Main Point: God is Sovereign. Married to King Ahasuerus after he divorced the former queen for disobedience, Esther would intercede on behalf of the Jewish people of the kingdom and prevent their annihilation. Seeing that the king was well disposed toward her, she invited him and Haman to a private banquet, during which she did not reveal her desire, however, but invited them to another banquet, thus misleading Haman by making him think that he was in the queen's good graces. Most successful were the satiric Megilla-Lieder of the Yiddish poet Itzik *Manger adapted for the stage in Israel in 1965. Esther was a young woman with a God gifted appearance. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. The only reference Esther replaced Queen Vashti, who had been sentenced to death because she had refused to display her beauty to the King's feast attendants. He wanted them to rebuild His Temple that had been destroyed. 2. Charpentier's quasi-oratorio Historia Esther (date unknown); G. Legrenzi's oratorio Gli sponsali d'Ester (1676); J.-B. She was lovely to look at. Some other sources believe that the graves of the queen and Mordecai lie in the ancient Jewish village of Kfar Bar'am in northern Israel. In brief the plot of the Book of Esther centers on Esther's fairy-tale-like good fortune, a destiny that transcends mere personal dimensions through the divine plan (although God is not mentioned in the Book of Esther) that turns her into a savior of her people. Esther was faced with many challenges as queen. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. ." Paris, 1956. ." 3. Like the myrtle (Heb. Mordecai had a very beautiful cousin named Esther, whose Hebrew name was Hadassah. Meyerowitz also wrote a choral work, Midrash Esther (premiere, 1957). She risked her life to save her people, the Jews, from being massacred. All rights reserved worldwide. . Nahum *Nardi's songs to Levin *Kipnis' kindergarten Purim play Misak Purim, written in the early 1930s, have become Israel folksongs. The monarch of Persia, King Ahasuerus, was wealthy and powerful. Say: At the very end of the Kings parties, when he was just about finished showing off this splendor to all of Susa, the king made one request. Encyclopedia of Religion. Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/esther, Biblical story of a young Jewish girl named Esther who is sought as the bride of Ahasuerus, the King of Persia. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/esther-36883.php. God's divine favor located her. 1995. God wants us to affect the people around us. But God promised, through the prophet Jeremiah, that one day He would gather the Israelites together again and restore their land (Jeremiah 30:1-4). This was around the time that Ahasuerus began to look for a new queen after his first wife, Vashti, was deposed. The Jewish holiday of Purim, which typically falls sometime in March, tells Esther's story. Vashti - Wikipedia Second, Esther, as a "hidden" Jew (together with the frequently noted absence of an explicit reference to God in the scroll), symbolized in mystical circles the hiddenness of the Shekhinah (divine feminine presence) in the world and in the Jewish exile. First, Esther came to symbolize the court Jew who risked everything to defend the nation so often slandered, despised, and threatened. God does not separate believers from those around them. Why did Jesus associate with disreputable people? . The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. What would be some verses from the Bible to save a marriage? ." Encyclopedia.com. Of all the biblical heroines Esther has enjoyed greatest popularity among writers, artists, and musicians, representing feminine modesty, courage, and self-sacrifice. 7 vols. Queen Esther uncovered Haman's plot and fought to thwart it. She was orphaned as a child, and her cousin *Mordecai adopted her and brought her up. https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/esther-0, Mishkinsky, Moshe; Spector, Shmuel "Esther Who Was Queen Esther - Story, History, and Significance - Crosswalk.com It appears that each of these women had sexual relations with the king. She is remembered as a great heroine in Jewish history. Mordecai understood and canceled the Passover festivity, replacing it with a fast (Esth. He deposed Queen Vashti in 483/482BC when he was 36 ( Esther 1:3 ). Please ensure your answer MEETS all our guidelines. She became involved in politics and diplomacy, and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of her people. This means, we do not live the way the rest of the world lives. When you buy through the links on our site we may earn a commission. When Haman, Ahasuerus' prime minister, convinced the king to issue an edict condemning the Jews to extermination, Esther presented herself before the king unbidden (an act punishable by death) and invited him and Haman to two banquets. 2:49). (31-5) Esther 2:10. Encyclopaedia Judaica. 5:1) is traditionally interpreted as referring to her being wrapped in the Holy Spirit. World Encyclopedia. Mordecai, the son of Jair, of the tribe of Benjamin, raised Esther as his own daughter. Darkness does not dispel light. Esther was the Queen of Persia, but she didn't rule her people like a tyrant. Esther was not only beautiful but had a good character. Familiar with both the biblical and rabbinic narratives, Shhn composed his own version of the Books of Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah by creating an audacious link between Esther's marriage and the fate of the Jewish people. Vashti had always been jealous of Esthers position as queen, and she finally had her chance to take what she felt was rightfully hers. The Book of Esther was also popular with 17th-century artists in the Netherlands. Encyclopedia.com. At one time, God wanted His people to be separated from those around them to keep them pure (Deuteronomy 7:16, Judges 2:2-3). On the 13th of the month of Adar, the day when Hamans plot was scheduled to be executed, the Jews killed the 10 sons of Haman and 500 other men in Shushan (9:112). The Old Testament book of Ezra tells about the joy-filled returning of tens of thousands of Israelites to Jerusalem after their long captivity. Esther instinctively understood she needed to rely on God for her strength. Because Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of every believer (Romans 5:5), we are able to live pure lives, no matter where we are (1 Corinthians 10:13, Titus 2:11-12). ." They will give you advice from Gods word. 13a), and she was brought up by Mordecai as his daughter. During the second banquet, Queen Esther revealed her origin to the king, begged for her life and the life of her people, and named her enemy (7:36). Encyclopedia.com. It was the seventh year of the rule of Xerxes. The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. //Does Esther 2:14 suggest that the king slept with the virgins? Mordecai was then authorized to write a counteredict that would allow the Jews to arm and defend themselves. At Esthers banquet for the king and Haman, she requested that they come again tomorrow, and then she would tell them what she wanted (Esther 5:4). The Story of Esther in the Bible - Learn Religions She also thought that by being friendly to Haman she would rouse the king's jealousy to such an extent that he would kill both of them (Meg. See pages 171240. 