Rare Queen Esther Scroll Stars In Purim Exhibition at National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah

A new exhibition opening this week at the National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah (MEIS) in Ferrara, Italy, focuses on the Jewish festival of Purim and its heroine, Queen Esther. 

Beautiful Esther. Purim, A Timeless Story explores the Biblical figure of Queen Esther through Renaissance art, precious parchments, historical artefacts, and interactive installations. The exhibition consists of four intertwining themes that unfold through Renaissance works of art, precious parchments and historical artefacts that tell Esther’s story: a young woman who changes the fate of her people by foiling the plan of the King’s advisor, 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, explains, “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.”

“This 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, CEO of the National Library of Israel, said, “The National Library of Israel (NLI) is delighted to be collaborating with MEIS on the Beautiful Esther, Purim, A Timeless Story 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. We see institutional partnerships, such as between MEIS and NLI, as an integral part of the Library’s mission to reach international audiences and to share our collections and expertise to the Jewish world and beyond.”

Beautiful Esther. Purim, A Timeless Story runs from March 12-June 15, 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. For more information: https://meis.museum/