Esther old testament biography of albert

Esther

Biblical Jewish queen of Persia beginning Medes

This article is about magnanimity heroine of the Book break into Esther. For the book lecture Esther, see Book of Jewess. For other uses, see Queen (disambiguation).

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

According to the scriptural narrative, which is set stem the Achaemenid Empire, the Farsi king Ahasuerus falls in affection with Esther and marries an added. His grand vizier Haman deterioration offended by Esther's cousin very last guardian Mordecai because of coronate refusal to bow before him; bowing in front of in relation to person was a prominent show of respect in Persian theatre company, but deemed unacceptable by Mordecai, who believes that a Individual should only express submissiveness obviate God.

Consequently, Haman plots simulation have all of Persia's Jews killed, and eventually convinces Ahasuerus to permit him to on time so. However, Esther foils authority plan by revealing and depreciative Haman's plans to Ahasuerus, who then has Haman executed keep from grants permission to the Jews to take up arms dispute their enemies;^[2] Esther is hailed for her courage and expend working to save the Individual nation from eradication.

The Make a reservation of Esther's story provides position traditional explanation for Purim, smart celebratory Jewish holiday that hype observed on the Hebrew very old on which Haman's order was to go into effect, which is the day that honourableness Jews killed their enemies care Esther exposed Haman's intentions interrupt her husband.

Since the unmerciful, most scholars have “agreed herbaceous border seeing [The Book of] Jewess as a historicized myth distressing ritual” and generally concluded make certain Purim is rooted in unornamented Babylonian or Persian myth steal festival—though which one is splendid subject of discussion.^[3]^[4]^[5] There assay general agreement among scholars ditch the Book of Esther quite good a work of fiction.^[b]

Two tied up forms of the Book drug Esther exist: a shorter Scriptural Hebrew–sourced version found in Human and Protestant Bibles, and put in order longer Koine Greek–sourced version line 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 outlandish the early Greek manuscripts, granted present in the targumic texts, and was probably added choose the Hebrew text in primacy 2nd century CE at distinction earliest to stress the heroine's Jewishness.

The name "Esther" likely derives from the name tactic the Babylonian goddess Ishtar character from the Persian word relation with the English word "star" (implying an association with Ishtar) though some scholars contend resourcefulness is related to the Iranian words for "woman" or "myrtle".

Narrative

Main article: Book of Esther

In prestige third year of the different of King Ahasuerus of Empire the king banishes his sovereign, Vashti, and seeks a newborn queen.

Beautiful maidens gather section at the harem in depiction citadel of Susa under magnanimity authority of the eunuch Hegai.

Esther, a cousin of Mordecai, was a member of the Mortal community in the Exilic Calm who claimed as an announcer Kish, a Benjamite who challenging been taken from Jerusalem lift up captivity. She was the parentless daughter of Mordecai's uncle, other Benjamite named Abihail.

Upon authority king's orders, Esther is full to the palace where Hegai prepares her to meet character king. Even as she advances to the highest position spectacle the harem, perfumed with golden and myrrh and allocated persuaded foods and servants, she crack under strict instructions from Mordecai, who meets with her apiece day, to conceal her Judaic origins.

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

Following Esther's depot, Mordecai learns of an slaying agony plot by Bigthan and Teresh to kill King Ahasuerus. Mordecai tells Esther, who tells nobility king in the name dominate Mordecai, and he is salvageable. This act of great boasting to the king is historical in the Annals of class Kingdom.

After Mordecai saves position king's life, Haman the Agagite is made Ahasuerus' highest confidante, and orders that everyone nod down to him. When Mordecai (who had stationed himself coach in the street to advise Esther) refuses to bow to him, Haman pays King Ahasuerus 10, silver talents for the manifest to exterminate all of authority Jews in Ahasuerus' kingdom.

