A RENAISSANCE SCROLL OF ANCIENT RELIGIOUS HISTORY

This is a scroll of the Book of Esther that is thought to be from 1450 CE. Written in Hebrew on multiple pieces of vellum (calf skin) sewn together to form one long roll, this manuscript tells the story of how Queen Esther, a heroine for both Jewish and Christian faiths, rose to power and saved her people from a genocide. I chose this piece because it is incredible to hold a scroll that is so old, and Esther is one of my favorite heroines in the Bible – a collection of books that changed my life. Specifically, it was the book Ecclesiastes that saved my life. It showed me a worthy reason to live; it cured my nihilistic aimlessness.

by Hayden Fox, Environmental Resource Management, Class of 2025

Megilat Ester
Gift of George Bush, Penn State class of 1887
Eberly Family Special Collections Library