Image Details

Part of the “Esther” panel from the famous third century A.D. synagogue at Dura-Europos, now in Syria. We see the king, Ahasuerus, sitting on Solomon’s golden throne (as he did according to rabbinic tradition) with Queen Esther seated beside him, smaller but also higher in the picture: She is a woman, but more important than Ahasuerus. Of particular interest is her three-turreted golden crown. Scripture tells us Esther wore a crown (Esther 2:17) but does not describe it. The particular crown she wears in the painting can now be identified as a “Jerusalem of Gold”, a headdress representing the walls of the Holy City. Esther wears a tight blue bodice, with a long pink skirt and a drape wrapped around her legs. In addition to the crown, she is adorned with necklace, earrings and bracelets.