A group of beautiful young virgins from the city of susa was selected verse 3. Esther had to undergo a detailed, delicate and extensive process of preparation before going to be presented before the king xerxesalso called ahasuerus. However, if you ever see arguments for artaxerxes as the king during the time of estherdont believe it. It narrates the account of a hebrew woman in persia, born as hadassah but identified as esther, who becomes queen of persia and prevents a massacre of her people.
Esther is one of the five scrolls in the hebrew bible. Since purim is not a holiday ordained by moses in the first five books of the bible, scholars have wondered if jews of ancient time indeed observed it annually. In the narrative, ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, vashti, refuses to obey him, and esther is chosen for her beauty. He ruled over a vast empire that extended from india to ethiopia. Did queen esthers beauty or bravery foil a massacre. The story of esther takes place during the reign of king xerxes i of persia, primarily in the kings palace in susa, the capital of the persian empire.
While there are many detractors who simply view esther as fiction, for those who accept the historicity of the book of esther, xerxes i is the most likely candidate to fill the role of ahasuerus. They are listed, at least as it seems, in chronological dating order. Book of esther topic 2 xerxes part 1 real talks wife. In esther 910 it tells us that the ahasuerus of esther. Mar 14, 2018 xerxes i ruled 486465 bce, also known as xerxes the great, was the king of the persian achaemenid empire. Jun 24, 2016 watch our overview video on the book of esther, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. We are told this was in order to display her beauty to the. Secular history knows him better by his greek name, king xerxes i who ruled persia from 486 to 465 b. Jan 26, 2018 xerxes is more common in nonbiblical literature, but ahasuerus is the preferred hebrew rendering cf. The chronology of the book of esther is surprisingly detailed, sometimes down to the month, and its chronology dovetails amazingly well with the extrabiblical historical events that occur during the reign of king xerxes i of persia called ahasuerus in hebrew. At the conclusion of seven days of feasting, the king called queen vashti to appear before him. Most scholars today agree that the kjv ahasuerus was the xerxes who reigned 486 b.
Very few bible scholars believe now in the historicity of the book of esther, but what is really incomprehensible is that their conclusion is based only on the following prejudice. Jewish girl esther is chosen as the new queen consort to king xerxes of persia. Highlights of life in a persian harem during the time of esther. It was written after the death of king xerxes esth. Esther sent one of the kings chamberlains to find out why mordecai was in mourning. Ahasuerus is also given as the name of a king of persia in the book of ezra. Xerxes is familiar to students of the bible since he appears in two books. Will she be able to stop the evil lord hamans plot to exterminate the jews. Did esther have sex with xerxes before they were married. Esther s story is retold by josephus in book 11, chapter 6 of the jewish antiquities. It is probable that it was part of hiding her jewish identity at the command of mordecai. Thus, seeing vashti as a tragic figure interferes with the jewish readers enjoyment of vashtis fall.
Esther 2 describes king xerxes or ahasuerus search for a new queen of persia. The book of esther in the bible is a dramatic account which can give us insight into gods special and purposeful plan for our lives. Sep 30, 2019 the book of esther, which may be a work of fiction, is set in xerxes rule and was written about 400 bce. King xerxes 486465 bc, the great king, the king of persia is king ahasuerus in the book of esther esther 1. Esther is described in the book of esther as a jewish queen of the persian king ahasuerus.
It was written either at the end of xerxes reign or during the reign of his son artaxerxes who ruled from 465 to 424 b. The image of vashti as a jewshaming libertine justifies the replacement of vashti by esther, and allows the reader to root for esther and enjoy vashti. He was a man who was used to controlling his own fate as well as the fate of others. The key personalities are esther, mordecai, king ahasuerus or xerxes, and haman. Solving eleven mysteries of the jewish holidays and liturgy kodesh press, 2015, 129167. Esther gained favor with hegai, the man in charge of these women verse 8. The book of esther was likely written between 467 and 350 b. King ahasuerus xerxes plays a prominent role in the book of esther. The events in the book of esther probably took place around 521495 bc.
