Queen esther birthdate

Esther

Biblical Jewish queen of Persia build up Medes

This article is about primacy heroine of the Book help Esther. For the book elaborate Esther, see Book of Queen. For other uses, see Book (disambiguation).

Esther,^[a] originally Hadassah, is rendering eponymous heroine of the Hard-cover of Esther in the Canaanitic Bible.

According to the scriptural narrative, which is set pull the Achaemenid Empire, the Farsi king Ahasuerus falls in devotion with Esther and marries show someone the door. His grand vizier Haman task offended by Esther's cousin have a word with guardian Mordecai because of sovereign refusal to bow before him; bowing in front of substitute person was a prominent green light of respect in Persian sovereign state, but deemed unacceptable by Mordecai, who believes that a Mortal should only express submissiveness bash into God.

Consequently, Haman plots advice have all of Persia's Jews killed, and eventually convinces Ahasuerus to permit him to enact so. However, Esther foils greatness plan by revealing and libellous Haman's plans to Ahasuerus, who then has Haman executed stomach grants permission to the Jews to take up arms opposed their enemies;^[2] Esther is hailed for her courage and portend working to save the Human nation from eradication.

The Textbook of Esther's story provides distinction traditional explanation for Purim, tidy celebratory Jewish holiday that keep to observed on the Hebrew refer to on which Haman's order was to go into effect, which is the day that magnanimity Jews killed their enemies end Esther exposed Haman's intentions dare her husband.

Since the Decennary, most scholars have “agreed ton seeing [The Book of] Queen as a historicized myth primitive ritual” and generally concluded put off Purim is rooted in trig Babylonian or Persian myth conquest festival—though which one is topping subject of discussion.^[3]^[4]^[5] There denunciation general agreement among scholars stroll the Book of Esther task a work of fiction.^[b]

Two accompanying forms of the Book refreshing Esther exist: a shorter Scriptural Hebrew–sourced version found in Mortal and Protestant Bibles, and elegant longer Koine Greek–sourced version begin in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles.

Name

When she is introduced, in Book 2:7, she is first referred to by the Hebrew term Hadassah, which means "myrtle tree."^[9] This name is absent use up the early Greek manuscripts, though present in the targumic texts, and was probably added commemorative inscription the Hebrew text in rectitude 2nd century CE at glory earliest to stress the heroine's Jewishness.

The name "Esther" doubtless derives from the name be incumbent on the Babylonian goddess Ishtar defect from the Persian word related with the English word "star" (implying an association with Ishtar) though some scholars contend go well with is related to the Iranian words for "woman" or "myrtle".

Narrative

Main article: Book of Esther

In loftiness third year of the mysterious of King Ahasuerus of Empire the king banishes his ruler, Vashti, and seeks a newfound queen.

Beautiful maidens gather mйlange at the harem in probity citadel of Susa under interpretation authority of the eunuch Hegai.

Esther, a cousin of Mordecai, was a member of the Someone community in the Exilic Interval who claimed as an forefather Kish, a Benjamite who confidential been taken from Jerusalem fund captivity. She was the unparented daughter of Mordecai's uncle, in the opposite direction Benjamite named Abihail.

Upon dignity king's orders, Esther is charmed to the palace where Hegai prepares her to meet probity king. Even as she advances to the highest position manage the harem, perfumed with riches and myrrh and allocated firm foods and servants, she equitable under strict instructions from Mordecai, who meets with her babble day, to conceal her Judaic origins.

The king falls make money on love with her and assembles her his Queen.

Following Esther's crowning, Mordecai learns of an defamation plot by Bigthan and Teresh to kill King Ahasuerus. Mordecai tells Esther, who tells nobility king in the name accept Mordecai, and he is ransomed. This act of great servicing to the king is historical in the Annals of goodness Kingdom.

After Mordecai saves ethics king's life, Haman the Agagite is made Ahasuerus' highest consultant, and orders that everyone accede down to him. When Mordecai (who had stationed himself birdcage the street to advise Esther) refuses to bow to him, Haman pays King Ahasuerus 10,000 silver talents for the resolve to exterminate all of significance Jews in Ahasuerus' kingdom.

Minister casts lots, Purim, using mysterious means, and sees that justness thirteenth day of the Moon of Adar is a lucky day for the genocide. Point the seal of the troublesome, in the name of integrity king, Haman sends an in sequence to the provinces of description kingdom to allow the butchery of the Jews on grandeur thirteenth of Adar.

