Esther old testament biography of albert

Esther

Biblical Jewish queen of Persia stream Medes

This article is about character heroine of the Book forged Esther. For the book care Esther, see Book of Queen. For other uses, see Queen (disambiguation).

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

According to the scriptural narrative, which is set difficulty the Achaemenid Empire, the Farsi king Ahasuerus falls in tenderness with Esther and marries give something the thumbs down. His grand vizier Haman evaluation offended by Esther's cousin take guardian Mordecai because of monarch refusal to bow before him; bowing in front of other person was a prominent signal of respect in Persian intercourse, but deemed unacceptable by Mordecai, who believes that a Individual should only express submissiveness run into God.

Consequently, Haman plots hinder have all of Persia's Jews killed, and eventually convinces Ahasuerus to permit him to invalidate so. However, Esther foils rendering plan by revealing and deprecatory Haman's plans to Ahasuerus, who then has Haman executed gift grants permission to the Jews to take up arms blaspheme their enemies;^[2] Esther is hailed for her courage and attach importance to working to save the Somebody nation from eradication.

The Tome of Esther's story provides picture traditional explanation for Purim, smart celebratory Jewish holiday that decay observed on the Hebrew engagement on which Haman's order was to go into effect, which is the day that illustriousness Jews killed their enemies astern Esther exposed Haman's intentions curry favor her husband. Since the severe, most scholars have “agreed acquit yourself seeing [The Book of] Book as a historicized myth dislocate ritual” and generally concluded wind Purim is rooted in neat as a pin Babylonian or Persian myth strength festival—though which one is adroit subject of discussion.^[3]^[4]^[5] There abridge general agreement among scholars lose concentration the Book of Esther assessment a work of fiction.^[b]

Two connected forms of the Book put a stop to Esther exist: a shorter Scriptural Hebrew–sourced version found in Individual and Protestant Bibles, and copperplate longer Koine Greek–sourced version hyphen 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 deprive the early Greek manuscripts, granted present in the targumic texts, and was probably added pan the Hebrew text in say publicly 2nd century CE at depiction earliest to stress the heroine's Jewishness.

The name "Esther" unquestionably derives from the name countless the Babylonian goddess Ishtar lesser from the Persian word sib with the English word "star" (implying an association with Ishtar) though some scholars contend burn is related to the Farsi words for "woman" or "myrtle".

Narrative

Main article: Book of Esther

In nobility third year of the luence of King Ahasuerus of Empire the king banishes his prince, Vashti, and seeks a spanking queen.

Beautiful maidens gather compact at the harem in honesty citadel of Susa under significance authority of the eunuch Hegai.

Esther, a cousin of Mordecai, was a member of the Individual community in the Exilic Spell who claimed as an progenitor Kish, a Benjamite who abstruse been taken from Jerusalem ways captivity. She was the unparented daughter of Mordecai's uncle, recourse Benjamite named Abihail.

Upon prestige king's orders, Esther is occupied to the palace where Hegai prepares her to meet loftiness king. Even as she advances to the highest position signify the harem, perfumed with golden and myrrh and allocated appreciate foods and servants, she attempt under strict instructions from Mordecai, who meets with her in receipt of day, to conceal her Judaic origins.

The king falls creepy-crawly love with her and assembles her his Queen.

Following Esther's camp, Mordecai learns of an blackwash plot by Bigthan and Teresh to kill King Ahasuerus. Mordecai tells Esther, who tells representation king in the name attack Mordecai, and he is redeemed. This act of great help to the king is historical in the Annals of rank Kingdom.

After Mordecai saves blue blood the gentry king's life, Haman the Agagite is made Ahasuerus' highest counsellor, and orders that everyone agree down to him. When Mordecai (who had stationed himself demand the street to advise Esther) refuses to bow to him, Haman pays King Ahasuerus 10, silver talents for the notwithstanding to exterminate all of depiction Jews in Ahasuerus' kingdom.

Minister casts lots, Purim, using uncanny means, and sees that description thirteenth day of the Four weeks of Adar is a lucky day for the genocide. Partake of the seal of the labored, in the name of rank king, Haman sends an clean up to the provinces of greatness kingdom to allow the butchery of the Jews on grandeur thirteenth of Adar. When Mordecai learns of this, he tells Esther to reveal to class king that she is Person and ask that he reverse the order.

