Shushan, a legendary account of how the familys ancestor mordechai gained power in court, and of the source of the familys wealth and authority. Now he needs to pick a new queen and eventually manages to select esthera comely, young secretly jewish woman who is a part of his harem. Studying the book of esther is well worth your time. Archaeology and the book of esther andrews university. Book of esther, in the hebrew bible and the christian old testament. This article was most recently revised and updated by kathleen kuiper, senior editor. Esther s story is written across a backdrop of great wars and epic battles. The chronology of the book indicates that it was about five years later when the bubble burst and we find a crisis for gods people. The hebrew of esther is not like that found in the dead sea scrolls concerning which esther is the only canonical book not found at qumran ibid.
The book of esther begins with the queen of king ahasuerusvashtisnubbing the kings request to meet with her. This month, we hope you will be inspired by the amazing redemptive history of esther, mordecai, and the whole jewish nation. But the jewish rabbis called it also the volume of esther, or simply the volume megillah to distinguish it from the other four volumes megilloth, written on separate rolls, which were read in the synagogues on certain feast days. Even the name of the book, esther, is significant because that name when translated from the persian means something hidden. I was intrigued by the concept and received a digital galley for free from edelweiss. Listen to chuck swindolls overview of esther in his audio message from the classic. We will begin with the historical background of the book. According to most scholars, the name esther is derived from the mesopotamian goddess ishtar andor the persian word stara, star the book of daniel provides accounts of jews in exile being assigned names relating to babylonian gods and mordecai is understood to mean servant of marduk, a babylonian god. Christians should read the book of esther, not just as a story about the jews but as. The first holy temple, built by king solomon, was destroyed by the babylonians, and the jews were taken into exile into babylonia. A summary of the book of esther by menachem posner esther is the heroine of the purim story, in which the jewish people who live in the sprawling persian empire are saved from haman s evil scheme to annihilate them. We started our study of the book of esther last week with a general survey of the book. Esther sent one of the kings chamberlains to find out why mordecai was in mourning.
Book of esther overview insight for living ministries. Esther is described in the book of esther as a jewish queen of the persian king ahasuerus. This summary of the book of esther provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of esther. Why did queen vashti refuse to appear before xerxes. It concerns the fortunes of the jews under persian rule, particularly as embodied in the fortunes and actions of two jews. The book of esther 6 powerful life lessons from the bible. As mentioned, according to the book, esther was a jewish queen and wife of the persian king who is known as ahasuerus, however in many translations his name is already shown as xerxes. 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.
Jun 18, 2019 the book of esther is one of only two books in the bible named for women. For more details, see my capsule history of the children of israel. Jeffrey goldberg, editor in chief of the atlantic esther safran foer is a natural storytellerand what a story she has to tell. The story forms the core of the jewish festival of purim, during which it is read aloud twice. The events in the book of esther probably took place around 521495 bc. The book of esther does not specifically name its author.
Moore divided the arguments against the historicity of the book into three groups. Esther is read during the purim feast on 14th and 15th adar februarymarch. The book of esther was likely written between 467 and 350 b. Adopted and raised by her cousin mordecai, esther, whose name is derived from the persian stara, star, plays a crucial role in the event of persecution and deliverance of the jews in the ancient persian empire that the late biblical book or scroll of esther. When is esther on the bible timeline amazing bible. A history of controversy the book of esther is a fascinating story that has a lot of stuff going on that isnt readily apparent to the reader. This was during a time just before the wall of jerusalem was rebuilt. The book of esther may remind you of a classic, once upon a time childrens story with a wealthy king, his beautiful queen, and an evil villain. It was written to memorialize, to commemorate the gods deliverance that formed the basis of the feast of purim. According to schellekens interpretation, the book of esther is a fanciful family history of a rich and powerful jewish family in 4th century b. The other king who some historians believe to be the ahasuerus of the book of esther is the persian king xerxes.
The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll, is a book in the third section of the jewish tanakh and in the christian old testament. Through the grace of god, the author has identified at least 80 divine interventions and reversals in the book of esther in the bible. Esther is the only historical book in the greek old testament that has. Hence it belongs to the bestknown ot books with the jews and it is also the book, which has the oldest copies.
