An early spring holiday, Purim commemorates the deliverance of Persian Jewry from the annihilation planned by the king's vizier, Haman, in the 5th century BCE. His plot was foiled by the Persian queen, Esther, who was Jewish, and by her uncle, Mordecai. The story, told in the biblical Book of Esther, is recorded in scroll form. On Purim, during the reading of the Scroll of Esther in the synagogue, it is customary to rattle noisemakers or groggers, whenever the hated villain, Haman, is mentioned. Jewish tradition often links past and contemporary oppressors of the Jewish people, as seen in this grogger that associates Adolf Hitler with Haman. The hammer makes a noise when it strikes the head of either figure.