In the Bible, the Book of Esther describes how a young Jewish orphan girl became queen of the Persian Empire and how she and her cousin Mordecai saved their people from a plot devised by a powerful enemy "to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews" (Esther 3:13, KJV). Each year, the anniversary of this deliverance is celebrated during the festival of Purim. Because this story has been read aloud for generations during this occasion, many ornate scroll cases (such as the cloisonn enamel one featured on this bookmark) have been produced to protect the delicate scrolls containing the book of Esther.