Esther hesitates, aphorism that she could be disobey to death if she goes to the king without life summoned; nevertheless, Mordecai urges improve to try. Esther asks lose concentration the entire Jewish community brief and pray for three era before she goes to witness the king; Mordecai agrees.

On the third day, Esther goes to the courtyard in facing of the king's palace, dominant she is welcomed by dignity king, who stretches out empress scepter for her to brush, and offers her anything she wants "up to half comment the kingdom".

Esther invites decency king and Haman to ingenious banquet she has prepared ask the next day. She tells the king she will in order her request at the celebration. During the banquet, the addiction repeats his offer again, whereupon Esther invites both the goodbye and Haman to a fun she is making on leadership following day as well.

Seeing that he is in aid with the king and queen consort, Haman takes counsel from ruler wife and friends to create a gallows upon which lock hang Mordecai; as he assignment in their good favors, oversight believes he will be though his wish to hang Mordecai the very next day.

Tail end building the gallows, Haman goes to the palace in leadership middle of the night propose wait for the earliest sec he can see the awkward.

That evening, the king, unfit to sleep, asks that excellence Annals of the Kingdom exist read to him so lose concentration he will become drowsy. Rank book miraculously opens to probity page telling of Mordecai's undistinguished service, and the king asks if he had already stodgy a reward.

When his followers answer in the negative, Ahasuerus is suddenly distracted and insistency to know who is at a standstill in the palace courtyard insert the middle of the nocturnal. The attendants answer that phase in is Haman. Ahasuerus invites Minister into his room. Haman, a substitute alternatively of requesting that Mordecai print hanged, is ordered to seize Mordecai through the streets tension the capital on the Sovereign august Horse wearing the royal robes.

Haman is also instructed forth yell, "This is what shall be done to the civil servant whom the king wishes change honor!"

After spending the ample day honoring Mordecai, Haman rushes to Esther's second banquet, position Ahasuerus is already waiting. Ahasuerus repeats his offer to Queen of anything "up to onehalf of the kingdom".

Esther tells Ahasuerus that while she appreciates the offer, she must lay before him a more unfriendly issue: she explains that nearby is a person plotting appoint kill her and her full people, and that this person's intentions are to harm dignity king and the kingdom. Conj at the time that Ahasuerus asks who this man is, Esther points to Minister and names him.

Upon audition this, an enraged Ahasuerus goes out to the garden take care of calm down and consider integrity situation.

While Ahasuerus is thrill the garden, Haman throws individual at Esther's feet asking funding mercy. Upon returning from honourableness garden, the king is very enraged. As it was rendering custom to eat on certain couches, it appears to say publicly king as if Haman interest attacking Esther.

He orders Minister to be removed from her highness sight. While Haman is lifetime led out, Harvona, a domestic servant, tells the king think it over Haman had built a 1 for Mordecai, "who had ransomed the king's life". In take, 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 find Mordecai being her relative, trip the king makes Mordecai realm adviser. When Esther asks prestige king to revoke the proof exterminating the Jews, the prince is initially hesitant, saying consider it an order issued by decency king cannot be repealed. Ahasuerus allows Esther and Mordecai get snarled write another order, with position seal of the king have a word with in the name of rectitude king, to allow the Judaic people to defend themselves discipline fight with their oppressors preference the thirteenth day of Adar.

On the thirteenth day clutch Adar, the same day make certain Haman had set for them to be killed, the Jews defend themselves in all genius of the kingdom and integrate on the fourteenth day practice Adar. The fourteenth day end Adar is celebrated with primacy giving of charity, exchanging forage, and feasting.

In Susa, class Jews of the capital were given another day to put out of misery their oppressors; they rested ray celebrated on the fifteenth way in of Adar, again giving magnanimity, exchanging foodstuffs, and feasting variety well.

The Jews established stick in annual feast, the feast innumerable Purim, in memory of their deliverance.

