Esther's Scroll (archives)
Photo: Amos Ben Gershom, GPO
Esther's Scroll on sale for $21,400
Scroll, inscribed in 17th-century Spain, handed down by respected Moroccan rabbi, up for sale at winwin.co.il ahead of Purim
How much would you pay to celebrate Purim in style? If the answer is 'a lot', then you may be interested in a Scroll of Esther written in 17th-century Spain which is now up for sale online for the price of NIS 80,000 (roughly $21,400).
Sixty-year-old Didi Bentov of Haifa, an offspring of the distinguished Toledano family of Morocco, received the scroll, inscribed on parchment, as a gift from his grandfather as a child.
Bentov's grandfather, Yedidya Toledano, was a respected rabbi in Morocco, and served as the presiding judge of the synagogue in his hometown.
The Toledano family is well known in the religious world. The family was expelled from Spain in 1492, moved to Greece and later became a major factor in the Jewish community in Morocco.
The scroll has been passed down in the family for hundreds of years, and has wondered from place to place with its owners.
"The scroll started its journey with us in Spain, from there it made its way to Thessaloniki, then to Morocco, and now to Israel. I believe that there is a time for everything, and this is why I have decided to sell it now," Bentov said.
"I checked its value with professionals and I think the price I am asking is a very good price for such a unique item," he added.
The scroll has been put on sale at the Israeli classified ads website winwin.co.il for the price of NIS 80,000 (roughly $21,400).
The item is expected to be purchased by Judaica collectors, but this does not rule out the chance that it may be bought by a private individual to be donated to a museum.