When Mordecai learns of this, he tells Esther to reveal to decency king that she is Human and ask that he annul the order. Esther hesitates, speech that she could be place to death if she goes to the king without grow summoned; nevertheless, Mordecai urges company to try. Esther asks put off the entire Jewish community fix and pray for three age before she goes to reveal the king; Mordecai agrees.

On the third day, Esther goes to the courtyard in head start of the king's palace, take up she is welcomed by dignity king, who stretches out fulfil scepter for her to fleetingly, and offers her anything she wants "up to half prescription the kingdom". Esther invites excellence king and Haman to marvellous banquet she has prepared aspire the next day.

She tells the king she will narrate her request at the feast. During the banquet, the edition repeats his offer again, whereupon Esther invites both the acclimatization and Haman to a enjoyment she is making on nobleness following day as well.

Seeing that he is in assist with the king and sovereign, Haman takes counsel from surmount wife and friends to knock together a gallows upon which come to hang Mordecai; as he research paper in their good favors, forbidden believes he will be even supposing his wish to hang Mordecai the very next day.

Name building the gallows, Haman goes to the palace in depiction middle of the night single out for punishment wait for the earliest twinkling he can see the tolerant.

That evening, the king, unfit to sleep, asks that illustriousness Annals of the Kingdom carbon copy read to him so guarantee he will become drowsy.

Righteousness book miraculously opens to birth page telling of Mordecai's positive service, and the king asks if he had already old-fashioned a reward. When his company answer in the negative, Ahasuerus is suddenly distracted and emphasis to know who is in in the palace courtyard add on the middle of the nightly.

The attendants answer that resign is Haman. Ahasuerus invites Minister into his room. Haman, by way of alternative of requesting that Mordecai amend hanged, is ordered to call Mordecai through the streets an assortment of the capital on the Queenly Horse wearing the royal robes. Haman is also instructed in the vicinity of yell, "This is what shall be done to the male whom the king wishes censure honor!"

After spending the widespread day honoring Mordecai, Haman rushes to Esther's second banquet, in Ahasuerus is already waiting.

Ahasuerus repeats his offer to Book of anything "up to onehalf of the kingdom". Esther tells Ahasuerus that while she appreciates the offer, she must plan before him a more humorless issue: she explains that nearby is a person plotting disrespect kill her and her full people, and that this person's intentions are to harm integrity king and the kingdom.

Conj at the time that Ahasuerus asks who this individually is, Esther points to Minister and names him. Upon session this, an enraged Ahasuerus goes out to the garden fulfil calm down and consider leadership situation.

While Ahasuerus is sufficient the garden, Haman throws human being at Esther's feet asking assimilate mercy. Upon returning from righteousness garden, the king is other enraged.

As it was dignity custom to eat on unvaried couches, it appears to nobleness king as if Haman testing attacking Esther. He orders Minister to be removed from jurisdiction sight. While Haman is being led out, Harvona, a lay servant, tells the king digress Haman had built a gibbet for Mordecai, "who had rescued the king's life".

In take on, the king says "Hang him (Haman) on it".

After Minister is put to death, Ahasuerus gives Haman's estate to Queen. Esther tells the king take in Mordecai being her relative, skull the king makes Mordecai climax adviser. When Esther asks loftiness king to revoke the embargo exterminating the Jews, the design is initially hesitant, saying think about it an order issued by picture king cannot be repealed.

Ahasuerus allows Esther and Mordecai solve write another order, with probity seal of the king see in the name of integrity king, to allow the Judaic people to defend themselves captain fight with their oppressors troupe the thirteenth day of Adar.

On the thirteenth day subtract Adar, the same day make certain Haman had set for them to be killed, the Jews defend themselves in all faculties of the kingdom and take the weight off one on the fourteenth day systematic Adar.

The fourteenth day atlas Adar is celebrated with honourableness giving of charity, exchanging cast about, and feasting. In Susa, rectitude Jews of the capital were given another day to dexterity their oppressors; they rested humbling celebrated on the fifteenth time off of Adar, again giving tolerance, exchanging foodstuffs, and feasting renovation well.

The Jews established threaten annual feast, the feast be more or less Purim, in memory of their deliverance. Haman having set honourableness date of the thirteenth atlas Adar to commence his jihad against the Jews, this wilful the date of the ceremony of Purim.^[13]

Historicity

Although the details chief the setting are entirely maintainable and the story may flat have some basis in attainment events, there is general bargain among scholars that the tome of Esther is a dike of fiction.^[c] Persian kings upfront not marry outside of cardinal Persian noble families, making say yes unlikely that there was natty Jewish queen Esther.^[d] Further, rendering name Ahasuerus can be translated to Xerxes, as both get from the PersianKhshayārsha.^[15]^[16] Ahasuerus laugh described in the Book invite Esther is usually identified fashionable modern sources to refer consent Xerxes I,^[17]^[18] who ruled amidst 486 and 465 BCE,^[15] though it is to this chief that the events described disintegrate Esther are thought to suited the most closely.^[16] However, Xerxes I's queen was Amestris, as well highlighting the fictitious nature bazaar the story.^[e]

Some scholars speculate avoid the story was created discussion group justify the Jewish appropriation publicize an originally non-Jewish feast.

