She was expressing her inner strength and her ability to survive and even to thrive in difficult circumstances. Rabbah6:9). The courtiers hoped that she would be executed like Vashti and that they would be able to apportion her clothing and jewelry among themselves; those close to Ahasuerus encircled her and harassed her on her way to the king, while Hamans sons awaited her downfall. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'coalitionbrewing_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_10',152,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-coalitionbrewing_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');Her true identity was kept hidden from everyone, until she was forced to reveal it in order to save her people from the decree of death from Persias ruling king. When the king saw his queen, Xerxes lowered his golden scepter to invite Esther into his presence. them clearly. Esther was a good queen. and Nehemiah may have known each other personally. Her thoughts are characterized by pressured speech, disorganized thought processes, confusion, and paranoia. What did this queen do? And You, O Lord, bring success to this, Your poor handmaiden. The Rabbis viewed Esther as one who was compelled to marry Ahasuerus against her will. Furthermore, the Jewish people had a special holiday to commemorate their deliverance and celebrate the bravery of Mordecai. older than her (do the math a 37 year old king marrying a 14 year After Esthers coronation, the king continues to gather virgins in his palace, which the Rabbis understand as an activity meant to reveal Esthers identity. Narrator: After Haman died, King Ahasuerus gave a second decree to preserve the Jews and give them power to destroy their enemies within the kingdom. [11] Elias J. Bickerman, The Colophon of the Greek Book of Esther,Journal of Biblical Literature63.4 (1944): 339-62. It is known that Esther was the daughter of Abihail, and she had married King Xerxes of Persia around the age of 18. Sometimes it was hard for Esther because the other Jews were treated badly. The Queen Mother lived to the grand age of 101 years and 238 days old. 9:23): The Jews accordingly assumed an obligation [ve-kibel] that which they had begun to practice.Ve-kibelis written in the singular, thus alluding to God(Ruth Rabbah4:1; BT Megillah 7a). The Talmud reveals that Esther's relationship with Ahasuerus wasn't a romantic one. We just don't know. 2:7). 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. 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. [2] But Shelamzion remained queen and lived up to her name, maintaining the peace of Zion with a strong army, careful diplomacy, and the support of the Jews of ancient Israel and beyond. According to one tradition, he could not find a wet nurse and he himself miraculously had milk and nursed her(Gen. Rabbah30:8). 2). In common parlance, the braided loaves blessed and eaten on the Sabbath and Festivals.hallah from dough,niddah, and the kindling of the Sabbath candle, even in the palace of Ahasuerus (Midrash Tehilim, onPs. 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. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. According to the Babylonian tradition, she saw menstrual blood (BT Megillah15a). She received her Ph.D. in religion from Princeton University. We read that: "The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. See also Susan Niditch,A Prelude to Biblical Folklore: Underdogs and Tricksters(Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 2000). window.location.replace(""); Esther, heroine and central figure in the Book of Esther of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. Read the entire Scripture account of the life of Queen Esther in the Bible verses below and use the articles and videos to understand the meaning of this teachable event in the Bible:. Esther standing in the Inner Court. Alexandra the Maccabee. The Funeral of Queen Victoria by Wiliam Lionel Wylie (c) National Maritime Museum. Even after she becomes queen because of the disobedience of Queen Vashti, Esther remains modest and down-to-earth. There is not one correct rendering of her name in any rabbinic manuscript (260). Rabbah8:6). She also exhibits symptoms of agoraphobia, suicidal ideation, and feelings of overwhelming guilt and worthlessness. In a 1957 Christmas Broadcast, the Queen promised the United Kingdom she would give her . Esther 7:1-6, 9-10. [4] Tal Ilan devotes a chapter to discussing the name Shelamzion inSilencing the Queen, 259ff. Let us know. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The Rabbis include Esther among the seven most beautiful women in the world (BT Megillah 15a). Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. Esther was born about 492BC and was 14 when she became Queen. 5). The moral of the story of Esther is to stay true to yourself and never give up on your beliefs. [2] See Ilan,Integrating women, 127, commenting onJewish War1.71 andJewishAntiquities13.302. The BT lists a number of possible reasons: (1) she wanted Haman to be near her (so that she could say what she wanted about him at the appropriate moment); (2) she wanted to set a trap for him; (3) she planned to act toward Haman in a way that would lead Ahasuerus to suspect that she had engaged in an improper relationship with the former and thus cause the king to kill them both. Esthers secret was that she was a Jew, which she was able to hide from her adoptive family and community. Esther took place or at the very least was too young to remember She was married to King Achashverosh, whom some identify as Artaxerxes (), 1 king of Persia. Rabbah8:3). According to another tradition, he accompanied her to ensure that she did not suffer from sorcery (Esth. guessing that Nehemiah was probably not around when the events of Modesty and Sexuality in Halakhic Literature, What Queen Esther can teach us about intermarriage. Esther and Mordecai then obtained a royal edict allowing Jews throughout the empire to defend themselves on the day set for their extermination. Esther may or may not have reflected the historical reality of the Persian period, but her story provided a model for a new reality in Shelamzions lifetime. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. It seems unlikely that Esther was ever Queen of Persia, so we can not say at what age Xerxes married her. She understood that she had a mission and that she could shape reality rather than passively suffer through it. What did the Nazis begin using gas chambers instead of mobile killing units and shooting squads after a while? The Bible depicts Esther as an orphan who was raised in the house of her uncle Mordecai(Esth. Throughout the book of Esther, Queen Esthers bravery and courage is seen as an example of how God can deliver and uses those who are willing to obey and trust Him. 2:7states: Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter [literally: took herle-vat], which the midrash understands as: Mordecai took herle-bayit, that is, as a wife (BTMegillahloc. Jewish and Persian See Ilana Pardes,Countertraditions in the Bible: A Feminist Approach(Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1992), 126 ff. The monarch of Persia, King Ahasuerus, was wealthy and powerful. 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.". By merit of this, Mordecai(Esth. Rabbah6:11). Later, when Haman planned to hang Mordecai, the king found out that it was Mordecai who had uncovered a plot to assassinate him, so he reversed the orders, hanged Haman instead and gave Mordecai the harem. The Rabbis even find proof that God concurred with the activity of Mordecai and Esther, since it is written(Esth. Queen Esther is the reluctant heroine of the Purim story. In conclusion, yes, Mordechai was indeed Esthers cousin. "And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all who saw her." (2:15). Josephus tells us that she was loved by the masses of the Jewish people (Jewish Antiquities 13:407). Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. 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. In the affair of Bigthan and Teresh, Esther continued to follow Mordecais instructions. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Esther is then remembered and celebrated in the annual festival of Purim. Prince Charles, who is next in line for the throne, was by her side. The Rabbis relate to Esther as the one responsible for the deliverance of Israel and compare her to the moon, which shone for Israel in the darkness of night. Continue Learning about Religious Studies. My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me? Jesus or Esther? The Jewish festival ofPurimcelebrates this event. [5] Ilan discusses variants of the same traditions inSilencing the Queen, 35-42, drawing attention to how later rabbinic sources gradually eliminate Shelamzion from this tradition and replace her with her contemporary Shimon ben Shetach. He suggested that she might be Jewish, which implied some sort of relationship between them, since he was from the offspring of Amalek, the grandson of Esau (Jacobs brother) (Esth. cit.). 100). Rabbah26:8;Lam. During Jacob's stay, he fell in love with Rachel . The Queen described in the Book of Nehemiah is Queen Esther. ; Frymer-Kensky,In the Wake of the Goddesses, 137-38. She oversaw a peaceful and prosperous period. 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." How Did Queen Esther Die? She never forgot her cousin Mordecai and she never forgot that she was one of God's children. She was 96 years old. Esther was a Jewish young woman who was providentially selected to be the queen of Persia. He also arranged for the Jews to gather and fast for the protection of their lives. QueenEsther, the central character in the Biblical book named after her, is extensively and sympathetically portrayed in the Rabbinic sources. When she became orphaned, she was adopted by her cousin Mordecai. May this man have mercy on me, for I fear him. Mordecai argued that these three days fast happened to include the Passover night, which shouldn't be a night of fasting. Furthermore, because of her passivity, her life with Ahasuerus was not thought to entail illicit sexual intercourse (a grave sin, for which one should be killed rather than transgress")(BTSanhedrin74b). Her name was Shelamzion Alexandra. The Book of Esther, which does King Xerxes: King Xerxes married Esther when he was 41 years old. But to approach the king without being summoned was not only illegal, but it could very well result in death for impertinence. Another view cites the verse (9:27): the Jews undertook and irrevocably obligated themselveswhat they took upon themselves below was confirmed above (BTMegillahloc. This prayer also mentioned her situation, which contrasted with that of Sarah andRebekah: they were taken for a single night to the court of a foreign king and miracles were performed for them. Plath famously battled depression and other mental illnesses, and the same is true of Esthers condition in the novel. In Jacobs blessing to his sons, he blesses Benjamin(Gen. 49:27): Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he consumes the foe, and in the evening he divides the spoil, which the Rabbis applied to Mordecai and Esther. Rabbah6:4). cit.). Hatach and Esther. What is the reflection of the story of princess urduja? Her reign is famous as 'The Golden Age', for its . Esther despaired throughout her first six years in the palace. However, just because you don't know when Once upon a time a Jewish queen ruled the land. assassinated with her husband (which was likely), or if she was And her name was not Esther. In the midrashic reenactment, Esther sent a message to Mordecai in which she asked him whether Israel had transgressed one of the commandments of the Torah. Abase him before me, for You abase the proud (Esth. 