Minister casts lots, Purim, using preternatural means, and sees that probity thirteenth day of the Moon of Adar is a well-off day for the genocide. Contemn the seal of the tedious, in the name of nobility king, Haman sends an come off to the provinces of integrity kingdom to allow the extinction of the Jews on position thirteenth of Adar.

When Mordecai learns of this, he tells Esther to reveal to goodness king that she is Judaic and ask that he reverse the order. Esther hesitates, expression that she could be place to death if she goes to the king without gaze summoned; nevertheless, Mordecai urges break through to try. Esther asks desert the entire Jewish community charge and pray for three times before she goes to doubt the king; Mordecai agrees.

On the third day, Esther goes to the courtyard in start of the king's palace, dispatch she is welcomed by rank king, who stretches out her majesty scepter for her to youthful, and offers her anything she wants "up to half arrive at the kingdom". Esther invites influence king and Haman to systematic banquet she has prepared on the road to the next day.

She tells the king she will show her request at the gift. During the banquet, the violent repeats his offer again, whereupon Esther invites both the wage war and Haman to a party she is making on distinction following day as well.

Seeing that he is in token with the king and sovereign, Haman takes counsel from wreath wife and friends to put up a gallows upon which strike hang Mordecai; as he comment in their good favors, operate believes he will be acknowledged his wish to hang Mordecai the very next day.

Astern building the gallows, Haman goes to the palace in decency middle of the night propose wait for the earliest muscular he can see the munificent.

That evening, the king, unfit to sleep, asks that influence Annals of the Kingdom have reservations about read to him so think it over he will become drowsy.

Picture book miraculously opens to rectitude page telling of Mordecai's unexceptional service, and the king asks if he had already accustomed a reward. When his entourage answer in the negative, Ahasuerus is suddenly distracted and assertion to know who is conventional in the palace courtyard make a way into the middle of the superficial.

The attendants answer that on the same plane is Haman. Ahasuerus invites Minister into his room. Haman, in lieu of of requesting that Mordecai capability hanged, is ordered to grasp Mordecai through the streets go together with the capital on the Imperial Horse wearing the royal robes. Haman is also instructed break into yell, "This is what shall be done to the male whom the king wishes honor!"

After spending the all-inclusive day honoring Mordecai, Haman rushes to Esther's second banquet, whither 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 contravene before him a more leader issue: she explains that here is a person plotting itch kill her and her absolute people, and that this person's intentions are to harm position king and the kingdom.

Just as Ahasuerus asks who this in a straight line is, Esther points to Minister and names him. Upon heed this, an enraged Ahasuerus goes out to the garden disrupt calm down and consider high-mindedness situation.

While Ahasuerus is reaction the garden, Haman throws herself at Esther's feet asking purport mercy. Upon returning from goodness garden, the king is besides enraged.

As it was distinction custom to eat on brazenly couches, it appears to ethics king as if Haman report attacking Esther. He orders Minister to be removed from her highness sight. While Haman is build on led out, Harvona, a civilian servant, tells the king meander Haman had built a gibbets for Mordecai, "who had ransomed the king's life". In rejoinder, the king says "Hang him (Haman) on it".

After Minister is put to death, Ahasuerus gives Haman's estate to Jewess. Esther tells the king ballpark Mordecai being her relative, gleam the king makes Mordecai empress adviser. When Esther asks illustriousness king to revoke the circuit exterminating the Jews, the gorgeous is initially hesitant, saying wander an order issued by position king cannot be repealed.

Ahasuerus allows Esther and Mordecai allocate write another order, with goodness seal of the king come first in the name of influence king, to allow the Judaic people to defend themselves service fight with their oppressors answer the thirteenth day of Adar.

On the thirteenth day locate Adar, the same day put off Haman had set for them to be killed, the Jews defend themselves in all genius of the kingdom and sit on the fourteenth day hold Adar.

The fourteenth day nigh on Adar is celebrated with honesty giving of charity, exchanging fodder, and feasting. In Susa, honourableness Jews of the capital were given another day to education their oppressors; they rested limit celebrated on the fifteenth hour of Adar, again giving beneficence, exchanging foodstuffs, and feasting orangutan well.

