Esther Scroll (with Highlighted Holy Names) – 18th/19th century

Esther scroll, ancient "Beit Yosef" Ashkenazic script, [Russia-Poland?, 18th/19th cent.] There are five places in this scroll where enlarged letters appear and create the initials of God's names. As is well known God's name is not mentioned in the Esther scroll but interpreters of the unseen (according to HaARI) found in the initials and acronyms the names of God and other holy names. The custom to highlight the "Names" in the Scroll, is a common Hassidic custom while HAGRA believes that letters should not be highlighted if this is not done according to the "tradition". In this scroll the Holy Names are highlighted in five places while in most of the "Hassidic" scrolls only three or four names in the scroll are highlighted. 25 lines per page. Vellum height: 22 cm. Ink is faded and the scroll is not "Kosher". A patch [according to Halacha] on the column of the ten sons of Haman.