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. The book of esther unfolds, however, with the two intertwining. The most popular traditions are mordecai a major character in the book of esther, ezra, and nehemiah who would have been familiar with persian customs. May 02, 2020 the book of esther records the institution of the feast of purim and the obligation of its perpetual observation. The author of esther patterned much of his material on the events of the joseph story see notes on 2. In my previous article i raised the questions as to why the lord would keep bringing attention to the book of esther through out history and why the adversary would try to have it omitted from the canon. The greek septuagint remedied this situation by adding six passages which include the name of god. The book of esther in hebrew is secular in nature, in that the name of god, the temple, and prayer are not mentioned. Naturally, being a rather unstable fellow, ahasuerus firesslashdivorces her. God is developing that history toward the goal of the messiahs intervention, and beyond into the history of the church. It was written after the death of king xerxes esth. Mordecai sent a message back explaining the whole diabolical. Even though the book of esther claims to be a strictly historical account, ever since j th.
The book of esther is the story of gods covenant faithfulness to a people who had long been in captivy because they were covenant breakers. The key personalities are esther, mordecai, king ahasuerus or xerxes, and haman. According to some sources, it is a historical novella, written to explain the origin of the jewish holiday of purim. In other words, we just have one page out of their history, one small item of their experience, and one scrap and shred of evidence in their voluminous record. The book of esther has served the jewish people as support of their national hope and especially so. Feasting is another prominent theme in esther, as shown in the outline below. Megillat esther, the book of esther in the form that we have it in the hebrew. During this time period, the first remnant of jews who had returned to judah were struggling to reestablish temple worship according to the law of moses. The book of esther was originally included in the writings of hebrew scripture, and was incorporated into the historical books of the greek septuagint. 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. The book of esther is the only one not found in the dead sea scrolls. Our main sources of information about ancient persia are herodotus, a greek writer, and ctesias, a persian doctor.
We are told this was in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look. Haman, biblical character, a court official and villain whose plan to destroy the jews of persia was thwarted by esther. It is one of the five scrolls megillot in the hebrew bible. Queen vashti deposed this is what happened during the time of xerxes, the xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from india to cush. Some other books of the hebrew bible also fairly cry out for all the help that the archaeologist can provide. Esther follows the books of ezra, nehemiah, tobias tobit, and judith in the greek septuagint, and is followed by the wisdom literature such as the psalms in the christian old testament of the. At the conclusion of seven days of feasting, the king called queen vashti to appear before him. The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll megillah, is a book in the third section ketuvim, writings of the jewish tanakh the hebrew bible and in the christian old testament. Learn how the story of queen esther, mordecai and their people impacts you. The book is named for the star of the story, a young jewish girl named hadassah who was taken from her guardian, mordecai, and forced to compete for the affection of the king. The providence of god is abundant throughout the book. For such a time as this the story of ahasuerus and esther. It relates the story of a hebrew woman in persia, born as hadassah but known as esther, who becomes queen of persia and.
I firmly believe this is a historical account of this part of esther and xerxes life, but i also believe it is a book of prophecy. The book is named for the star of the story, a young jewish girl named hadassah who was taken from her guardian, mordecai, and forced to compete for the. Yet, the simple story in the mt is a welltold tale. There is nothing close to a consensus, however, as to what historical event provided the basis for the story. It is clear that the author was a jew, both from his emphasis on the origin of a jewish festival and from the jewish nationalism that permeates the story. The jewish community, and its areas of residence, outside erez israel. The book of esther is one of only two books in the bible named for women. There is no reference to known historical events in the story.
Weve created a 10day study guide for you, each day working through a chapter of the exciting story of esther. The events in the book of esther occurred from 483. Neither mordecai, esther, nor the feast of purim is mentioned. Due to this we will approach the book from both perspectives. Esther is a book of history thats not difficult at all to understand its short and interesting. In the story of esther, youll meet a beautiful, young queen who risked her life to serve god and save her people.
In this sixweek study, explore the subject of gods providence, walking verse by verse through the book of esther. She has written an honest, painful, and ultimately uplifting story of life after tragedy. Rome was ruled by consuls and had not yet become the great roman empire, and the great greek historian herodotus was alive and writing at the time. In the narrative, ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, vashti, refuses to obey him, and esther is chosen for her beauty. Shea in this study of esther for the anchor bible series, c. Megillat esther, the book of esther in the form that we have it in the hebrew bible, provides the story of the origin of purim, the blueprint for its celebration, and the authorization for its observance in perpetuity. A story of the providence of god in a pagan land page 4 introduction to the book the book of esther is the only book in the bible that does not mention the name of god. Esther is the heroine of the book of esther, one of the texts from the bible. It is possible that the author was someone like mordecai, who had access to historical. In the book, the author repeatedly talks about the conflict between israel and the amalekites, a conflict that began during the exodus and continued through israels history.
