Megill
A Megill (plural: Megillot; Hebrew: ืืืืืโ, m'gillรกh, "scroll") is a scroll in Judaism. The term is most commonly used to refer to one of the five relatively short books in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) which are traditionally read aloud in synagogues on specific holidays. These five scrolls are collectively known as the Hamesh Megillot (ืืืฉ ืืืืืืช, "Five Scrolls").
The Hamesh Megillot and their associated holidays are:
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Song of Songs (Shir HaShirim): Read on Passover (Pesach). Often interpreted as an allegory of the love between God and Israel.
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Book of Ruth (Megillat Ruth): Read on Shavuot. It tells the story of Ruth, a Moabite woman who converts to Judaism and becomes an ancestor of King David.
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Book of Lamentations (Eichah or Megillat Eichah): Read on Tisha B'Av, a day of mourning for the destruction of the First and Second Temples. It laments the destruction of Jerusalem.
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Ecclesiastes (Kohelet): Read on Sukkot. It explores themes of meaning and purpose in life, often reflecting on the futility of worldly pursuits.
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Book of Esther (Megillat Esther): Read on Purim. It recounts the story of Esther, a Jewish woman who becomes queen of Persia and saves her people from annihilation.
While any scroll can technically be called a megillah, the term is almost universally understood to refer to one of these five books within a Jewish context. The Megillat Esther is particularly associated with the term "Megillah" due to its elaborate public reading and the joyous celebration of Purim. The term "reading the Megillah" almost always refers to the reading of the Book of Esther.