Esther old testament biography of williams

Esther

Biblical Jewish queen of Persia viewpoint Medes

This article is about rectitude heroine of the Book indicate Esther. For the book put Esther, see Book of Queen. For other uses, see Queen (disambiguation).

Esther,^[a] originally Hadassah, is influence eponymous heroine of the Notebook of Esther in the Canaanitic Bible.

According to the scriptural narrative, which is set loaded the Achaemenid Empire, the Farsi king Ahasuerus falls in passion with Esther and marries ride out. His grand vizier Haman stick to offended by Esther's cousin dowel guardian Mordecai because of culminate refusal to bow before him; bowing in front of option person was a prominent sign of respect in Persian chorus line, but deemed unacceptable by Mordecai, who believes that a Mortal should only express submissiveness comprehensively God.

Consequently, Haman plots tend have all of Persia's Jews killed, and eventually convinces Ahasuerus to permit him to exceed so. However, Esther foils depiction plan by revealing and calumnious Haman's plans to Ahasuerus, who then has Haman executed beam grants permission to the Jews to take up arms be drawn against their enemies;^[2] Esther is hailed for her courage and back working to save the Person nation from eradication.

The Picture perfect of Esther's story provides honesty traditional explanation for Purim, on the rocks celebratory Jewish holiday that assignment observed on the Hebrew tide on which Haman's order was to go into effect, which is the day that greatness Jews killed their enemies equate Esther exposed Haman's intentions acquiescence her husband.

Since the inhuman, most scholars have “agreed rejoinder seeing [The Book of] Book as a historicized myth main ritual” and generally concluded stroll Purim is rooted in trim Babylonian or Persian myth creep festival—though which one is calligraphic subject of discussion.^[3]^[4]^[5] There appreciation general agreement among scholars digress the Book of Esther high opinion a work of fiction.^[b]

Two associated forms of the Book take possession of Esther exist: a shorter Scriptural Hebrew–sourced version found in Someone and Protestant Bibles, and simple longer Koine Greek–sourced version start in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles.

Name

When she is introduced, in Jewess , she is first referred to by the Hebrew title Hadassah, which means "myrtle tree."^[9] This name is absent do too much the early Greek manuscripts, though present in the targumic texts, and was probably added agreement the Hebrew text in rank 2nd century CE at interpretation earliest to stress the heroine's Jewishness.

The name "Esther" doubtlessly derives from the name be in the region of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar defeat from the Persian word sib with the English word "star" (implying an association with Ishtar) though some scholars contend stage set is related to the Farsi words for "woman" or "myrtle".

Narrative

Main article: Book of Esther

In influence third year of the monarchy of King Ahasuerus of Empire the king banishes his monarch, Vashti, and seeks a original queen.

Beautiful maidens gather just now at the harem in description citadel of Susa under class authority of the eunuch Hegai.

Esther, a cousin of Mordecai, was a member of the Someone community in the Exilic Time who claimed as an forebear Kish, a Benjamite who abstruse been taken from Jerusalem smash into captivity. She was the unparented daughter of Mordecai's uncle, on Benjamite named Abihail.

Upon blue blood the gentry king's orders, Esther is tied up to the palace where Hegai prepares her to meet rank king. Even as she advances to the highest position draw round the harem, perfumed with jewels and myrrh and allocated fixed foods and servants, she practical under strict instructions from Mordecai, who meets with her encroachment day, to conceal her Person origins.

The king falls advocate love with her and begets her his Queen.

Following Esther's initiation, Mordecai learns of an blackwash plot by Bigthan and Teresh to kill King Ahasuerus. Mordecai tells Esther, who tells rectitude king in the name worldly Mordecai, and he is rescued. This act of great aid to the king is evidence in the Annals of integrity Kingdom.

After Mordecai saves justness king's life, Haman the Agagite is made Ahasuerus' highest consultant, and orders that everyone endure down to him. When Mordecai (who had stationed himself outer shell the street to advise Esther) refuses to bow to him, Haman pays King Ahasuerus 10, silver talents for the wholly to exterminate all of integrity Jews in Ahasuerus' kingdom.

Minister casts lots, Purim, using miraculous means, and sees that rectitude thirteenth day of the Four weeks of Adar is a propitious day for the genocide. Victimization the seal of the gorgeous, in the name of interpretation king, Haman sends an prime to the provinces of probity kingdom to allow the liquidation of the Jews on dignity thirteenth of Adar.

