Megillah

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Parchment scroll containing the text of the Old Testament Book of Esther, which recounts the deliverance of the Jews from persecution in the Persian empire and which was probably written during the reign of the Hasmonean Jewish king John Hyrcanus (reg c. 135-105 BC). The Book of Esther has since then traditionally been read in the synagogue on the festival of Purim, for which purpose it was copied separately in the form of a scroll (Megillah; see also JEWISH ART,

See the Abbreviations for further details.

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("Scroll"). Tenth tractate of Order Mo'Ed in the Mishnah. Its four chapters deal principally with the times, places, and manner of reading the Scroll of Esther on Purim. Also included are laws governing the four special Sabbaths (see Sabbaths. Special), the manner of reading from a Scroll of the Law and the prophetic portion (Haftarah), and general synagogue procedure. In the time of the Mishnah, all books were written on a megillah (scroll), but later "the Megillah" came to mean the Scroll of Esther. The subject matter is amplified in both Talmuds and the Tosefta.

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noun
/mə'gɪlə/ /mə'gɪlə/
noun

A long, tedious, or complicated story; esp. in phr. a whole Megillah. (1943 —) .
S. Sheldon 'Do you know the most peculiar thing about this whole megillah?' queried Moody thoughtfully (1970).

[From Megillah any of five books of the Old Testament: Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther (from Hebrew megillah roll, scroll), in allusion to the length of the books; a whole Megillah translated from Yiddish a gantse Megillah.]

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For a list of words related to megillah, see:

• Fusses and Troubles
• Yiddish Borrowings - megillah: long story, rigmarole
• Sacred Texts and Objects - megillah: Hebrew. scroll of Biblical books, esp. Book of Esther, read on Purim

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