Rooted in ancient Persia and echoing through modern times, the story of Esther is one of the central narratives in Jewish life and culture. We will start our tour with the material background of the biblical text, looking at the reality of the Persian court and what the “scrolls” looked like, then see how the book of Esther developed as a physical object through the Middle Ages, and how the story was represented visually by Jews and Christians in early modern Europe.

We will meet at 10:45 on the Ground floor at the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education. Enter through plaza entrance (wheelchair accessible) at 81st street.

Space on the tour is very limited. We will maintain an active waiting list once registration has closed.

Signed copies of Dr. Koller's book, Esther in Ancient Jewish Thought (Cambridge University Press, 2014), are available for purchase [list price $37]: $25

*Just click "tickets" then "add-on" to make a book purchase.

Dr. Aaron Koller is professor of Near Eastern studies at Yeshiva University, where he is chair of Beren Department of Jewish Studies. His last book was Esther in Ancient Jewish Thought (Cambridge University Press), and his next is Unbinding Isaac: The Akedah in Jewish Thought (forthcoming from JPS/University of Nebraska Press in 2020).