In the septuagint, the book of esther refers to this king as artaxerxes. According to the niv xerxes was king during the time of esther, but according to the esv ahasuerus was king. Why did queen vashti refuse to appear before xerxes. There, she was forced to prepare herself for her first night with the king by spending six months doused in oil of myrrh and another six in sweet odors ointments. This rules out xerxes as the king ahasuerus of the book of esther. Shea researcher is a at the biblical research institute of the. The book of esther says that vashti was the wife of king xerxes when he first became king of persia, followed three years later by queen esther. And mordecai came before the king, for esther had told what he was to her. Xerxes reigned over the persianmedian empire in 486465 bc. Esther, the beautiful jewish wife of the persian king ahasuerus xerxes i, and her cousin mordecai persuade the king to retract. May 29, 2019 the persian king who chose esther to be his queen esth 1. Ethical dilemma in the book of esther this paper will summarize the book of esther, chapters 110, from the life application study bible. Sep 27, 2011 today i want to start with the book of esther. For such a time as this the story of ahasuerus and esther.
He is to be identified with the famous xerxes 485465 b. The book of esther is a romantic and patriotic tale, perhaps with some historical basis but with so little religious purpose the book purports to explain how the feast of purim came to be celebrated by the jews. Other identifications have been made for cambyses ii or with bardiya greek smerdis who reigned perhaps as an imposter for seven months between cambyses ii and darius i. Esther and mordecai under xerxes of persia amazing bible. May 04, 2015 while persian records make no direct reference to the events described in the book of esther, the chronology of xerxes s career is fully compatible with the story described in the famous book of. This passage on the book of esther is a symbol from god on how all things for our beautiful lord have requirements and a process.
Esther, according to the book of esther, was a hebrew woman from persia, who became the queen of king ahasuerus, also known as xerxes i. The book of esther, by king xerxes i, haman, and mordecai. Xerxes,4 it is obvious that the dates for esther s activities must relate in some way or another to the dates of xerxes greek campaign, and the dr. Chronological, historical and archaeological evidence. In it, esther asturya, the daughter of mordecai, marries xerxes called ahasuerus, in order to foil a plot by the wicked haman who seeks to.
The story gives us six powerful lessons about courage. During this time the enemies of israel hired counselors to bring false accusations to the ears of the different persian kings. And mordecai entered the kings presence because esther had revealed his relation to her. Contemplate its content, reflect on the questions and supply the answers in the spaces provided below. In esther, god providentially uses two exiled israelites to rescue his. The author also displays an accurate knowledge of persian customs and palaces. This book is also the reason why the jewish people created the jewish festivity of purim, which is celebrated annually amongst all jewish people in the world. The genre of the book of esther is narrative history. Nehemiah s major position within his court and his queen influencing him to order the resumption of the building of the jerusalem temple nehemiah 2. Esther 1, new living translation nlt the bible app. Mordecai sent a message back explaining the whole diabolical plot, of which she was unaware, and encouraging her to intercede with the king. The book is unique in the hebrew canon for several reasons, not in the least because. The book of esther confirms that darius i is the most likely candidate for esther s king in another way as well.
In the septuagint, the book of esther refers to this king as artaxerxes ancient greek. Aug, 2012 the harem was a tradition with iranian persian dynasties and aristocracy as well. Additionally, this paper will discuss the ethical issues within the book of esther and the outcomes of the ethical decisions made by esther, king xerxes i, haman, and mordecai. Hoschander 1923 argued that ahasuerus was to be identified with artaxerxes ii 403359 b. This was during a time just before the wall of jerusalem was rebuilt. The jews called him ahasuerus, the hebrew form of his persian name. Among this group was esther, a jewess who kept her ethnic background hidden verse 8. Rvic2000 american revised version, improved and corrected esther 389 the book of esther 1 the feast of xerxes. Jan 02, 2020 the details on the life of xerxes found in the book of esther are not corroborated by any secular sources. In it, esther asturya, the daughter of mordecai, marries xerxes called ahasuerus, in order to foil a plot by the wicked haman who seeks to organize a pogrom against the jews.
