JWST 288 - Creating the Griffins’ Head Megillah

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

(Same as RELI 288) A practicum in the creation of a unique postmodern Jewish illuminated manuscript. Students gain hands-on experience planning, designing, rendering and illuminating illustrations for the Griffins’ Head Megillah. This is a traditional scroll of the biblical Book of Esther, read on the Jewish festival of Purim. The manuscript’s script and illustrations are adapted from those found in the Griffins’ Head Haggadah, a book of the home service for Passover eve, created in Mainz, circa 1300, and now in the collection of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The manuscript is written on parchment by one of the first women trained as a traditional Jewish scribe (soferet). The project involves thorough immersion in the study of texts related to the Book of Esther (bible, midrash and medieval commentary, all in translation) in order to plan and design the illustrations, as well as study of the laws and customs of Purim and of the Scroll of Esther. Marc Epstein.

One 2-hour period.

Course Format: INT