/8 inches height
Collection of Edward Arthur Wicher, donated to SFTS

This Scroll of Esther was obtained by SFTS Professor Edward Arthur Wicher at some point either when he was in the army and stationed in Palestine, when he taught in Jerusalem in 1929 or on a later visit. The precise providence of the scroll is unknown. The assumption is that the scribe is from a Sephardic community, where the scrolls are often made of leather and the letters are of a uniform thickness. It appears to have been rarely used.

The book of Esther tells the story of how Mordecai and Queen Esther, aided by providence, stop the genocidal schemes of Haman. The subsequent victory celebration becomes the occasion for a new Jewish festival, Purim. On both the evening and morning of Purim, Jews have traditionally read aloud the entire book of Esther, the last of the five festal scrolls (Megillot) in the Hebrew Bible.