Rank festival which the book explains is Purim, which is explained as meaning "lot", from description Babylonian word puru. One regular theory says the festival has its origins in a historicized Babylonian myth or ritual enjoy which Mordecai and Esther advocate the Babylonian gods Marduk favour Ishtar, while others trace honourableness ritual to the Persian In mint condition Year, and scholars have surveyed other theories in their activity.

Some scholars have defended influence story as real history, however the attempt to find span historical kernel to the tale is considered "likely to hide futile" in a study manage without Sara Raup Johnson.

Interpretations

Further information: Queen in rabbinic literature

The Book reproduce Esther begins by portraying Jewess as beautiful and obedient, although a relatively passive figure.

In the story, she evolves have a break a character who takes marvellous decisive role in her collected future and that of sagacious people. According to Sidnie Ghastly Crawford, "Esther's position in a-okay male court mirrors that a choice of the Jews in a Goy world, with the threat promote to danger ever present below ethics seemingly calm surface." Esther silt compared to Daniel in renounce both represent a "type" be aware Jews living in Diaspora, bear hoping to live a opus life in an alien ecosystem.

According to Susan Zaeske, unused virtue of the fact focus Esther used only rhetoric inherit convince the king to redeem her people, the story eliminate Esther is a "rhetoric emancipation exile and empowerment that, adoration millennia, has notably shaped rendering discourse of marginalized peoples specified as Jews, women, and Someone Americans", persuading those who possess power over them.

Persian culture

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

A building venerated reorganization being the Tomb of Queen and Mordechai is located drag Hamadan, Iran, although the nearby of Kafr Bir'im in northerly Israel also claims to have reservations about the burial place of Queen dowager Esther.

Artistic depictions of Esther

See also: Book of Esther § Modern retelling

Throughout history, many artists have conceived paintings depicting Esther.

Notable inconvenient portrayals include the Heilspiegel Screen by Konrad Witz and Esther Before Ahasuerus by Tintoretto (1546–47, Royal Collection) which show Queen appearing before the king bung beg mercy for the Jews, despite the punishment for attending without being summoned being passing. This scene became one try to be like the most commonly depicted ability of the story.

Esther's beat had not often been portrayed in art before Tintoretto. Dot is shown in the sequence of cassone scenes of illustriousness Life of Esther attributed diversely to Sandro Botticelli and Filippino Lippi from the 1470s. Fuse other cassone depictions, for sample by Filippino Lippi, Esther's ripeness aptness to show herself before loftiness court is contrasted to Vashti's refusal to expose herself protect the public assembly.

Esther was thought in Catholic theology as great typological forerunner of the Pure Mary in her role makeover intercessor Her regal election parallels Mary's Assumption and as she becomes queen of Persia, Contour becomes queen of heaven; Mary's epithet as 'stella maris' parallels Esther as a 'star' stream both figure as sponsors spick and span the humble before the beefy.

Contemporary viewers would likely hold recognized a similarity between illustriousness faint and the common melody of the Swoon of excellence Virgin, seen in many depictions of the Crucifixion of Earl. Esther's fainting became a favourite subject in the Baroque image of the following century.

Cute photography ideas

A wellknown Baroque example is Esther Already Ahasuerus by Artemisia Gentileschi.

In Christianity

Esther is commemorated as a mother in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod on May 24.

Esther is recognized as out saint in the Eastern Recognized Church, commemorated on the Capable before Christmas.

"The Septuagint rampage of Esther contains six ability (totaling 107 verses) not speck in the Hebrew Bible. Despite the fact that these interpretations originally may plot been composed in Hebrew, they survive only in Greek texts. Because the Hebrew Bible's replace of Esther's story contains neither prayers nor even a unmarried reference to God, Greek redactors apparently felt compelled to test the tale a more broadcast religious orientation, alluding to "God" or the "Lord" fifty times." These additions to Esther outer shell the Apocrypha were added environing in the second or final century BCE.^[36]

The story of Jewess is also referenced in sheet 28 of 1 Meqabyan, top-notch book considered canonical in high-mindedness Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.^[37]

Music

Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Historia Esther, H.396, for minstrel, chorus, strings and continuo, 1677
Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, "Esther", for soprano and continuo, comprise Cantates françaises sur des sujets tirés de l’Écriture, book Hilarious, 1708
George Frideric Handel, Esther, parley a libretto based on uncomplicated play by Jean Racine, 1718 and 1732
Alessandro Stradella, Ester, cantata, 1673

Notes

^; Hebrew: אֶסְתֵּר‎ ʾEstēr
^"Today nigh is general agreement that seize is essentially a work possess fiction, the purpose of which was to justify the Somebody appropriation of an originally non-Jewish holiday.

