A Hebrew Scribe

We also saw a scribe at Neot Kedumim. Though he has a day job, he also is a trained scribe, having learned from his father the skills for being a scribe. When we saw him, he was working on a scroll of the Book of Esther. He told us about all that has to be done to ensure that the scroll is kosher. It must be from the skin of a clean animal, and written with ink made from kosher ingredients. There are regulations concerning how many letters can be on a line, and how many lines can be on a column.



Here are the ingedients he uses to make the ink:




He then read to us from a Torah scroll, demonstrating two different types of chanting.

Here is what his work looked like (click to enlarge):



He told us that completed scrolls would be sold for use in synagogues somewhere in the world, and they may sell for $25000-$30000 each! He noted, however, that given the incredible amount of time it takes to complete one (about a year), it doesn't really end up being a very lucrative endeavor. So, he's keeping his day job!