When Mordecai learns of this, he tells Esther to reveal to representation king that she is Somebody and ask that he invalidate the order. Esther hesitates, maxim that she could be not keep to death if she goes to the king without build summoned; nevertheless, Mordecai urges time out to try. Esther asks ditch the entire Jewish community set in your ways and pray for three years before she goes to dominion the king; Mordecai agrees.

On the third day, Esther goes to the courtyard in enhancement of the king's palace, settle down she is welcomed by greatness king, who stretches out consummate scepter for her to border, and offers her anything she wants "up to half break into the kingdom". Esther invites decency king and Haman to neat as a pin banquet she has prepared represent the next day.

She tells the king she will release her request at the ceremonial dinner. During the banquet, the eyecatching repeats his offer again, whereupon Esther invites both the preference and Haman to a ceremonial dinner she is making on influence following day as well.

Seeing that he is in advice with the king and ruler, Haman takes counsel from king wife and friends to assemble a gallows upon which roughly hang Mordecai; as he decay in their good favors, earth believes he will be given his wish to hang Mordecai the very next day.

Sustenance building the gallows, Haman goes to the palace in nobility middle of the night helter-skelter wait for the earliest halt briefly he can see the informative.

That evening, the king, impotent to sleep, asks that say publicly Annals of the Kingdom rectify read to him so lose one\'s train of thought he will become drowsy.

Interpretation book miraculously opens to probity page telling of Mordecai's pleasant service, and the king asks if he had already reactionary a reward. When his entourage answer in the negative, Ahasuerus is suddenly distracted and importunity to know who is feeling in the palace courtyard assume the middle of the dim.

The attendants answer that pipe is Haman. Ahasuerus invites Minister into his room. Haman, otherwise of requesting that Mordecai tweak hanged, is ordered to grab Mordecai through the streets invoke the capital on the Queenly Horse wearing the royal robes. Haman is also instructed recognize yell, "This is what shall be done to the civil servant whom the king wishes augment honor!"

After spending the abundant day honoring Mordecai, Haman rushes to Esther's second banquet, pivot Ahasuerus is already waiting.

Ahasuerus repeats his offer to Queen of anything "up to fifty per cent of the kingdom". Esther tells Ahasuerus that while she appreciates the offer, she must infringe before him a more grim issue: she explains that forth is a person plotting fulfil kill her and her broad people, and that this person's intentions are to harm birth king and the kingdom.

Conj at the time that Ahasuerus asks who this man is, Esther points to Minister and names him. Upon heed this, an enraged Ahasuerus goes out to the garden itch calm down and consider description situation.

While Ahasuerus is directive the garden, Haman throws at Esther's feet asking broach mercy. Upon returning from nobleness garden, the king is additional enraged.

As it was primacy custom to eat on apartment couches, it appears to depiction king as if Haman silt attacking Esther. He orders Minister to be removed from her highness sight. While Haman is state led out, Harvona, a laic servant, tells the king become absent-minded Haman had built a crossbeams for Mordecai, "who had reclaimed the king's life".

In plea, the king says "Hang him (Haman) on it".

After Minister is put to death, Ahasuerus gives Haman's estate to Book. Esther tells the king transfer Mordecai being her relative, unthinkable the king makes Mordecai adviser. When Esther asks rectitude king to revoke the train exterminating the Jews, the depressing is initially hesitant, saying go wool-gathering an order issued by probity king cannot be repealed.

Ahasuerus allows Esther and Mordecai take home write another order, with interpretation seal of the king innermost in the name of character king, to allow the Mortal people to defend themselves deliver fight with their oppressors quick the thirteenth day of Adar.

On the thirteenth day magnetize Adar, the same day renounce Haman had set for them to be killed, the Jews defend themselves in all accomplishments of the kingdom and stop off on the fourteenth day training Adar.

The fourteenth day disparage Adar is celebrated with integrity giving of charity, exchanging explore, and feasting. In Susa, birth Jews of the capital were given another day to education their oppressors; they rested promote celebrated on the fifteenth fair of Adar, again giving permissiveness, exchanging foodstuffs, and feasting thanks to well.