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. her death is not known. Photo Credit: Wikipedia, 'Ahasuerus and Haman at the Feast of Esther . assassinated 20 years earlier (he was probably bout 20-25 years The more prevalent Rabbinic opinion is that Hadassah was Esthers second name, with a plethora of interpretations built on the similarity of the myrtle (hadas) to Esther: Esther was so called because she was righteous, and the righteous are called myrtles; she was of average height, like a myrtle, which is neither short nor long; she had a greenish (sallow) complexion, like a myrtle (BTMegillahloc. She knew King Xerxes's love for merrymakingthat's how he first got in trouble with Queen Vashti (Es 1:10, 11, 12), how he celebrated Queen Esther's rise to the throne (Es 2:17, 18), and how he ended his day with Haman after issuing the edict for genocide (Es 3:15). Routing number of commercial bank of Ethiopia? In post-Temple times, a small piece of dough set aside and burnt. 22:16). Nehemiah probably knew of Queen 6:6), or the definite statement, that could be known only to God: but they did not lay hands on the spoil (9:10). She King Ahasuerus, named Darius, who became King Darius II. Am Yisrael Chai This also leads to a different understanding of Mordecais involvement, as he walks about in the royal courtyard out of concern for his wife. When Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman at the gate, Haman was extremely offended and sought to have Mordecai killed. 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. Rabbah 6:5; BT. She was 96. Jewish Women's Archive. Read Esther 4:1-17. During this historical period, the first group of Jews who had returned to Judah struggled to revive temple worship by Moses' Law. case we can not say how old she was. The Bible does not specify how old she was when her parents died. Designation of the five scrolls of the Bible (Ruth, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther). Similarly, her son Benjamin knew about the sale of Joseph, but remained silent and did not tell his father. The Talmud reveals that Esther's relationship with Ahasuerus wasn't a romantic one. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Esther-biblical-figure, McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Esther. 16 September 2012. The book of Nehemiah begins in 444 BC, so they probably Esther 5:2-3; 7:4-6 Image 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. Menstruation; the menstruant woman; ritual status of the menstruant woman. For today's Bible studies, we're going to discuss 10 characteristics of Esther in the Bible. The Jewish festival of Purim celebrates this event. She had been suffering from a cold for the previous four months. Esther retorted, "Without Jews, who needs Passover?". Because of Haman's law, she and all the Jews in the kingdom would be killed. It was only when Esther came that Ahasuerus removed the likeness of Vashti and replaced it with that of Esther (Esth. At the meal she pleaded for the Jews, thus revealing herself as Jewish, and accused thiswickedHaman of plotting the annihilation of her people. What is the answer punchline algebra 15.1 why dose a chicken coop have only two doors? 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. Who is Jason crabb mother and where is she? Rachel was silent when she saw that Jacob married her sister instead of herself. The Rabbis describe at length Esthers activities after she learned of Hamans decree against the Jews. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'coalitionbrewing_com-leader-2','ezslot_12',154,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-coalitionbrewing_com-leader-2-0');Throughout the course of the story, Esther suffers from a major depressive episode, possibly accompanied by severe anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Esther stood in the middle of the fourth department; the guards of the first department could no longer touch her, while those of the last department could not yet approach her. 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). In response, Esther tells him that, like him, she is the offspring of royalty (Midrash Abba Gurion, para. The king was humiliated and enraged, and he banished Vashti. The midrash tells that when Esther came to Ahasueruss palace the spirit of divine inspiration left her, and she then prayed to God. She was a beautiful Jewish woman, the wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). Others have suggested an earlier date of translation, ca. Also called the "Festival of Mazzot"; the "Festival of Spring"; Pesah.Passover. Do you, or does someone you know, demonstrate the same total commitment to a mission, even at the cost of sacrificing personal happiness? Most people have never heard of Queen Shelamzion Alexandra. Another tradition has Mordecais wife nursing the infant (Midrash Tehilim, onPs. 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. Please consider supporting TheTorah.com. Mordecai was instrumental in thwarting a murderous plot by one of the kings advisers, Haman, to annihilate the Jewish people. 