What is not conventionally agreed upon is the consistency or nature of that non-Jewish festival which came to have reservations about appropriated by the Jews owing to Purim, and whose motifs instruct recapitulated in disguised form force Esther." (Polish 1999) "The action is fictitious and written reach provide an account of nobleness origin of the feast always Purim; the book contains rebuff references to the known recorded events of the reign leave undone Xerxes." (Browning 2009)
^"Today there shambles general agreement that it decline essentially a work of tale, the purpose of which was to justify the Jewish allotment of an originally non-Jewish new circumstance.

What is not generally undisputed upon is the identity top quality nature of that non-Jewish commemoration which came to be pre-empted by the Jews as Purim, and whose motifs are recapitulated in disguised form in Esther." (Polish 1999) "The story attempt fictitious and written to replenish an account of the trigger of the feast of Purim; the book contains no references to the known historical actions of the reign of Xerxes." (Browning 2009) "Although the minutiae of its setting are absolutely plausible and the story hawthorn even have some basis alternative route actual events, in terms objection literary genre the book court case not history." (Tucker 2004)
^"Xerxes could not have wed a Israelite because this was contrary space the practices of Persian monarchs who married only into procrastinate of the seven leading Iranian families.

History records that Xerxes was married to Amestris, throng together Vashti or Esther. There court case no historical record of first-class personage known as Esther, album a queen called Vashti vanquish a vizierHaman, or a feeling of excitement placed courtier Mordecai. Mordecai was said to have been between the exiles deported from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, but that proscription occurred 112 years before Xerxes became king." (Littman 1975:146)
^"Xerxes could not have wed a Hebrew because this was contrary without more ado the practices of Persian monarchs who married only into susceptible of the seven leading Iranian families.

History records that Xerxes was married to Amestris, jumble Vashti or Esther. There review no historical record of top-hole personage known as Esther, make public a queen called Vashti primitive a vizierHaman, or a buoy up placed courtier Mordecai. Mordecai was said to have been mid the exiles deported from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, but that expatriation occurred 112 years before Xerxes became king." (Littman 1975:146)

References

Citations

^"Esther 7:2".

www.sefaria.org.
^Moore, Carey A. (1971). "The Non-Jewish Origins of Purim". Esther. Doubleday. pp. 46–49. ISBN .
^Moore, Carey A. (1992). "Esther, Book of". In David Noel Freedman (ed.). The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary. New York: Doubleday. pp. 637–638.
^Browning 2009: "The story is phantasmagoric and written to provide unembellished account of the origin imitation the feast of Purim"
^"H1919 – hăḏasâ". Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved 30 January 2024 – via Blue Letter Bible.^{[failed verification]}
^Crawford, Sidnie White.

"Esther: Bible", Person Women's Archive.
^ ^a^bBaumgarten, Albert I.; Sperling, S. David; Sabar, Shalom (2007). Skolnik, Fred; Berenbaum, Archangel (eds.). Encyclopaedia Judaica. Vol. 18 (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Macmillan Direction. p. 216.
^ ^a^bLarkin, Katrina J.A.

(1996). Ruth and Esther (Old Evidence Guides). Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Legal Press. p. 71.
^Crawford, Sidnie White (1998). "Esther". In Newsom, Carol A.; Ringe, Sharon H. (eds.). Women's Bible Commentary. Louisville: Westminster Toilet Knox. p. 202.
^Middlemas, Jill (2010).

Becking, Bob E.J.H.; Grabbe, Lester (eds.). Between Evidence and Ideology. Leiden: Brill. p. 145. ISBN .
^Vanderkam & Stony, p. 182.
^"Queen Esther: A Heroine castigate Courage". Israel by Locals. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.

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The New Oxford Annotated Bible. Oxford University Press. ISBN .
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"Esther Before Ahasuerus (Tintoretto)".

Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
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The Old Testament: An Introduction indifference the Hebrew Bible. McGraw-Hill Teaching. p. 375. ISBN .
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Historical Fictions and Hellenistic Jewish Identity. University of Calif. Press. ISBN .
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