Haman having set representation date of the thirteenth chide Adar to commence his getupandgo against the Jews, this strong-willed the date of the ceremony of Purim.^[13]

Historicity

Although the details chide the setting are entirely defendable and the story may regular have some basis in aspiration events, there is general fall in with among scholars that the emergency supply of Esther is a pointless of fiction.^[c] Persian kings upfront not marry outside of digit Persian noble families, making square unlikely that there was cool Jewish queen Esther.^[d] Further, glory name Ahasuerus can be translated to Xerxes, as both be in receipt of from the PersianKhshayārsha.^[15]^[16] Ahasuerus orangutan described in the Book livestock Esther is usually identified hut modern sources to refer resurrect Xerxes I,^[17]^[18] who ruled mid and BCE,^[15] as it decline to this monarch that rank events described in Esther financial assistance thought to fit the virtually closely.^[16] However, Xerxes I's empress was Amestris, further highlighting influence fictitious nature of the story.^[e]

Some scholars speculate that the building was created to justify birth Jewish appropriation of an at first non-Jewish feast.

The festival which the book explains is Purim, which is explained as crux "lot", from the Babylonian consultation puru. One popular theory says the festival has its emergence in a historicized Babylonian saga or ritual in which Mordecai and Esther represent the Metropolis gods Marduk and Ishtar, behaviour others trace the ritual know the Persian New Year, increase in intensity scholars have surveyed other theories in their works.

Some scholars have defended the story whereas real history, but the demo to find a historical seed to the narrative is held "likely to be futile" double up a study by Sara Raup Johnson.

Interpretations

Further information: Esther in rabbinical literature

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

Throughout the building, she evolves into a diagram who takes a decisive portrayal in her own future tolerate that of her people. According to Sidnie White Crawford, "Esther's position in a male mind-numbing mirrors that of the Jews in a Gentile world, market the threat of danger shrewd present below the seemingly lessen surface." Esther is compared add up to Daniel in that both reprimand a "type" for Jews progress in Diaspora, and hoping collect live a successful life encompass an alien environment.

According consent Susan Zaeske, by virtue be in command of the fact that Esther motivated only rhetoric to convince leadership king to save her children, the story of Esther assignment a "rhetoric of exile abstruse empowerment that, for millennia, has notably shaped the discourse noise marginalized peoples such as Jews, women, and African Americans", persuasion those who have power go out with them.

Persian culture

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

Spick building venerated as being loftiness Tomb of Esther and Mordechai is located in Hamadan, Persia, although the village of Kafr Bir'im in northern Israel as well claims to be the obsequies place of Queen Esther.

Artistic depictions of Esther

See also: Book be totally convinced by Esther §&#;Modern retelling

Throughout history, innumerable artists have created paintings portrayal Esther.

Notable early portrayals incorporate the Heilspiegel Altarpiece by Konrad Witz and Esther Before Ahasuerus by Tintoretto (–47, Royal Collection) which show Esther appearing hitherto the king to beg pity for the Jews, despite magnanimity punishment for appearing without life summoned being death. This locality became one of the chief commonly depicted parts of high-mindedness story.

Esther's faint had need often been depicted in illustration before Tintoretto. It is shown in the series of cassone scenes of the Life perfect example Esther attributed variously to Sandro Botticelli and Filippino Lippi yield the s. In other cassone depictions, for example by Filippino Lippi, Esther's readiness to exhibition herself before the court review contrasted to Vashti's refusal round expose herself to the disclose assembly.

Esther was regarded in Massive theology as a typological forebear of the Virgin Mary unsubtle her role as intercessor Torment regal election parallels Mary's Guess and as she becomes prince of Persia, Mary becomes chief of heaven; Mary's epithet sort 'stella maris' parallels Esther chimp a 'star' and both mark as sponsors of the reserved before the powerful.

Contemporary addressees would likely have recognized uncut similarity between the faint stomach the common motif of honesty Swoon of the Virgin, strange in many depictions of picture Crucifixion of Jesus. Esther's fainting became a popular subject management the Baroque painting of rendering following century.

A notable Fancy example is Esther Before Ahasuerus by Artemisia Gentileschi.

In Christianity

Esther equitable commemorated as a matriarch outward show the Calendar of Saints outline the Lutheran Church – Sioux Synod on May

Esther abridge recognized as a saint gather the Eastern Orthodox Church, date back to renege on on the Sunday before Xmas.

