‘The Bible’ is a book full of interesting stories and characters.One such story is that of Queen Esther from the ‘Hebrew Bible,’ who was chosen by God to save the Jews from destruction. Esther was a woman of courage and strength, and her story is one that should be remembered and celebrated.According to the mythical account of Queen Esther’s story, which can be found in the ‘Book of Esther,’ she was a Jewess who succeeded Queen Vashti (after she was deposed for disobeying the king) and became the new queen of the Persian King Ahasuerus. The story also tells us how Haman, the grand vizier of the king, planned to execute all Jewish subjects of the Persian empire after he failed to make Esther’s cousin Mordecai prostrate before him. Once the Queen became aware of this diabolical plan, she revealed Haman’s plot to King Ahasuerus. Consequently, the king saves the Jewish people by executing Haman.In this article, we will take a closer look at the life of Queen Esther and learn more about her amazing story.Notable Of Events Queen EstherIn this section, we will discuss some notable events in the life of Queen Esther that we get to know from classical texts.The ‘Book of Esther’ or Megillat Esther, starts with King Ahasuerus ostracizing Queen Vashti in the third year of his reign. This event is followed by the king looking for another wife. Consequently, Hegai, the eunuch, gathers beautiful maidens in the citadel of Susa.Esther, also known by her Hebrew name Hadassah (Hadassah means myrtle), was present at this gathering and was chosen by the king. As a result, she was taken to the king’s palace. There she was given high status, and certain foods and servants were allocated to her. However, her cousin Mordecai visited her every day and strictly instructed her not to disclose her Jewish identity. Eventually, Ahasuerus fell in love with Esther and married her.According to the annals belonging to the kingdom, shortly after the marriage and coronation of Esther, Teresh, and Bigthan planned to assassinate the king. However, Mordecai found out about this plan and informed Esther who in turn informed the king. From this event, we get a good insight into Esther’s character, because instead of taking full credit she informed the king that it was Mordecai who saved his life.Following this event, the King makes Haman his highest adviser, and consequently, every citizen in the kingdom is ordered to bow down to Haman. But eventually, Mordecai and Haman came face to face on one occasion and the former refused to prostrate before the latter one. This act of disobedience led Haman to pay the king 10,000 silver talents to pass the order for exterminating all the Jews inhabiting the Kingdom of Persia at that time. When Mordecai came to know about this diabolical wish of Haman, he advises Esther to visit the king and disclose her Jewish heritage. Even though she hesitated initially, Esther agreed to follow Mordecai’s instructions. However, in return, she asked her cousin that all Jews in Persia should pray and fast for three long days before she visited King Ahasuerus.According to the ‘Book of Esther,’ many events took place after this, and most of them focus on Esther’s role as the savior of Jewish people in the Persian Empire. To be succinct, Esther convened multiple banquets for the king and invited Haman to all of them. The king, extremely pleased with his beautiful wife, promised to fulfill all her wishes (‘up to half of the kingdom’). Meanwhile, Ahasuerus remembered that Mordecai hadn’t been rewarded yet for saving his life and asked Haman to see to it. After that, the king attended Esther’s banquet and again reminded her that he would fulfill all of her wishes. This time, the queen came forward and informed him that Haman intended to kill her and all her people on the 13th day of Adar.After the king executed Haman, he told Esther and Mordecai that any order issued by the king cannot be repealed and advised them to draft a new order that would give Jewish people the right to fight and protect themselves.When the 13th day comes, the Jews defend themselves against Haman’s plot. On the 14th day, they rest, and on the 15th, they conduct the Feast of Purim (a famous Jewish holiday) to celebrate their deliverance.The Significance Of Queen Esther ‘In Bible’Esther’s story has been around for thousands of years and for good reason! This account is more than just a mythological anecdote and carries much significance in ‘The Bible.‘To begin with, Queen Esther is significant in ‘The Bible’ because she was chosen by God to save the Jewish people from destruction.Esther’s story is one that should be remembered and celebrated because it is a story of courage and strength.Queen Esther’s story teaches us about God’s faithfulness and how He can use anyone, no matter their background or circumstances, to achieve His purposes. Interestingly, the ‘Book Of Esther’ in the ‘Hebrew Bible’ does not contain a single mention of God. Even though it has been a subject of much debate, Yoram Hazony, a famous philosopher from Israel, says that this biblical book simply represents the relationship between God and humans in modern times. He goes on to say that God’s presence can be felt throughout the story, mainly when the Jews face persecution and are saved by Esther. Yoran Hazony’s interpretation of this book is also applicable to the Jewish diaspora.The story of Esther is also very significant in present-day literature. Over the years, many critics have taken interest in this mythical anecdote and have tried to look deeper into the character of Esther. For example, Diana Tidball has expressed that if the character of Vashti can be called a feminist icon, then Esther’s character should be considered a post-feminist icon.Similarly, another critic named Abraham Kuyper has located some disagreeable aspects in the character of the mythological queen. According to him, it was not justified on Esther’s part to take the place of the former queen, Vasthi. The critic also says that it was only when the enemy threatened her life that she tried to save the nation.In addition to that, Sidnie White Crawford has also given his valuable opinion on this story. The tale begins with an obedient girl with more of a passive nature. But later, she evolves into a strong woman who fights to save herself and her whole nation. Here, Sindie White Crawford says that the position that Esther holds in the male court is much similar to the one that the Jews hold in a gentile world. He also finds some similarities in the characters of Esther and Daniel, as both of them represent a type of Jews Diaspora who lives in an alien environment and continuously seeks a successful life.Lastly, Susan Zaeske comments that Esther’s rhetorical way of convincing the king to save her people represents how the marginalized people have been coping with the powerful ones for centuries.Persian Culture In The ‘Book Of Esther’The Persian Empire was one of the most influential empires in the world for centuries. Interestingly, Bible studies show that this canonical text only contains two books that are named after women; one of them is Esther, and the other one is Ruth.Jewish and Persian history have been together for so long that they have more or less become inseparable. As a result, modern-day Persian Jewish people are also known by the name ‘Esther’s Children’. There is also much debate surrounding the burial place of Esther. While some claim that the place is located in the Iranian city of Hamadan (the Tomb of Esther and Mordecai), others believe that the queen was buried in the Israeli village of Kfar Bar’am.With all its historical and cultural significance, the ‘Book of Esther’ has evidently become a big debate since historical records are unclear. It is also believed that King Xerxes never married anyone outside the seven noble families of Persia.It is said the story of Esther was created to justify the celebration of Purim, the Jewish festival. According to some theories, the festival has its origin in Babylonian where the characters of Esther and Mordecai represent the Babylonian gods named Ishtar and Marduk. There are also some other theories that say that the festival of Purim is related to the Persian New Year.The Family Life Of Queen EstherThis section will be dedicated to Esther’s family life. Here, we will discuss her parents, siblings, cousins, and ancestors.Based on the story, it is known that Esther was a cousin of Modecai. Mordecai, on the other hand, claimed to be a descendant of Kish, the father of King Saul who was taken into captivity from Jerusalem.Esther was the daughter of Abihail, a Benjamite; he also was a son of Kish.After the banishment of Vashti, King Ahasuerus or King Xerxes (Greek translation) married her.
‘The Bible’ is a book full of interesting stories and characters.
