Early 20th Century Silver Megillah Case and Scroll by Bezalel School, Jerusalem

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 finding the ‘hidden message’.

Original manuscript on parchment, text arranged in 11 lines, in Hebrew script, housed in an elaborately miniature decorated silver case made in Bezalel School. Decorated with a vignette of Esther at the feet of King Ahasuerus, and with silver filigree decoration on the top, on the bottom, and on the handle. Marked on the door in Hebrew "Bezalel Jerusalem".

"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).

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.