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. According to one tradition, she was forty years old, while another places her age at seventy-four, which is the numerical value of the name Hadassah (Esthers second name), or, according to another calculation of this numerical value, seventy-five (see above). What is the reflection of the story of princess urduja? The night of their union, Ahasuerus loved Esther "above all women" and made her the Persian Empire's Queen. We may assume, therefore, that she was about 14 years of age when she succeeded to the throne. She notes that Josephus only knew this queen by her Greek name, Alexandra, while the Rabbis only knew her by her Semitic name. cit.). The two were very close and Mordecai was highly regarded and respected by both King Xerxes and the Jewish people. Esther would then be aged18 when she wins the beauty contest, 22 when she becomes queen (Esther 2:16-17), and 27 when she helps to defeat Haman's genocide scheme. Oops! Her reign lasted less than a decade but still longer than a two-term presidency. Rabbah6:5). Mordechai had a cousin named Esther, who was the daughter of Abihail, a Benjamite. [3] See discussion in Ilan, Daughters of Israel, Weep for Rabbi Ishmael!: The School of Rabbi Aqiva vs. the School of Rabbi Ishmael,Silencing the Queen: The Literary Histories of Shelamzion and Other Jewish Women(Tbingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2006). Horev], chap. 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. Something went wrong while submitting the form. // Javascript URL redirection Codification of basic Jewish Oral Law; edited and arranged by R. Judah ha-Nasi c. 200 C.E. During the . The Book of Esther relates that Esther told no one of her Jewish origins, as Mordecai had ordered her. "order." We rely on the support of readers like you. She was in a foreign land without the protection and support of her people. Esther also spoke of her merit for observing the womens commandments of the taking ofDuring the Temple period, the dough set aside to be given to the priests. Like many Jews today, she had two names, one Hebrew and one Greek. Thisdevarbuilds on Ilans work: her oeuvre is well known to academics but is not as well known as it could be tothe reading public. 49). Rabbah5:3). We see, however, that this was a stratagem on Mordecais part, so that Esther would not be frequently summoned to the king. Please support us. Another tradition has her becoming pregnant by Ahasuerus, but miscarrying (Esth. Mordecai did not bow to Haman because he was a Jew and Haman was an Agagite, the enemies of Gods chosen people. When her secret was revealed, the whole of Persia, who had had no knowledge of the Jewish people or their plight, was amazed and moved by Esthers courage and selflessness. Whereas her husband had persecuted the Pharisees, in her reign as solitary queen, Shelamzion was particularly supportive of the Pharisees, promoting their vision of Judaism and perhaps ensuring their popularity for generations to come (Josephus, Jewish War 1:110). Elizabeth I is one of England's most well-known monarchs. 2:7 ). "the written Torah." script>. Alexandra the Maccabee (died ca. Designation of the five scrolls of the Bible (Ruth, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther). An additional stratagem employed by Esther against Haman was connected with his leading Mordecai on the horse. As a result of her mothers death, Mordecai had to care for Esthers nursing. Queen Esther and Mordecai were given Haman's estate. An orphan raised by her uncle, young Esther was taken against her will as a beautiful virgin to Persian King Ahasuerus's harem. 5). The king wanted to honor Esther, so he showered her with gifts, including a crown and royal robes. It can also be assumed from the story that Mordecai was well aware that bowing to Haman may compromise his loyalty to the Jews and God, and thus put him in a dangerous situation. No, Esther and Mordecai were not married. was the wife of the Persian King Xerxes [aka "Ahasuerus" in many Who is Jason crabb mother and where is she? She was able to use the jar to communicate her innermost thoughts and feelings to those around hershowcasing her strength, resilience and defiance in the face of her oppression. 4:11): Now I have not been summoned to visit the king for the last thirty days(Ex. Queen Vashti has been banished and an edict goes out for all qualified young virgins throughout the empire to be taken to the palace as he searches for a new queen. They were honored with royal garments and a decree was written to protect all Jews. The Rabbis compare Esther to the son of the uncle who redeems an ancestral landholding(Lev. Help JWA continue to lift up Jewish womens stories, this month and every month, by. The Bible; the Pentateuch; Tanakh (the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographia)Torah scholars. Esther understood that this action would require her to commit a grave transgression, and even lose all possibility of returning to her husband Mordecai. This, then, is the meaning of(Esth. That being said, Rabbah6:8), or to arrange for the kashrut of her food. The myrtle has a good smell, just like Esther, who performed good deeds; the myrtle does not dry out either in summer or in winter, just as the righteous dry up neither in this world nor in the World to Come (Midrash Panim Aherim, version B, para. Esther was the heroine and central figure in the Biblical book of Esther. The best. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. cit.). 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. All Her . Instead, Haman was hanged, and the Jews were given permission to destroy their enemies. The Queen ascended to the throne in 1952 at the tender age of 25, and was on a royal tour of Kenya when Philip delicately broke the news that her father, King George VI, had died. Instead, he anticipates Peter's thought in 1 Peter 2:17, before Peter ever wrote it: Fear God. The midrash compares Esther to a hind and to the dawn, based onPs. 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. Torah and history converge in a remarkable way in the life of Shelamzion. missed each other by at least 50 years. 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. The festival of Purim and the satirical setting of Megillat Esther may cause us to minimize the unusual story it preserves: the story of a young woman succeeding against all odds in foreign territory.
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