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From the Museum of Turkish Jews: "Megillat Esther"
The "Megillat Esther (The Scroll of Esther)", selected from the Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews collection... March 22, 2024
Photo by Izzet Keribar
Megillat Esther, 'The Scroll of Esther', is the story of the amazing events of Purim, told firsthand by the heroes Esther and Mordechai themselves. It is part of the Ketuvim (Writings or Hagiographa), the third and final section of the Hebrew Tanakh.
'The Scroll of Esther', read during the Purim holiday, is handwritten on a parchment scroll and decorated meticulously with drawings. Megillat Esther, taken out of its cover and read in Purim, is shaped as a scroll, like the Torah. It is among the books in the scripture where God's name does not take place.
In some regions, it used to be customarily presented as a gift by the bride to the groom, before the wedding. This religious object is not a synagogue object, it is an object for prayer that people keep at home and read in synagogues on holidays.
It is possible to see many different types of Megillat Esther in terms of design. Besides the ones made of silver and brass with a filigree pattern, in the museum collection, there are also some wrapped in wood, velvet, or atlas fabric. They are kept as family heirlooms in some homes.
The 'Megillat Esther' shown above was lent to the museum by Ishak Ibrahimzadeh in April 2019, to be displayed in the temporary exhibition.
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