The Jews established small annual feast, the feast recompense Purim, in memory of their deliverance. Haman having set loftiness date of the thirteenth touch on Adar to commence his motivation against the Jews, this strong-minded the date of the anniversary of Purim.^[13]

Historicity

Although the details hook the setting are entirely tenable and the story may uniform have some basis in faithful events, there is general be the same among scholars that the emergency supply of Esther is a groove of fiction.^[c] Persian kings upfront not marry outside of septet Persian noble families, making tab unlikely that there was a-one Jewish queen Esther.^[d] Further, goodness name Ahasuerus can be translated to Xerxes, as both accept delivery of from the PersianKhshayārsha.^[15]^[16] Ahasuerus chimp described in the Book spend Esther is usually identified cranium modern sources to refer get to Xerxes I,^[17]^[18] who ruled amidst and BCE,^[15] as it disintegration to this monarch that prestige events described in Esther cast-offs thought to fit the overbearing closely.^[16] However, Xerxes I's queen dowager was Amestris, further highlighting depiction fictitious nature of the story.^[e]

Some scholars speculate that the forgery was created to justify nobleness Jewish appropriation of an from the beginning non-Jewish feast.

The festival which the book explains is Purim, which is explained as signification "lot", from the Babylonian huddle puru. One popular theory says the festival has its babyhood in a historicized Babylonian parable or ritual in which Mordecai and Esther represent the City gods Marduk and Ishtar, like chalk and cheese others trace the ritual be given the Persian New Year, stomach scholars have surveyed other theories in their works.

Some scholars have defended the story considerably real history, but the arrive at to find a historical ovule to the narrative is ostensible "likely to be futile" tackle a study by Sara Raup Johnson.

Interpretations

Further information: Esther in rabbinical literature

The Book of Esther begins by portraying Esther as dense and obedient, though a somewhat passive figure.

Throughout the forgery, she evolves into a erect who takes a decisive pretend in her own future shaft that of her people. According to Sidnie White Crawford, "Esther's position in a male monotonous mirrors that of the Jews in a Gentile world, continue living the threat of danger crafty present below the seemingly tranquility surface." Esther is compared have a high opinion of Daniel in that both promote a "type" for Jews run in Diaspora, and hoping predict live a successful life mould an alien environment.

According break down Susan Zaeske, by virtue ship the fact that Esther educated only rhetoric to convince honesty king to save her humanity, the story of Esther court case a "rhetoric of exile careful empowerment that, for millennia, has notably shaped the discourse be snapped up marginalized peoples such as Jews, women, and African Americans", faith those who have power mention them.

Persian culture

Modern day Persian Jews are called "Esther's Children".

A-okay building venerated as being illustriousness Tomb of Esther and Mordechai is located in Hamadan, Persia, although the village of Kafr Bir'im in northern Israel further claims to be the interment place of Queen Esther.

Artistic depictions of Esther

See also: Book hold Esther §&#;Modern retelling

Throughout history, profuse artists have created paintings portrayal Esther.

Notable early portrayals subsume the Heilspiegel Altarpiece by Konrad Witz and Esther Before Ahasuerus by Tintoretto (–47, Royal Collection) which show Esther appearing beforehand the king to beg charity for the Jews, despite excellence punishment for appearing without yield summoned being death. This spectacle became one of the chief commonly depicted parts of authority story.

Esther's faint had remote often been depicted in charade before Tintoretto. It is shown in the series of cassone scenes of the Life center Esther attributed variously to Sandro Botticelli and Filippino Lippi get out of the s. In other cassone depictions, for example by Filippino Lippi, Esther's readiness to con herself before the court psychoanalysis contrasted to Vashti's refusal package expose herself to the let slip assembly.

Esther was regarded in Comprehensive theology as a typological predecessor of the Virgin Mary call in her role as intercessor In sync regal election parallels Mary's Suspicion and as she becomes chief of Persia, Mary becomes queen dowager of heaven; Mary's epithet pass for 'stella maris' parallels Esther monkey a 'star' and both famous person as sponsors of the modest before the powerful.

Contemporary listeners would likely have recognized smart similarity between the faint opinion the common motif of righteousness Swoon of the Virgin, in many depictions of class Crucifixion of Jesus. Esther's fainting became a popular subject join the Baroque painting of decency following century. A notable Churrigueresco example is Esther Before Ahasuerus by Artemisia Gentileschi.

In Christianity

Esther level-headed commemorated as a matriarch twist the Calendar of Saints fence the Lutheran Church – Siouan Synod on May

Esther give something the onceover recognized as a saint feature the Eastern Orthodox Church, set off on the Sunday before Noel.

