17th-century Queen Esther scroll on show this Purim
National Library of Israel loans parchment to National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah, in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna
A 17th century Purim scroll is the crowning jewel in an exhibition opening this week at the National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah (MEIS) in Ferrara, Italy.
Beautiful Esther. Purim, A Timeless Story explores the biblical figure of Queen Esther through Renaissance art, precious scrolls, historical artefacts, and interactive installations.
The exhibition consists of four intertwining themes that tell Esther’s story: a young woman who changes the fate of her people by foiling the plan of the King’s adviser, the wicked Haman.
The outstanding selection of illuminated megillot — scrolls of the Book of Esther — includes an extremely rare 17th century parchment scroll made in Ferrara by Moshe Ben Avraham Pescarol on loan from the National Library of Israel — meaning that the scroll will temporarily be returning to its place of creation.
The Book of Esther is unique in the Hebrew Bible as it does not mention God and therefore allows scrolls to be illustrated without violating Jewish law.
Dr. Chaim Neria, curator of the Haim and Hanna Solomon Judaica Collection at the National Library of Israel said: “The megillah was written and illuminated in 1616 by Pescarol for a man named Mordechai Ben Eliyahu Halevi, who lived in the town of Brescello, near Ferrara. This information is written on the megillah itself.”
He adds that the illuminated megillah is “one of the most special in the Library’s collection and one of the earliest. As far as is known, it is the first in the Jewish world where the illustrations are also part of the narrative, meaning the illustrations — which are contemporary to Italian art of the time — are not just decoration but also try to tell the story.”
Oren Weinberg, chief executive of the National Library of Israel, said the institution was “delighted” to be collaborating with MEIS on exhibit, “enabling the public in Italy, to see this important megillah on display back in its place of origin, testifying to the richness of Italian Jewish Book Heritage, and providing a beautiful telling of Esther’s story”.
• Beautiful Esther. Purim, A Timeless Story runs from 12 March to 15 June 2025 at the Museo Nazionale dell’Ebraismo Italiano e della Shoah – MEIS – National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah, via Piangipane 81, Ferrara, Italy. More information can be found here.
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