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Esther was the heroine and central figure in the Biblical book of Esther, which is the source of the Jewish festival of Purim. She was crowned about 55 years after the destruction of the First Temple, and fifteen years before the Second Temple was built. The Jews were in the Babylonian exile. 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. This last event was around the same time that Esther became Queen.
When she became orphaned, she was adopted by her cousin Mordecai. Later, when Queen Vashti refused to appear before Ahasuerus (in Esther ch.1), Memuchan, a Persian royal adviser, advised King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) to remove Vashti from being Queen of Persia, and King Ahasuerus agreed to his advice. In Esther Chapter 2, royal eunuchs advised Ahasuerus to look for a new queen. Esther was the best-looking woman, and Ahasuerus picked her to replace Vashti as Queen.
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. Instead, Haman was hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai, and the Jews were given permission to destroy their enemies. The Jewish festival of Purim celebrates this event.
According to tradition, the book of Esther was written in the mid-4th century BCE, and was made part of the Hebrew Bible canon which was sealed a couple of decades after.
Esther was queen for about 11 years.
The name of Mordecai is the Judaised pronunciation of Marduka, which is attested in the Persepolis Texts as the name of officials in the Persian court during the period of Xerxes I. One of these officials was the biblical Mordecai. The grave of Mordecai and Esther still stands in Hamadan; and the Jews of Iran, to this day, are referred to as "the children of Esther."
For the name of Esther, a number of etymologies are possible.
1) Esther comes from the Persian "setareh," meaning "star".
2) Esther comes from the Aramaic "istahar," meaning "moon." Beautiful as the moon (Talmud, Megillah 13a).
3) Esther comes from the Semitic root ath-tar, "morning star." There is support for this too in the Talmud (Yoma 29a).
4) Esther comes from the Median "astra," meaning "myrtle." The book of Esther (2:7) states that she had both names, Esther and Myrtle (Hadassah in Hebrew).
What else can I help you with?
How is Mordecai related to Esther in the biblical story of Purim?
Mordecai is Esther's cousin in the biblical story of Purim.
Why isn't Esther a part of the Biblical canon?
Esther is a part of the Biblical canon. You may be thinking of Judith, which is not part of the Biblical canon because it was written in Greek.
What role did Esther's husband play in the biblical story of Esther?
Esther's husband, King Xerxes, played a significant role in the biblical story of Esther by unknowingly choosing Esther as his queen and later being influenced by her to save the Jewish people from a plot to destroy them.
Where are the biblical poems found?
The biblical poems are found after Esther, starting with Job.
Where can you find pictures of Biblical characters?
pictures of queen Esther
What is the nature of Mordecai and Esther's relationship in the biblical story of Esther?
Mordecai and Esther's relationship in the biblical story of Esther is one of deep love and respect. Mordecai, who raised Esther as his own daughter, played a crucial role in her life by advising and supporting her. Esther, in turn, showed loyalty and courage by risking her life to save her people, the Jews, at Mordecai's urging. Their bond exemplifies the importance of family, trust, and standing up for what is right.
What has the author Esther Jane Neely written?
Esther Jane Neely has written: 'Chateau Laurens' -- subject(s): In library
Is there a poem about Esther?
yes she could swim like esther williams
Why did a London bishop ban Handel's biblical opera Esther?
The words were in English, not Italian
What is the literary genre of the book of Esther?
The book of Esther in the Bible is considered a historical narrative or Biblical prose. It tells the story of how Esther, a Jewish woman, becomes queen of Persia and saves her people from a plot to destroy them.
What was Queen Esther's date of birth?
A:The Book of Esther does not tell us how old Esther was when she became queen to King Ahasuerus (Xerxes), so it is not possible to say just when she was born. Historians say there never was a Queen Esther (or a Queen Vashti) of Persia, and biblical scholars say that the Book of Esther was actually a novel, written in the second century BCE, so we will never have a date of birth for Esther.
What did Mordecai write in the Book of Esther?
A:No one knows who wrote the Book of Esther, but some who consider it to be an accurate account do say that the author could have been Mordecai, one of the characters in the book. However, there are enough historical errors in Esther to demonstrate that the book was written centuries after the events portrayed and therefore could not have been written by Mordecai.The consensus of biblical scholars is that the Book of Esther is a second-century-BCE novel. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scroll fragments now known as proto-Esther,with several parallels to the Book of Esther suggests, but does not prove, that the Book of Esther was inspired by proto-Esther. In other words, Mordecai played no part in writing this book, and he would seem to have been a literary creation.