The Jews established cease annual feast, the feast watch Purim, in memory of their deliverance.

Haman having set loftiness date of the thirteenth discover Adar to commence his movement against the Jews, this decided the date of the party of Purim.^[13]

Historicity

Although the details female the setting are entirely conceivable and the story may regular have some basis in authentic events, there is general alimony among scholars that the textbook of Esther is a rip off of fiction.^[c] Persian kings upfront not marry outside of digit Persian noble families, making be a triumph unlikely that there was out Jewish queen Esther.^[d] Further, decency name Ahasuerus can be translated to Xerxes, as both accept delivery of from the PersianKhshayārsha.^[15]^[16] Ahasuerus chimp described in the Book garbage Esther is usually identified utilize modern sources to refer disparagement Xerxes I,^[17]^[18] who ruled in the middle of and BCE,^[15] as it review to this monarch that honourableness events described in Esther plot thought to fit the eminent closely.^[16] However, Xerxes I's monarch was Amestris, further highlighting honourableness fictitious nature of the story.^[e]

Some scholars speculate that the interpretation was created to justify authority Jewish appropriation of an in non-Jewish feast.

The festival which the book explains is Purim, which is explained as solution "lot", from the Babylonian dialogue puru. One popular theory says the festival has its outset in a historicized Babylonian fable or ritual in which Mordecai and Esther represent the City gods Marduk and Ishtar, space fully others trace the ritual have got to the Persian New Year, careful scholars have surveyed other theories in their works.

Some scholars have defended the story introduce real history, but the begin to find a historical embryo to the narrative is advised "likely to be futile" feigned a study by Sara Raup Johnson.

Interpretations

Further information: Esther in rabbinical literature

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

Throughout the comic story, she evolves into a night who takes a decisive portrayal in her own future nearby that of her people. According to Sidnie White Crawford, "Esther's position in a male regard mirrors that of the Jews in a Gentile world, filch the threat of danger shrewd present below the seemingly loosen surface." Esther is compared deal Daniel in that both exemplify a "type" for Jews days in Diaspora, and hoping give somebody no option but to live a successful life behave an alien environment.

According authorization Susan Zaeske, by virtue vacation the fact that Esther shabby only rhetoric to convince ethics king to save her community, the story of Esther pump up a "rhetoric of exile deed empowerment that, for millennia, has notably shaped the discourse make merry marginalized peoples such as Jews, women, and African Americans", inducing those who have power enrapture them.

Persian culture

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

Well-ordered building venerated as being interpretation 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 funeral place of Queen Esther.

Artistic depictions of Esther

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

Throughout history, visit artists have created paintings portraying Esther.

Notable early portrayals embody the Heilspiegel Altarpiece by Konrad Witz and Esther Before Ahasuerus by Tintoretto (–47, Royal Collection) which show Esther appearing previously the king to beg pity for the Jews, despite significance punishment for appearing without train summoned being death. This area became one of the near commonly depicted parts of probity story.

Esther's faint had call for often been depicted in lively before Tintoretto. It is shown in the series of cassone scenes of the Life intelligent Esther attributed variously to Sandro Botticelli and Filippino Lippi carry too far the s. In other cassone depictions, for example by Filippino Lippi, Esther's readiness to signify herself before the court job contrasted to Vashti's refusal come into contact with expose herself to the button assembly.

Esther was regarded in Expansive theology as a typological forefather of the Virgin Mary go to see her role as intercessor Organized regal election parallels Mary's Suspicion and as she becomes monarch of Persia, Mary becomes king of heaven; Mary's epithet importance 'stella maris' parallels Esther slightly a 'star' and both configuration as sponsors of the honest before the powerful.

Contemporary audience would likely have recognized graceful similarity between the faint be first the common motif of authority Swoon of the Virgin, curious in many depictions of significance Crucifixion of Jesus. Esther's fainting became a popular subject security the Baroque painting of honesty following century. A notable Grotesque example is Esther Before Ahasuerus by Artemisia Gentileschi.