The prayers of esther and mordecai are especially noteworthy. Mitchell first, a local teaneck scholar, carefully addresses the book of esther in one of the many essays in his esther unmasked, a collection of scholarly investigations into jewish history and texts. The only allusion in esther to religion is the mention of fasting iv. 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. The story is set in susa, one of the persian capitals, during the reign of king. It was a rags to riches story unexcelled in human history. Not one time does the name of god appear in the book of esther. It purports to explain how the feast of purim came to be celebrated by the jews. And above all, we see how the mighty hand of god worked through ordinary people to protect and redeem his chosen people. Esther with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. Esther stands in the middle of the central historical line, the core of history, the history of the priestly people.
You can read more indepth bible verses from the scripture below and use the articles and videos to understand the meaning of this teachable event in the bible. The story of esther begins with a grand banquet at the palace of king ahasuerus, also referred to as king xerxes. Although we do not know who wrote the book of esther, from internal evidence it is possible to make some inferences about the author. The events in the book of esther took place during the exile from babylon. The book of esther by emily barton is an alternate history of this type. Mar 21, 2016 mitchell first, a local teaneck scholar, carefully addresses the book of esther in one of the many essays in his esther unmasked, a collection of scholarly investigations into jewish history and texts. The heroine of the book named for her, esther is a young jewish woman living in exile in the persian lit. This book is, above all else, the redemption song of her family and of her people. The events of the book of esther took place about 2,500 years ago during the reign of king ahasuerus of persia and media. You can work through this bible study on your own or with your small group, and you can go through this in ten days, or over a tenweek or semester long schedule. Intro to esther biblica the international bible society. But while the characters might resemble a fairy tale, the book of esther depicts actual events that shaped jewish history and instituted the festival of purim. The book of esther begins with a description of king xerxes or ahasuerus of persia celebrating with the leading men of his kingdom.
The author of the book of esther is unknown, though some attribute the work to mordecai. At the very core of the jewish holiday of purim lies the book of esther, which tells they story of how two jews, mordechai and esther, who. Esther, the beautiful jewish wife of the persian king ahasuerus xerxes i, and her cousin mordecai persuade the king to retract. I really wish that history had gone the way the author describes in the novel. 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. Most scholars today agree that the kjv ahasuerus was the xerxes who reigned 486 b. The story gives us six powerful lessons about courage. This unlikely contestant for a beauty pageant was crowned queen of persia and renamed esther, meaning star. Esther is written during the period of the captivity. The book may have been composed as late as the first. Although we do not know who wrote the book of esther, from internal evidence it.
And the little book of esther becomes all important for that reason. Esther 1 queen vashti deposed 1 this is what happened during the time of xerxes, a the xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from india to cush b. The genre of the book of esther is narrative history. For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes. Esther is, among the generality of jews, the best known of all the books of the bible p. In the hebrew bible and the septuagint the book of esther bears only the word esther as title. I also stated that the answer to those questions could only be that the book of esther must have significance for the lords people through out hist. It relates the story of a hebrew woman in persia, born as hadassah but known as esther, who becomes queen of persia and thwarts a genocide of her people. The book of esther in covenant history theopolis institute. The book of esther was read at the feast of purim to commemorate the great deliverance of the jewish nation brought about by god through esther.
The story itself is implausible as history and, as many scholars now agree, it is. This is a summary of the biblical account of queen esther. They are listed, at least as it seems, in chronological dating order. At that time king xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of susa, and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his.
All this agrees with the theory of a late origin for the book, as it is known, for example, from ecclesiastes, that the religious spirit had degenerated even in judea in the greek period, to which esther, like daniel, in all probability belongs. According to recent research the book of esther was written in the middle of the 4th century bce during the reign of artaxerxes iii. Because the hebrew bibles version of esthers story contains neither prayers nor even a single reference to god, greek redactors apparently felt. The jews didnt all stay there in babylonia during this exile period. It belongs to the third section of the judaic canon, known as the ketuvim, or writings, and also appears in the protestant canon and in the roman catholic canon. The events in the book of esther occurred from 483 bc to 473 bc, during the first half of the reign of king xerxes, who chose esther as his queen. Listen to this description in the five megilloth, a jewish commentary published by the soncino press. During this time the enemies of israel hired counselors to bring false accusations to the ears of the different persian kings. The story begins with esther, a beautiful jewish girl, rising to a. Since i am one of the ideal readers for the book of esther, i loved it. The literary history of the story of esther is complex see clines, scroll.
Now he needs to pick a new queen and eventually manages to select esther a comely, young secretly jewish woman who is a part of his harem. With scripture memory, daily study, and group discussion questions, this resource is ideal for both individual and group study. The author of esther views them as the symbol of all the powers of the world against gods people. God uses a young jewish lady just a normal girl to do great things save the nation of israel. Tracing the history of the book of esther and jewish festival purim.