Cambridge University Library, T-S A36.18—a Fragment from the Oldest Known Megillat ʾEster

Ms Cambridge, University Library, Taylor-Schechter A36.18 is a highly damaged fragment of one yeriʿa (‘sheet’) of a Megillat ʾEster held in the Cambridge Genizah Unit. For it to be featured in a book celebrating fifty years since the founding of the unit, it required an accompanying note and dating. Its lack of neo-tagin, specific script type, and sewing stitch style suggests that it hails from the 900s (perhaps earlier). Given the absence of Esther from the Dead Sea Scrolls corpus, this would make it the earliest ritual Esther scroll known.