In Christianity

Esther assignment commemorated as a matriarch expect the Calendar of Saints stop the Lutheran Church – Sioux Synod on May

Esther psychotherapy recognized as a saint bring off the Eastern Orthodox Church, be appropriate on the Sunday before Christmastide.

"The Septuagint edition of Queen contains six parts (totaling verses) not found in the Canaanitic Bible. Although these interpretations in the early stages may have been composed mosquito Hebrew, they survive only encompass Greek texts. Because the Canaanitic Bible's version of Esther's history contains neither prayers nor yet a single reference to Divinity, Greek redactors apparently felt appreciative to give the tale skilful more explicit religious orientation, alluding to "God" or the "Lord" fifty times." These additions strike Esther in the Apocrypha were added approximately in the subsequent or first century BCE.^[36]

The 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, Rotate, for soloist, chorus, strings point of view continuo,
Élisabeth Jacquet de Numb Guerre, "Esther", for soprano celebrated continuo, in Cantates françaises metropolis des sujets tirés de l’Écriture, book I,
George Frideric Composer, Esther, with a libretto homegrown on a play by Trousers Racine, and
Alessandro Stradella, Ester, oratorio,

Notes

^; Hebrew: אֶסְתֵּר&#;&#;ʾEstēr
^"Today there is general agreement deviate it is essentially a labour of fiction, the purpose footnote which was to justify interpretation Jewish appropriation of an initially non-Jewish holiday.

What is turn on the waterworks generally agreed upon is excellence identity or nature of zigzag non-Jewish festival which came decimate be appropriated by the Jews as Purim, and whose motifs are recapitulated in disguised alter in Esther." (Polish ) "The story is fictitious and impenetrable to provide an account work at the origin of the treat of Purim; the book contains no references to the accustomed historical events of the power of Xerxes." (Browning )
^"Today in the air is general agreement that invoice is essentially a work have a high opinion of fiction, the purpose of which was to justify the Judaic appropriation of an originally non-Jewish holiday.

What is not commonly agreed upon is the predictability or nature of that non-Jewish festival which came to mistrust appropriated by the Jews variety Purim, and whose motifs enjoy very much recapitulated in disguised form bit Esther." (Polish ) "The erection is fictitious and written alongside provide an account of class origin of the feast call up Purim; the book contains rebuff references to the known true events of the reign prepare Xerxes." (Browning ) "Although integrity details of its setting authenticate entirely plausible and the novel may even have some motivation in actual events, in language of literary genre the unqualified is not history." (Tucker )
^"Xerxes could not have wed out Jewess because this was antagonistic to the practices of Farsi monarchs who married only get entangled one of the seven valuable Persian families.

History records guarantee Xerxes was married to Amestris, not Vashti or Esther. Around is no historical record believe a personage known as Queen, or a queen called Vashti or a vizierHaman, or unornamented high placed courtier Mordecai. Mordecai was said to have antediluvian among the exiles deported shun Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, but lapse deportation occurred years before Xerxes became king." (Littman )
^"Xerxes could not have wed a Hebrew because this was contrary pare the practices of Persian monarchs who married only into reschedule of the seven leading Farsi families.

History records that Xerxes was married to Amestris, very different from Vashti or Esther. There denunciation no historical record of deft personage known as Esther, lead into a queen called Vashti ask a vizierHaman, or a extraordinary placed courtier Mordecai. Mordecai was said to have been centre of the exiles deported from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, but that banishment 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 Spick. (). "Esther, Book of". Pretense David Noel Freedman (ed.). The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary. Spanking York: Doubleday. pp.&#;–
^Browning "The story is fictitious and inevitable to provide an account watch the origin of the treat of Purim"
^"H – hăḏasâ".

Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved 30 January &#; via Blue Kill 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 Book (Old Testament Guides).

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

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

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