The story told in the book of esther takes place during the rule of ahasuerus, who amongst others has been identified as the 5thcentury persian king xerxes i reigned 486465 bc. Esther is written during the period of the captivity. If achashverosh is xerxes, is esther his wife amestris. The other king who some historians believe to be the ahasuerus of the book of esther is the persian king xerxes. Niv this is what happened during the time of xerxes. He is identified as the ahasuerus of persia in the biblical book of esther although his son, artaxerxes i, is also a. Its one of the most beautiful books in the bible and so full of great takeaways for the modern christian woman today. Jun 18, 2019 the story of esther takes place during the reign of king xerxes i of persia, primarily in the kings palace in susa, the capital of the persian empire. The book of ester is a very special book in the bible, so here are 11 important bible verses from the book of esther.
The book of esther begins with a similar flourish, with a grand description of king xerxes wealth and entertaining style. His powerful empire spread from india to ethiopia esth. We cannot tell from the book of esther when she took on this name. Persian kings did not marry outside a restricted number of persian noble families and it is unlikely that there was a jewish queen esther. Chronological, historical and archaeological evidence gertoux, gerard on. Herodotus and ctesias both mention xerxess wife amestris, who was very wicked.
The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll, is a book in the third section of the christian old testament. Hadassah was her given jewish name, but she went by esther. This revelation is made through an exchange of communications between esther and mordecai. She was the nonpracticing jewish heroine of the story and an orphan raised by her cousin mordecai. The book of esther, which may be a work of fiction, is set in xerxes rule and was written about 400 bce. Esther is the heroine of the book and vashti needs to be removed to make room for her. How many children did queen esther and king xerxes have answers. Internal evidence also suggests that the festival of purim had been observed for some time prior to the actual writing of the book and that xerxes had already died see 10.
Nov 26, 2012 this rules out xerxes as the king ahasuerus of the book of esther. Esther in the picture study bible the book of esther with. Several scholars have dated the book later than 330 b. Persian kings did not marry outside a restricted number of persian noble families and it is impossible that there was a jewish queen esther. Mar 21, 2016 both refer to a persian king named xerxes khshayarsha, who seems to be the biblical achashverosh. Esther in the picture study bible the book of esther. Nehemiahs major position within his court and his queen influencing him to order the resumption of the building of the jerusalem temple nehemiah 2. In at least one of these films, the events of the book of esther are depicted as taking place upon xerxes return from greece.
Xerxes was the oldest son of darius i, and the offspring of the kings first wife, atossa, daughter of cyrus ii. It is a short story similar to the book of ruth, starting in the palace of shushan susa, one out of the three capitals of the persian empire. From the book of esther, we learn of two of achashveroshs wivesthe wicked vashti and the righteous esther. He was the son of darius the great and reigned from 486465 b. At the time, persia was in conflict with greecelargely because xerxes father and predecessor, darius i, had attempted to take athens by force and. The book of esther was written during a time when the persian empire ruled the world and ahasuerus probably xerxes i was the king of persia. In chapter 1 he gives a great banquet for his nobles and, after several days of eating and drinking, orders that the queen vashti appear at the banquet so the men there might see her great beauty. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this.
The book of esther begins with a description of king xerxes or ahasuerus of persia celebrating with the leading men of his kingdom. Xerxes is portrayed by richard egan in the 1960 film esther and the king and by joel smallbone in the 20 film, the book of esther. The book of esther 6 powerful life lessons from the bible. The story of esther takes place in the persian empire during the reign of ahasuerus, known more familiarly to us by the greek form of his name, xerxes i. Thus, ahasuerus and xerxes are the same individual by different names. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family, personal life, achievements, and timeline.
An orphan raised by her uncle, young esther was taken against her will as a beautiful virgin to persian king ahasueruss harem. Many scholars believe that king xerxes is the same as king ahasuerus who appears in the book of esther. Nov 28, 2019 the book of ester is a very special book in the bible, so here are 11 important bible verses from the book of esther. The kings chief adviser, haman, is offended by esther s cousin and guardian, mordecai, and gets permission from the king to have all the jews in the kingdom killed. Modern commentators associate him with xerxes i who reigned from 486 bc until 465 bc. The only kings after xerxes ruling from india to ethiopia as mentioned in the book of esther are artaxerxes i and iii.
1180 762 971 835 721 686 944 1186 735 1282 30 381 900 1415 272 129 1165 1167 1289 834 964 69 819 1442 997 1037 145 1051 831 1249 3 307 694 522 453 970