Restoring a Rare and Exquisite Manuscript of the Book of Esther

Dec. 18 2024

Composed in 18th-century Italy, a lavishly decorated scroll of the book Esther is currently being restored by specialists at the British collection where it was found. Zsofia Buda writes:

When the scroll was rediscovered within the John Rylands Library in 2017, it was instantly recognized for its beauty.  Consisting of a layer of heavily decorated cut parchment upon which the biblical book of Esther is written, this lace-like parchment has then been adhered to what appears to have once been colorfully decorated paper, all backed by red silk fabric with a decorative braid around all edges.

The elaborate structure appears to be something of a rarity among Esther scrolls; this being only one of four known “sibling” scrolls that have the layered textile, paper, and cut parchment structure. The other scrolls consist of two layers only: parchment and textile. The Rylands scroll also appears to be the only one of the four to have pigment applied to the paper and on a small section of the parchment (though this is most likely a later addition).

Read more at Rylands Blog

More about: Book of Esther, Jewish art, Rare books

The Next Diplomatic Steps for Israel, the Palestinians, and the Arab States

July 11 2025

Considering the current state of Israel-Arab relations, Ghaith al-Omari writes

First and foremost, no ceasefire will be possible without the release of Israeli hostages and commitments to disarm Hamas and remove it from power. The final say on these matters rests with Hamas commanders on the ground in Gaza, who have been largely impervious to foreign pressure so far. At minimum, however, the United States should insist that Qatari and Egyptian mediators push Hamas’s external leadership to accept these conditions publicly, which could increase pressure on the group’s Gaza leadership.

Washington should also demand a clear, public position from key Arab states regarding disarmament. The Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas endorsed this position in a June letter to Saudi Arabia and France, giving Arab states Palestinian cover for endorsing it themselves.

Some Arab states have already indicated a willingness to play a significant role, but they will have little incentive to commit resources and personnel to Gaza unless Israel (1) provides guarantees that it will not occupy the Strip indefinitely, and (2) removes its veto on a PA role in Gaza’s future, even if only symbolic at first. Arab officials are also seeking assurances that any role they play in Gaza will be in the context of a wider effort to reach a two-state solution.

On the other hand, Washington must remain mindful that current conditions between Israel and the Palestinians are not remotely conducive to . . . implementing a two-state solution.

Read more at Washington Institute for Near East Policy

More about: Gaza War 2023, Israel diplomacy, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict