When is a Purim not on Purim? When it’s a local Purim! The Book of Esther was seen as the “diaspora” book in the Hebrew Bible. There is no mention of God’s name throughout the text, and commentaries discuss the concept of a “hidden” miracle – that is, events orchestrated by God, but within the […]
Tag: Purim
Hebrew mss @ CUL: The Whole Megillah
In honor of the upcoming holiday of Purim (March 8), here is a Megilat Esther from Columbia's Smith Collection. Professor David Eugene Smith, a professor at Columbia's Teacher's College from 1901-1926, was a scholar in the History of Mathematics who went around the world collecting manuscripts and rare books related to his topic. He spent […]