910). More importantly, in her royal position, she is able to save her people from a genocide designed by a scheming court figure. Say: Because the Israelites had disobeyed God, God allowed them to be taken captive. The king signed Mordecai's new decree. She has also spent many years mentoring Middle School and High School girls. She would have probably been married off to some other man and would have had a few children. However, the date of retrieval is often important. Translated by Henrietta Szold et al. (February 22, 2023). Say: Esther didnt know what it was like to have a dad, and she didnt have the hugs and kisses of a mom. The fighting lasted two days and took place in Susa, where the Jews exacted a bloody revenge on their enemies. Esther's memory is also preserved in two fourteenth-century Judeo-Persian (Fars in Hebrew letters) epics, Ardashr-nma (The book of Ardashr [Ahasuerus]), and Ezra-nma (The book of Ezra) by the Iranian Jewish poet Mowln Shhn. creative tips and more. Esther had no parents, according to the Bible. the queen was 23 when she. She took her time and moved slowly and prayerfully. ).She is identified as the daughter of Avihail (Esth 2:15) and the cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai, from the tribe of Benjamin (Esth 2:5-7). Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. ." He became very angry. The event was attended by people from one hundred twenty-seven provinces of Persia, a kingdom that stretched from India to Ethiopia. When the book of Esther opens, the great-grandson of King Cyrus, a man named Xerxes, was king over the massive territory of Persia and Media. The story of Esther is full of drama, irony, violence, and strong characters. We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. Encyclopedia.com. Remember how Jesus said we should affect those around us, but they should not affect us? Her experience exemplifies how God positions us in situations to carry out His purposes. The major French literary treatment of the theme was *Racine's epic tragedy Esther (1689), written for presentation at the Saint-Cyr girls' school supervised by Madame de Maintenon, the morganatic wife of Louis xiv, and first performed with choruses by J.-B. Mordecai is presented as descended from Saul, the Benjaminite, and Haman, from Agag, the Amalekite; in this way, the novella dramatizes a typological repetition of the episode reported in 1 Samuel 15 and recalls the divine exhortation never to forget the destructive deeds of Amalek (Dt. She was imprisoned several times for revolutionary activities and went to Switzerland, where she became a member of the foreign committee of the Bund. She published two books on the subject in Yiddish: "On the Question of the Jewish National School" (1910) and "What Kind of National School Do We Need" (1917). There have been numerous plays about Esther from the early 20th century onward: Esther, princesse d'Isral (1912) by Andr Dumas and S.C. Leconte; H. Pereira *Mendes' Esther and Harbonah (1917); Max *Brod's Esther (1918); John Masefield's Esther (1922), a pastiche of Racine; and other works of the same name by Felix *Braun (1925), Sammy *Gronemann (1926), and the U.S. dramatist Sonia V. Daugherty (1929). Haman regarded Mordecai as an upstart who did not show him the proper respect. Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/culture-magazines/esther. . , perhaps from , "the exalted one" with the prefix [i;] meaning "Where is the Exalted One / Prince?" But she decided to take the risk (Esther 4:11). It was for all of his nobles and officials. The people break the laws God has given. The Legends of the Jews (19091938). An imperial decree was issued across the kingdom to kill all Jews on the 13th of the month of Adar (3:1315). Share She risked death with her refusal, but the king only banished her, using this as an example to all wives living in his empire. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender: Culture Society History. Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/esther. https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/culture-magazines/esther, "Esther . Everyone was watching King Xerxes to see what he was going to do. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there. 10th century BCE)known also as Bilqis and as Makedafigures prominently in Judaic, Islamic, A somewhat nebulous figure, the Queen of Sheba (fl. How old was King Ahasuerus and Esther when they got married? We may assume, therefore, that she was about 14 years of age when she succeeded to. "Queen Esther," hyperhistory.net, http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b1estherp1mw.htm (January 6, 2005). Note to teacher: The term, Jew, began as a name for anyone who lived in the kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 16:6). She was rector of the Jewish section of the "Communist University of the National Minorities of the West" (kunmz) from 1925 to 1936. Esther and Mordecai then sent letters across the provinces and declared the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar a Jewish holiday named Purim. Following this, she was adopted by her cousin, Mordecai (Esther 2:7). *Rapoport (in She'erit Judah, 1827) and, in complete form, by Meir Ha-Levi *Letteris (Shelom Esther, 1843). He was made the kings viceroy (3:1). Esther was kidnapped from her home and forced to live at the palace with the other harem girls. At her suggestion he sought out Mordecai whose advice he requested on how to induce Esther to reveal her ancestry, complaining that neither giving banquets and reducing taxation in her honor nor showering gifts upon her had been of any avail. When King Ahasuerus repudiated Vashti, his first wife, because she had disobeyed him, Esther was among the virgins brought to the court and Ahasuerus chose her as his next queen. The Talmud said she was 75, based on gematria, although it was totally implausible. 2:7), a testimony to the practice of Jews having double names, as do the heroes in *Daniel. Who Was Esther and Why Was She So Important? - Crosswalk.com Encyclopedia.com. Esther's appeal to the king involved her requesting that he attend a banquet in her quarters, and that he be accompanied by Haman. Physical beauty and great courage were combined in her to such a degree that she merited having her name immortalized by becoming part of the Hebrew biblical canon.