There are times in an artist’s life to pause and reflect upon the creative journey.
Such a moment occurred for me at the end of 2022, when I completed illuminating this Scroll of
Esther. After two decades of work dedicated to the “Jewish library,” I saw a pleasing paradox in
that a dyslexic person as myself had found a way to add to its bookshelves.
For the last two millennia, the biblical Scroll of Esther has been illuminated with visuals to
compliment the dramatic story it details. In the early 2000s, I was inspired to add my own
artistic interpretation to this ancient tradition. I created four different scrolls for four individual
collectors, each one unique and the only of its kind. I then set to paint one last final version that
would include all 65 preliminary studies I had prepared throughout the project. This one would
be for my family.
There were three elements I wanted to combine. The first was the geometric two-dimensional
design from the East that is part of my everyday visual life in Israel. The second was the three-
dimensional art of the European Renaissance, which reflects my western art education and
provides the depth for depicting the drama as a play on a stage. The third was a spiritual
element: turning to my Jewish heritage, I used the biblical text to integrate the artistic
elements. All these combined to create a vibrant mosaic of imagery, styles and cultures that tell
the story of the ancient Persian court.
Preserving the traditional structure of the text dictates the placement of the images. The text
follows a very specific format: each column begins with the words “The King”, and every sheet
of parchment contains either 11 or 14 rows of text usually arranged in three columns. Much
work went into ensuring that the paintings and text correspond with each other and adhere to
these millennia-old traditions. The beautiful calligraphy for this scroll was created by Izzy
Pludwinski.
Unfolding to a length of over 34 meters, this megillah will take its place in history as one of the
world’s longest and most labored-on editions. It took 17 years, tens of thousands of hours of
work and nearly one million brush strokes to create this version that breathes fresh life into the
biblical story that is both ancient and timeless.
In 2023, this work was recognized with its second Guinness World Record as the world’s longest
megillah, writing a new chapter in the history of this ancient heritage text and the art of
illumination.
The Scroll of Esther does not mention God, and some might even identify pagan elements in
the text. However, its inclusion in the bible makes it both divine and eternal, and thus my
artistic interpretation of it is infused with a sacred eternity. I am proud to have contributed to
the Jewish library, in honor of all generations past and future. Jewish tradition and its texts
belong to all those seeking to study and be inspired.
Avner Moriah, 2023
Jerusalem
Experience the “Guinness” Record length of the Megillah:
View the Ganze Megillah in Detail:
Scroll I
Artist Avner Moriah; calligrapher Avraham-Hersh Borschevsky. Watercolor on parchment.
View Scroll 1 in Details:
Scroll II
Artist Avner Moriah; calligrapher Sharon Binder. Watercolor on parchment.
View Scroll 2 in Details:
Scroll III
Artist Avner Moriah; calligrapher Sharon Binder. Watercolor on parchment.
View Scroll 3 in Details:
Scroll IV
Artist Avner Moriah; calligrapher Izzy Pludwinski. Watercolor on parchment.
View Scroll 4 in Details:
