";s:4:"text";s:22210:" When Esther is chosen as the queen, unknown to her, Mordecai discovers a plan by the kings wicked advisor, Haman, to kill all the Jews. Esther was ready to endanger herself and even to give her life to save her people, who therefore are called her people (4:8): to plead with him for her people(Ex. Hearing the horror of the planned genocide, the light went on: Esther connected with her inner self and understood why she had been made queen. Esthers story culminates when the beloved queen is faced with the decision to either continue to disguise her Jewish heritage and maintain her safety or jeopardize everything to advocate for her people. [6], Typical of his time period, Josephus was uncomfortable with the idea of a woman in charge of political affairs but admits that. The Rabbis were concerned about the question of Esthers marital status. extended into the reign of her stepson, Artaxerxes. . cit.). She was 96 years old. cit.). Additionally, he decreed that anyone hostile to the Jews would be punished. The Bible depicts Esther as an orphan who was raised in the house of her uncle Mordecai ( Esth. In response, Esther tells him that, like him, she is the offspring of royalty (Midrash Abba Gurion, para. 2). Warrior-kings tend to figure largely as models of leadership in the Western imagination. When events took a turn for the worst and Esther learned that Prime Minister Haman planned to kill all Jews in the Persian Empire, on a single day, she decided to act quickly to prevent the genocide. The two were very close and Mordecai was highly regarded and respected by both King Xerxes and the Jewish people. Until Esther was chosen, no woman could compare with Vashti in beauty. I told her not to tell anyone she was an Israelite, though, because a lot of people still didn't like Israelites and I thought King Xerxes might not pick her to be the new queen if he knew she was an . Instead, Haman was hanged, and the Jews were given permission to destroy their enemies. Esther is also compared to a wolf, to the moon (see below: Esther as the Deliverer of Israel) and to a stove on which everyone places his pots (Midrash Tehilim, onPs. Read Esther 4:1-17. Josephus final words about Shelamzion are that despite her deviation from proper feminine behavior, she had kept the nation at peace (Jewish Antiquities 13:432). In contrast, the BT also cites a tradition that Esther had a greenish [sallow] complexion, and therefore was called Hadassah; according to this tradition, Ahasuerus was drawn to her because she was endowed with great charm (BTMegillahloc. Nonetheless, it is clear that Esthers mental state was severely compromised and debilitating. Esther probably didn't live to see the events of the book of Esther had been made queen to save her people. In contrast with other women, whom Ahasuerus married without recording the nuptials or the date of the marriage, Esthers marriage was documented, and the date of her marriage was recorded (Pesikta de-Rav Kahana,Ha-Hodesh ha-Zeh["This monthEx. Instead, he anticipates Peter's thought in 1 Peter 2:17, before Peter ever wrote it: Fear God. According to another tradition, he accompanied her to ensure that she did not suffer from sorcery (Esth. This status completely changed when Esther went to Ahasuerus of her own free will, in order to persuade him to cancel Hamans decree(Esth. Queen Esther is the reluctant heroine of the Purim story. Her death is believed to have been around the age of 57. Oops! Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. There is support for this too in the Talmud (Yoma 29a).4) Esther comes from the Median "astra," meaning "myrtle." This understanding of the Book of Esther is linked to the perception of Esther as a prophet: she is included in the list of seven women prophets(BTMegillah14a; Seder Olam Rabbah21). This, then, is the meaning of(Esth. 22:25). book of Nehemiah began, although her husband, King Xerxes was He killed Haman in 473BC, when he was 45 ( Esther 3:7 ). As a result of her mothers death, Mordecai had to care for Esthers nursing. The Queen Mother lived to the grand age of 101 years and 238 days old. Sadly, Queen Elizabeth II passed away, aged 96, on September 8, 2022. Rabbah6:9). The Scroll of Esther is read on Purim from a parchment scroll.Megillah loc. The Talmud reveals that Esther's relationship with Ahasuerus wasn't a romantic one. Her story is one of faith, courage, and resilience, and her bravery serves as an inspiration to others to never give up fighting for what you believe in. What is the labour of cable stayed bridges? Mordecais refusal to bow to Haman displayed his firm faith and commitment to his people and to the God of Israel. and Nehemiah may have known each other personally. When word of the planned massacre reachedEsther, she risked her life by going uninvited to the king to suggest a banquet that Haman would attend. She was alone, alone with her grief and trauma. Darius must be 37 years old (62 minus 25) when he got married to Esther. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. When Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman at the gate, Haman was extremely offended and sought to have Mordecai killed. See also Susan Niditch,A Prelude to Biblical Folklore: Underdogs and Tricksters(Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 2000). After an exhilarating victory, they declared the following day a holiday and (alluding to the lots Haman had cast) named it Purim, which is Hebrew for lots.. Their legal marriage age suggests that they prefer young people below 18 (prime of the youth). She stayed with Ahasuerus and sacrificed her personal happiness to complete her ultimate mission to enable the building of the Second Temple and the return to Zion. [4] Tal Ilan devotes a chapter to discussing the name Shelamzion inSilencing the Queen, 259ff. The Jewish festival of Purim celebrates this event. The Queen died in the afternoon of September 8, 2022. She was 96 years old. That day, Esther told the king about Haman's plan to massacre all Jews in his kingdom, and she acknowledged her own Jewish ethnicity. The Book of Esther relates that Esther told no one of her Jewish origins, as Mordecai had ordered her. She was married to King Achashverosh, whom some identify as Artaxerxes (), 1 king of Persia. His father was Kish, who descended from the House of Benjamin. Ahasuerus consulted with Mordecai how to discover Esthers secret, and Mordecai advised him to arouse Esthers jealousy by inviting other women to him, thus motivating her to disclose her secret (BT Megillah 13a). Queen Esther died in 473 BCE, so she was likely in her late fifties or early sixties at the time of her death. Rabbah6:11). It is a remarkable moment in Jewish history, in which we can see one of the times when Jews were connecting to each other from Jerusalem to the Diaspora and establishing the holidays that we take for granted today. The Rabbis also relate to Esthers sexuality: if Ahasuerus wanted to find in her the taste of a virgin, he found it; if the taste of a non-virgin, he found it(BTMegillah13a;Esth. Along with Queen Shelamzion Alexandra, Queen Esther shows that skills at the negotiating table should be just as valued as skills in the field of war. The Book of Esther tells of Esther marrying King Ahasuerus of Persia and therefore becoming his queen. In the biblical book named after her, Esther is a young Jewish woman living in the Persian diaspora who finds favor with the king, becomes queen, and risks her life to save the Jewish people from destruction when the court official Haman persuades the king to authorize a pogrom against all the Jews of the empire. The midrash tells that when Esther came to Ahasueruss palace the spirit of divine inspiration left her, and she then prayed to God. Themidrashrelates that Esther hid from Ahasueruss agents who sought women for the king. They derive this from the various verses that reflect the thought of the characters, or that attest to actions of which a normal person could not be cognizant, such as Haman said to himself(Esth. cit.). Esther was taken to the royal harem despite her being married, which further aggravated her sorry condition. 20). With great courage, Esther fasts for three days, arranges a banquet with the king and Haman, then pleads with the king to save the Jews. We may assume, therefore, that she was about 14 years of age when she succeeded to the throne. How can a woman test for infertility at home? Most of the Jews preferred the comfortable life of the Persian Empire to an arduous life rebuilding their devastated homeland. The regimen of rituals, songs and textual readings performed in a specific order on the first two nights (in Israel, on the first night) of Passover.SederOlam Rabbah29;Midrash Panim Aherim, version B, para. Then the king made a great feast of Esther, for all his . Furthermore, the Jewish people had a special holiday to commemorate their deliverance and celebrate the bravery of Mordecai. Mordecai is mentioned inEsth. The moral of the story of Esther is to stay true to yourself and never give up on your beliefs. Ahasuerus promised Esther that he would grant her request, even to half the kingdom(Esth. Queen Esther by Edwin Long in 1878. Once upon a time a Jewish queen ruled the land. He deposed Queen Vashti in 483/482BC when he was 36 ( Esther 1:3 ). See Ilana Pardes,Countertraditions in the Bible: A Feminist Approach(Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1992), 126 ff. was the wife of the Persian King Xerxes [aka "Ahasuerus" in many The actual origins of the Purim festival, which was already long established by the 2nd centurybce, remain unknown. Another view cites the verse (9:27): the Jews undertook and irrevocably obligated themselveswhat they took upon themselves below was confirmed above (BTMegillahloc. The king did not believe in God but Esther did. TheTorah.com is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.We rely on the support of readers like you. Her jar allowed her to find a voice in a situation where she could feel voiceless. someone died doesn't mean they didn't exist. Esther was born about 492BC and was 14 when she became Queen. Rabbah6:9). The Rabbis view this as self-sacrifice on Esthers part, since she was willing to die herself, provided that Haman would also perish; (4) Esther sought to turn Haman into her ally, so that he would not rebel against Ahasuerus the king (and thereby become even more dangerous); (5) Esther wanted to obscure her identity and prevent any suspicion of her being a Jew (since Haman was an antisemite); (6) Esther desired to arouse the Jews to pray and cry out to God, so they would not think that her presence in the royal palace sufficed to neutralize Hamans activity; (7) Esther sought to arouse Gods compassion, to show that the Jews did not oppose Haman, that no one stood in Hamans way, and therefore only He could deliver Israel; (8) Esther hoped that Ahasuerus, who was a capricious king, would change his opinion of Haman (BTMegillahloc. Since Nehemiah was a leading figure in Jerusalem by 432 BC, She also exhibits symptoms of agoraphobia, suicidal ideation, and feelings of overwhelming guilt and worthlessness. The hero of the Book of Esther is a Jewish woman who lived in Susa and became queen when she was chosen to be the wife of King . Queen Esther and Bella Abzug: Costumes, Leadership, and Identity, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. In Esther Chapter 2, royal eunuchs advised Ahasuerus to look for a new queen. In conclusion, yes, Mordechai was indeed Esthers cousin. She succeeded in remaining concealed for four years but was eventually found and brought to the royal palace. 20). 10:3) was able to have interceded for the welfare of all his kindred (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer, chap. During this historical period, the first group of Jews who had returned to Judah struggled to revive temple worship by Moses' Law. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Queen Sheba the famous rich queen , never did marry king On March 30, 2002, the Queen Mother died aged 101 years and 238 days old. Meir, Tamar. Other problems that also call into question the story's reliability include Mordecai being identified as sent into exile by Nebuchadnezzar - an event that must have place over a century before Xerxes assumed power. Furthermore, he commanded all the provinces of his realm to provide special favors and tax exemptions to Esther and her people, the Jews. What did the Nazis begin using gas chambers instead of mobile killing units and shooting squads after a while. It is believed that Esther's life A new decree to save the Jews. How old was The Queen Mother when she died? How Can a Torah Commentary Be Source-Critical and Jewish? Prof. Mika Ahuvia is Associate Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Washington and currently holds the Marsha and Jay Glazer Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies. Esther and her cousin Mordecai (who had once saved the king's life) later persuaded the king to cancel an order for the extermination of the Jews in his vast realm, which had been plotted by the king's chief minister, Haman. Abraham, "fell on his face and laughed" while Sarah, "laughed to herself" and even tried to deny it. It was only when Esther came that Ahasuerus removed the likeness of Vashti and replaced it with that of Esther (Esth. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Jewish Women's Archive. The King of Persia, Ahasuerus, had appointed Haman to be his prime minister and a decree was issued ordering the annihilation of all Jews. An orphan raised by her uncle, young Esther was taken against her will as a beautiful virgin to Persian King Ahasuerus's harem. The Jews, said Haman, must be eliminated for the good of the kingdom. Esther showed tremendous courage in standing up for what she believed was right, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable opposition. My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me? Jesus or Esther? Mordechai later adopted Esther as his daughter after her parents died. 4:11): Now I have not been summoned to visit the king for the last thirty days(Ex. Esther was given seven maids to serve her in the harem; the Rabbis comment that she used them in order to count the seven days of the week [to know when the Sabbath fell, so that she could observe it even in the harem]. She was compared to a hind, for just as a hind has a narrow womb and is as desirable to her mate at all times as at the first time, so, too, was Esther as desirable to Ahasuerus at all times as at the first time. During Jacob's stay, he fell in love with Rachel . The legal corpus of Jewish laws and observances as prescribed in the Torah and interpreted by rabbinic authorities, beginning with those of the Mishnah and Talmud. 22:5). Through his actions, along with those of his cousin Esther, the Jews were saved from extermination. cit.). These words persuaded Esther to approach the king and she requested a private dinner for him and Haman. Her thoughts are characterized by pressured speech, disorganized thought processes, confusion, and paranoia. Esther Greenwood, the protagonist of Sylvia Plaths novel The Bell Jar, is believed to be a representation of the author herself. Let us know. He also appointed her as queen of the Persian Empire and gave her a royal medal of honor. Omissions? 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. Esther took her turn after 12 months of preparation, and she was chosen as queen: "She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. but the date of Like the moon, that is born after thirty days, Esther, too, said(Esth. It is known that Esther was the daughter of Abihail, and she had married King Xerxes of Persia around the age of 18. Esther, on the other hand, was taken every day and, like them, she requested miracles. 464 BC. 2). What is the reflection of the story of princess urduja? Part of HuffPost Religion. The enraged King ordered Haman's hanging, elevated Mordecai to prime minister and gave Jews the right to defend themselves against any enemy. She reigned in the first century BCE, sixty years after the Hasmoneans achieved independence from the Seleucid Empire and a few decades before King Herod. Esther replaced Queen Vashti, who had been sentenced to death because she had refused to display her beauty to the King's feast attendants. This exegesis casts the Biblical narrative in a different light. Jewish and Persian Esther had One school of thought takes the numerical value ofHadassah= 74 (or 75, including the name itself as a unit) to determine Esthers age(Gen. Rabbah39:13; see below: Esthers Age). The recitation of Megillat Esther during the topsy-turvy holiday of Purim can distract us from the serious side of this story and Queen Esthers example. Codification of basic Jewish Oral Law; edited and arranged by R. Judah ha-Nasi c. 200 C.E. With the kings consent, Haman set a date for the execution (the 13th day of the month of Adar) by casting lots and built a gallows specifically for Mordecai. Bibles] who ruled Persia from 486 to 465 BC. One tradition asserts that Esther used a resorbent, that is, she employed a contraceptive device to prevent any pregnancy by Ahasuerus. The combined symptoms in Esther signify that she was suffering from a serious psychiatric illness, but the precise diagnosis remains unclear. This shows that her selection was part of the divine plan; Esther was meant to rule in order to bring deliverance to all Israel (Lit. Lit. In post-Temple times, a small piece of dough set aside and burnt. [7] Queen Esther risks her own life when she goes to the kings chambers uninvited: If I must die, so be it, she says (Esther 4:16). Although the Bible The Queen was the oldest monarch to have reigned in Britain before she passed away in September 2022, aged 96. May this man have mercy on me, for I fear him. Prince Charles, who is next in line for the throne, was by her side. She was Jewish but never revealed her nationality or family background as Mordecai had. Ecbatana, located in what is now western Iran. And lest you think I am making an argument about gendered skills (i.e., what women do vs. what men do), the following from the late biblical scholar Tikva Frymer-Kensky is noteworthy: With these two queens, the Torah and Jewish history model another way of being successful in the world, both for men and women. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. Mordecai, the leader of the Jewish community in the city of Susa, heard the news of the decree and went to Queen Esther, his cousin, to plead with her to plead to the king on their behalf and to save them from the impending danger. He wished Queen Vashti to be brought to the feast so that he may flaunt her wonderful beauty. The Rabbis even find proof that God concurred with the activity of Mordecai and Esther, since it is written(Esth. Esthers secret was that she was a Jew, which she was able to hide from her adoptive family and community. "scroll." Designation of the five scrolls of the Bible (Ruth, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther). The document, published by National Records of Scotland on Thursday, says the late British monarch died at 3:10 p.m. UK time . Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. [8] See Helena Zlotnicks discussion of Esther inDinahs Daughters: Gender and Judaism from the Hebrew Bible to Late Antiquity(Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002), 87. No, Esther and Mordecai were not married. Esther standing in the Inner Court. Because of Haman's law, she and all the Jews in the kingdom would be killed. She is the author of several books, including On My Right Michael, On My Left Gabriel: Angels in Ancient Jewish Culture (University of California Press, 2021). A few of them, such as Nehemiah, Mordecai and Daniel, rose to positions of prominence under the Babylonian kings.The last of the Prophets of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) were still living.King Cyrus had recently made his famous proclamation (2 Chronicles 36:22-23) allowing the Jews to resettle Judea (Israel), and some had gone up with Zerubavel, but the enemies of the Jews had then slandered them (Ezra ch.4), causing the Babylonian king to put a stop to the rebuilding and resettlement of Judea. brought him up to be favorable to the Jews and he later rebuilt the She was living there as part of the harem of the king, but was singled out by the King who was so taken with her beauty that he chose her to be his queen. to be fictional. The Jewish dietary laws delineating the permissible types of food and methods of their preparation. Midrash adds that Esther's father died during her mother's pregnancy, and the latter died during childbirth (Esth. Esthers extreme courage and her willingness to risk her own life for the safety of her people serves as an inspiration to this day. Hi, I'm Mordecai, Esther's older cousin. Daniel probably died shortly after Darius took the throne in 521 them clearly. We need to put the Book of Esther into an historical context to better understand Esther's choice. However, later scribes, as the manuscript evidence suggests, no longer understood it. [12] Queen Shelamzion Alexandra certainly stood to benefit from Esthers precedent. According to the view that Esther was Hadassahs second name, the Rabbis explain that she was given this name because she concealed (histirah) her origins. She was compared to the dawn, for just as the dawn breaks at the end of each night, so, too, Esther [i.e., the miraculous delivery of the Jews] came after there had been no miracles [during the period of exile and darkness](BTYoma29a). 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