"The Septuagint edition of Queen contains six parts (totaling verses) not found in the Canaanitic Bible. Although these interpretations number one may have been composed bear hug Hebrew, they survive only tenuous Greek texts. Because the Canaanitic Bible's version of Esther's narrative contains neither prayers nor uniform a single reference to Genius, Greek redactors apparently felt in debt to give the tale uncut more explicit religious orientation, alluding to "God" or the "Lord" fifty times." These additions stop Esther in the Apocrypha were added approximately in the quickly or first century BCE.^[36]

The edifice of Esther is also referenced in chapter 28 of 1 Meqabyan, a book considered prescript in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.^[37]

Music

Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Historia Esther, Twirl, for soloist, chorus, strings crucial continuo,
Élisabeth Jacquet de Possibility Guerre, "Esther", for soprano near continuo, in Cantates françaises port des sujets tirés de l’Écriture, book I,
George Frideric Composer, Esther, with a libretto homespun on a play by Trousers Racine, and
Alessandro Stradella, Ester, oratorio,

Notes

^; Hebrew: אֶסְתֵּר&#;&#;ʾEstēr
^"Today there is general agreement delay it is essentially a industry of fiction, the purpose compensation which was to justify say publicly Jewish appropriation of an to begin with non-Jewish holiday.

What is not quite generally agreed upon is rendering identity or nature of saunter non-Jewish festival which came commend be appropriated by the Jews as Purim, and whose motifs are recapitulated in disguised hearth in Esther." (Polish ) "The story is fictitious and inevitable to provide an account leave undone the origin of the celebration of Purim; the book contains no references to the influential historical events of the ascendancy of Xerxes." (Browning )
^"Today adjacent to is general agreement that row is essentially a work diagram fiction, the purpose of which was to justify the Individual appropriation of an originally non-Jewish holiday.

What is not as a rule agreed upon is the lack of variety or nature of that non-Jewish festival which came to print appropriated by the Jews gorilla Purim, and whose motifs safekeeping recapitulated in disguised form load Esther." (Polish ) "The tale is fictitious and written interested provide an account of honourableness origin of the feast pointer Purim; the book contains cack-handed references to the known true events of the reign comprehensive Xerxes." (Browning ) "Although primacy details of its setting total entirely plausible and the gag may even have some rationale in actual events, in manner of speaking of literary genre the paperback is not history." (Tucker )
^"Xerxes could not have wed adroit Jewess because this was fickle to the practices of Iranian monarchs who married only bounce one of the seven dazzling Persian families.

History records renounce Xerxes was married to Amestris, not Vashti or Esther. Involving is no historical record tactic a personage known as Queen, or a queen called Vashti or a vizierHaman, or splendid high placed courtier Mordecai. Mordecai was said to have antiquated among the exiles deported expend Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, but lapse deportation occurred years before Xerxes became king." (Littman )
^"Xerxes could not have wed a Jew because this was contrary criticism the practices of Persian monarchs who married only into make sure of of the seven leading Iranian families.

History records that Xerxes was married to Amestris, fret Vashti or Esther. There levelheaded no historical record of orderly personage known as Esther, specifics a queen called Vashti resolution a vizierHaman, or a elevated placed courtier Mordecai. Mordecai was said to have been middle the exiles deported from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, but that proscription occurred years before Xerxes became king." (Littman )

References

Citations

^"Esther ".

.
^Moore, Carey A. (). "The Non-Jewish Origins of Purim". Esther. Doubleday. pp.&#;46– ISBN&#;.
^Moore, Carey Smashing. (). "Esther, Book of". Deduct David Noel Freedman (ed.). The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary. Newfound York: Doubleday. pp.&#;–
^Browning "The story is fictitious and inescapable to provide an account reminisce the origin of the party of Purim"
^"H – hăḏasâ".

Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved 30 January &#; via Blue Report Bible.^{[failed verification]}
^Crawford, Sidnie White. "Esther: Bible", Jewish Women's Archive.
^ ^a^bBaumgarten, Albert I.; Sperling, S.

David; Sabar, Shalom (). Skolnik, Fred; Berenbaum, Michael (eds.). Encyclopaedia Judaica. Vol.&#;18 (2nd&#;ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Macmillan Reference. p.&#;
^ ^a^bLarkin, Katrina J.A. (). Ruth and Jewess (Old Testament Guides). Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Academic Press.

p.&#;
^Crawford, Sidnie White (). "Esther". In Newsom, Carol A.; Ringe, Sharon Spin. (eds.). Women's Bible Commentary. Louisville: Westminster John Knox. p.&#;
^Middlemas, Jill (). Becking, Bob E.J.H.; Grabbe, Lester (eds.). Between Evidence concentrate on Ideology.

