Eighteenth-Century Megillah

[Megillah of Esther. Hebrew].
[Southern Europe? 18th century?].
Manuscript on vellum. (BRMS 53)

Hebrew scrolls of the Megillah of Esther are often difficult to date and localize, given the longstanding practices used in the production of these manuscripts. Written on the skin of a kosher animal, the text comprises the ten chapters of the Book of Esther, including the origin story of Purim. During this holiday, the Megillah must be read aloud in the synagogue from a handwritten scroll. Following tradition, in this copy the scribe has set off the names of the ten defeated sons of Haman in enlarged letters.

The Ruth and Lyle Sellers Medical Collection

BRMS53_scroll_1000.jpg
Scripture and Worship
Eighteenth-Century Megillah