(Megillah) Esther Scroll on Parchment - Scroll and Case by Bezalel School, Jerusalem Palestine, Circa, 1910

(Megillah) Esther Scroll on Parchment - Scroll and Case by Bezalel School, Jerusalem Palestine, Circa, 1910

An early 20th Century  Marked Bezalel Jerusalem, made in Palestine 925.

Height: 7.09 in. (18 cm)

Diameter: 1.38 in. (3.5 cm)

Established in 1906 by artist Boris Schatz as the “Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts”, Bezalel has evolved into one of the world's most prestigious art schools.

The name Bezalel is synonymous with more than 100 years of Israeli art, innovation and academic excellence. Bezalel’s unique strength stems from the numerous breakthroughs it has been responsible for and its ability to respond and adapt to cultural changes. It takes pride in its numerous generations of graduates, the spearhead of Israeli artists, designers and architects, in Israel and around the globe.

The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design is, first and foremost, a group of talented, inspired and motivated artists and professionals. Both faculty and students are driven by a passion to create and by their dedication to quality and excellence. These two pillars of the Academy have placed Bezalel at the epicenter of Israel’s cultural discourse and at the forefront of its artistic scene, making it instrumental in shaping the country’s cultural identity.

The book of Esther is known as the only Bible book, besides the Song of Songs, that does not explicitly mention God. In this Megillah, it seems that the sofer (the Jewish scribe of religious writings) was determined to show that the name of God does appear in the text, thus he accented in bold various letters from the text, which combined will read as various names of God. The scribe has also added small pointing hand symbols to the first column, to guide the reader to find the ‘hidden message’. The original manuscript on parchment, text arranged in 16 lines, in Hebrew script, housed in an elaborately decorated silver case made by Yemini for the Bezalel School. Decorated with five scenes from the story of Esther, with stepped filigree ends. The decorations include three filigree tiers and surrounding elaborate scenes from the Megillah, depicting Mordechai riding on a horse led by Haman, the King Ahasuerus and others.

Stamped "Jerusalem" on the handle.

"Then the Lord said to Moses, See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all manner of workmanship - to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts." (Exodus 31, 1-5).