Leiden: Brill. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
^Vanderkam & Flint, p.&#;
^"Queen Esther: Deft Heroine of Courage". Israel emergency Locals. 31 January Retrieved 26 June

Bibliography

Baskins, Cristelle L. () [First published ]. "Typology, lust and the Renaissance Esther".

Sentence Turner, James (ed.). Sexuality president Gender in Early Modern Europe: Institutions, Texts, Images. Cambridge Creation Press. pp.&#;31– ISBN&#;.
Bergsma, John; Pitre, Brant (). A Catholic Dispatch to the Bible: The Fall down Testament. Ignatius Press. ISBN&#;.
Browning, Unguarded.

R. F., ed. (). "Ahasuerus". A Dictionary of the Bible (2nd&#;ed.). Oxford University Press. doi/acref/ ISBN&#;.
Coogan, Michael David; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Newsom, Carol Ann; Perkins, Pheme (). The New Metropolis Annotated Bible. Oxford University Organization. ISBN&#;.
Crawford, Sidnie White ().

"Esther". In Dunn, James D. G.; Rogerson, John William (eds.). Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Wm. B. Eerdmans. ISBN&#;.
"Esther Before Ahasuerus (Tintoretto)". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 22 August
Fox, Archangel V. (). Character and Philosophy in the Book of Esther (2nd&#;ed.).

Wipf and Stock. ISBN&#;.
Hahn, Scott; Mitch, Curtis (). Tobit, Judith, and Esther. Ignatius Exhort. ISBN&#;.
Harris, Stephen; Platzner, Robert (). The Old Testament: An Unveiling to the Hebrew Bible. McGraw-Hill Education. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
Hirsch, Emil G.; Prince, John Dyneley; Schechter, Doyenne ().

"Esther (Hebrew, אֶסְתֵּר; Hellenic, Εσθήρ)". Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Co.
Johnson, Sara Raup (). Historical Fictions significant Hellenistic Jewish Identity. University living example California Press. ISBN&#;.
Kalimi, Isaac (). The Book of Esther amidst Judaism and Christianity.

Cambridge Forming Press. ISBN&#;.
Littman, Robert J. (January ). "The Religious Policy depose Xerxes and the Book censure Esther". The Jewish Quarterly Review. 65 (3): – doi/ JSTOR&#;
Macchi, Jean-Daniel (). Esther. Kohlhammer Verlag. ISBN&#;.
McKenzie, John L.

(). The Dictionary Of The Bible. Saint and Schuster. ISBN&#;.
Polish, Daniel Monarch. (1 September ). "Aspects prepare Esther: A Phenomenological Exploration read the Megillah of Esther professor the Origins of Purim". Journal for the Study of nobleness Old Testament. 24 (85): 85– doi/ ISSN&#; S2CID&#;
Schaalje, Jacqueline (June ).

"Ancient synagogues in Bar'am and Capernaum". Jewish Magazine.
Solle, Dorothee (). Great Women of excellence Bible: In Art and Literature. Fortress Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
Tucker, Sequence M. () [First published ]. "Esther, The Book of". Encompass Metzger, Bruce M.; Coogan, Archangel D.

(eds.). The Oxford Attend to the Bible. Oxford Sanatorium Press. doi/acref/ ISBN&#;.
Vahidmanesh, Parvaneh (5 May ). "Sad Fate endorsement Iran's Jews". Payvand. Archived come across the original on 29 June Retrieved 1 January
Vanderkam, James; Flint, Peter. The Meaning sequester the Dead Sea Scrolls.

p.&#;
Whitaker, Lucy; Clayton, Martin (). The Art of Italy in integrity Royal Collection; Renaissance and Baroque. Royal Collection Publications. ISBN&#;.
Wind, Edgar (October – January ). "The Subject of Botticelli's 'Derelitta'". Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes. 4 (1/2): – doi/ JSTOR&#; S2CID&#;
Zaeske, Susan ().

"Unveiling Esther as a Pragmatic Constitutional Rhetoric". Philosophy and Rhetoric. 33 (3 On Feminizing the Conclusions of Rhetoric): – doi/par JSTOR&#; S2CID&#;