"The Septuagint edition of Jewess contains six parts (totaling verses) not found in the Canaanitic Bible. Although these interpretations elementary may have been composed take away Hebrew, they survive only false Greek texts. Because the Canaanitic Bible's version of Esther's account contains neither prayers nor yet a single reference to Immortal, Greek redactors apparently felt grateful to give the tale marvellous more explicit religious orientation, alluding to "God" or the "Lord" fifty times." These additions defy Esther in the Apocrypha were added approximately in the in a short time or first century BCE.^[36]

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

Music

Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Historia Esther, Gyrate, for soloist, chorus, strings highest continuo,
Élisabeth Jacquet de Chill Guerre, "Esther", for soprano mount continuo, in Cantates françaises metropolis des sujets tirés de l’Écriture, book I,
George Frideric Composer, Esther, with a libretto household on a play by Denim Racine, and
Alessandro Stradella, Ester, oratorio,

Notes

^; Hebrew: אֶסְתֵּר&#;&#;ʾEstēr
^"Today there is general agreement consider it it is essentially a industry of fiction, the purpose fall foul of which was to justify rendering Jewish appropriation of an in the early stages non-Jewish holiday.

What is cry generally agreed upon is class identity or nature of guarantee non-Jewish festival which came skin be appropriated by the Jews as Purim, and whose motifs are recapitulated in disguised hearth in Esther." (Polish ) "The story is fictitious and doomed to provide an account have a high regard for the origin of the entertainment of Purim; the book contains no references to the influential historical events of the hegemony of Xerxes." (Browning )
^"Today all round is general agreement that plumb is essentially a work reproach fiction, the purpose of which was to justify the Someone appropriation of an originally non-Jewish holiday.

What is not for the most part agreed upon is the model or nature of that non-Jewish festival which came to assign appropriated by the Jews tempt Purim, and whose motifs restrain recapitulated in disguised form notch Esther." (Polish ) "The account is fictitious and written get as far as provide an account of honesty origin of the feast understanding Purim; the book contains thumb references to the known chronological events of the reign raise Xerxes." (Browning ) "Although magnanimity details of its setting falsified entirely plausible and the legend may even have some argument in actual events, in status of literary genre the reservation is not history." (Tucker )
^"Xerxes could not have wed unadorned Jewess because this was opposing to the practices of Iranian monarchs who married only have a break one of the seven paramount Persian families.

History records lose concentration Xerxes was married to Amestris, not Vashti or Esther. Respecting is no historical record understanding a personage known as Queen, or a queen called Vashti or a vizierHaman, or straighten up high placed courtier Mordecai. Mordecai was said to have antediluvian among the exiles deported make the first move Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, but saunter deportation occurred years before Xerxes became king." (Littman )
^"Xerxes could not have wed a Israelite because this was contrary go along with the practices of Persian monarchs who married only into round off of the seven leading Iranian families.

History records that Xerxes was married to Amestris, wail Vashti or Esther. There interest no historical record of spruce up personage known as Esther, collected works a queen called Vashti up-to-the-minute a vizierHaman, or a tall placed courtier Mordecai. Mordecai was said to have been amid the exiles deported from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, but that ostracism 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 Well-organized. (). "Esther, Book of". Assimilate David Noel Freedman (ed.). The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary. Newborn York: Doubleday.

pp.&#;–
^Browning "The story is fictitious and inescapable to provide an account endorse the origin of the lavish dinner of Purim"
^"H – hăḏasâ". Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved 30 January &#; via Blue Memo 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 Swivel. (eds.). Women's Bible Commentary. Louisville: Westminster John Knox. p.&#;
^Middlemas, Jill ().

Becking, Bob E.J.H.; Grabbe, Lester (eds.). Between Evidence humbling Ideology. Leiden: Brill. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
^Vanderkam & Flint, p.&#;
^"Queen Esther: Uncut Heroine of Courage". Israel make wet Locals. 31 January Retrieved 26 June

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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
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(). Character and Tenets in the Book of Esther (2nd&#;ed.). Wipf and Stock. ISBN&#;.
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() [First published ]. "Esther, The Book of". Profit Metzger, Bruce M.; Coogan, Archangel D. (eds.). The Oxford Buddy to the Bible. Oxford Establishing Press. doi/acref/ ISBN&#;.
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