The story of esther takes place during the reign of king xerxes i of persia, primarily in the kings palace in susa, the capital of the persian empire. It relates the story of a hebrew woman in persia, born as hadassah but known as esther, who becomes queen of persia and thwarts a genocide. The story of esther happened after cyrus, the first persian king, called for all deported jews to return to jerusalem to build the house of god 538 b. Esther, according to the book of esther, was a hebrew woman from persia, who became the queen of king ahasuerus, also known as xerxes i. Esther 1 international standard version isv the wealth of king ahasuerus. It is up to mordecais niece esther to win the affection of the king, unmask hamans treachery and save the jewish people. The man of the house was none other than the king of the greatest empire in the world of his day. He is said to have ruled from india even unto ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces that is, over the achaemenid empire. In the narrative, ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, vashti, refuses to obey him, and esther is chosen for her beauty. King ahasuerus, the son of darius hystaspes, the husband of queen esther and recorded in the book of esther.
There is no reference to known historical events in the story. Well, i can now tell you that i have found you the particularly nasty villain you have been. Now he needs to pick a new queen and eventually manages to select esthera comely, young secretly jewish woman who is a part of his harem. In the court of ahasuerus, king of persia and media, who ruled over 127 provinces, a big feast is held, and queen. It narrates the account of a hebrew woman in persia, born as hadassah but identified as esther, who becomes queen of persia and prevents a massacre of her people. Esther, the beautiful jewish wife of the persian king ahasuerus xerxes i, and her. In the book of esther, hegai the kings eunuch can symbolize the guidance of the holy spirit, who prepares us to meet with our king, our lord jesus, in his second coming. This map highlights achashveiroshs vast empire as described in the book of esther 1. The story of esther, mordecai, haman and king ahasuerus, is a drama which. Now when the time came for esther to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what hegai, the kings eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested.
The jews called him ahasuerus, the hebrew form of his persian name. The book of esther describes the jewish heroine esther, who saved the jewish people in persia from annihilation during the reign of king xerxes i ahasuerus of persia, who ruled from 486 to 465 bc. In esther 910 it tells us that the ahasuerus of esther still had 127 provinces in his th year of reign. Tracing the history of the book of esther and jewish festival purim. The book of esther says that esther married xerxes, who was king of persia from 486 to 465 bce, thus becoming queen of persia. His powerful empire spread from india to ethiopia esth.
The queen described in the book of nehemiah is queen esther. This was during a time just before the wall of jerusalem was rebuilt. The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll megillah, is a book in the third. Bible name for the king of persia during the story of esther. How many children did queen esther and king xerxes have. The book of esther was written during a time when the persian empire ruled the world and ahasuerus probably xerxes i was the king of persia. Book of esther, in the hebrew bible and the christian old testament. The book is unique in the hebrew canon for several reasons, not in. The massacre had been plotted by the king s chief minister, haman, and the date decided by casting lots purim. The book of esther clearly demonstrates gods love for his. Many scholars believe that king xerxes is the same as king ahasuerus who appears in the book of esther. Esther is one of the five scrolls in the hebrew bible. In it, esther asturya, the daughter of mordecai, marries xerxes called ahasuerus, in order to foil a plot by the wicked haman who seeks to organize a pogrom against the jews. Find the answer to this and thousands of other questions on.
Esther, purim and why it all still matters jews for jesus. The book of esther, which may be a work of fiction, is set in xerxes rule and was written about 400 bce. Shushan, located in modernday iran, was the capitol of the persian empire. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise from another place, but you and your fathers family will perish. The book of esther described part of the jewish diaspora that stayed behind in persia and did not return to jerusalem during the restoration. It is helpful to read ezra, esther, and nehemiah as a unit to get the feel for the unfolding of momentous historical events during this period of time. What is the answer to this esther bible quiz question. The book of esther begins with the queen of king ahasuerusvashtisnubbing the kings request to meet with her.
At that time king xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of susa, and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his. See more ideas about esther, queen esther, bible pictures. Subsequent to esther, ezra leads a second return to the land of israel about 20 to 30 years later in 458 bc under artaxerxes ezra 7. It further tells us that this was the persian king who laid. He was the son and successor of darius the great r. But it is also a wonderful story of courage and faith. Then mordecai told them the messengers to reply to esther, do not think to yourself that in the kings. It is one of the five scrolls megillot in the hebrew bible. King xerxes of persia was the worlds most powerful monarch who ruled the persian empire around 486 b. When xerxes, king of persia, issues a call for beautiful young women, hadassah, a jewish orphan living in susa, is forcibly taken to the palace of the pagan ruler. Ahasuerus is given as the name of a king, the husband of esther, in the book of esther. Will she be able to stop the evil lord hamans plot to exterminate the jews. This was in all probability the xerxes of secular history, who succeeded his father darius b. Kennedy archaeology and the book of esther carey a.
Vashti wikipedia book of esther, wikipedia read the book of esther. In the books most famous lines, mordecai persuades esther to go to the king unbidden a capital offense and intercede on her peoples behalf. With jen lilley, linda bisesti, john clement, kass connors. When i wrote my study on the book of ruth 1, i started by saying that it was a fantastic book that had it all well, apart from a nasty villain, but we cant ask for everything. He ruled over the kingdoms of persia, media, and babylonia, from india to ethiopia. Did queen esthers beauty or bravery foil a massacre. The king s chief adviser, haman, is offended by esther s cousin and guardian, mordecai, and gets permission from the king to have all the jews in the kingdom killed. The events in the book of esther probably took place around 521495 bc.
Ernest wright early christians and the anchor, by charles a. The book purports to explain how the feast of purim came to be celebrated by the jews. Esther in the picture study bible the book of esther. Book of esther overview insight for living ministries. Persian king ahasuerus jewish queen esther the jewish queen of persia. The book of esther opens with the description of a grand banquet in the opulent courts of susa called shushan in v. When, several years later, nehemiah asked the persian king for permission to return to zion and rebuild jerusalem, the queen is sitting by him nehemiah 2. When jewish girl esther is chosen as the new queen. King ahasuerus, ruler of the persian empire, holds a lavish 180day banquet, initially for his court and. Esther bible study chapter 1 the invitation of the king. Esther is described in the book of esther as a jewish queen of the persian king ahasuerus.
Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family, personal life, achievements, and timeline. Esther 1 isv the wealth of king ahasuerus bible gateway. The book says that the first wife of xerxes, queen vashti, was. At the conclusion of esthers plea, haman is exposed and is struck with terrornot only. For such a time as this the story of ahasuerus and esther. Bible studies in the book of esther esther chapter 1. The massacre had been plotted by the kings chief minister, haman, and the date decided by casting lots purim. Esther, the beautiful jewish wife of the persian king ahasuerus, and her cousin mordecai persuade the king to retract an order for the general annihilation of jews throughout the empire.
The unknown author of the book of esther was most likely a jew very familiar with. Queen vashti deposed this is what happened during the time of xerxes, the xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from india to cush. King domestic architecture and the new testament, by h. Naturally, being a rather unstable fellow, ahasuerus firesslashdivorces her. In art the book of esther is represented in the cycle of paintings from the. According to recent research the book of esther was written in the. The book of esther says that vashti was the wife of king xerxes when he first became king of persia, followed three years later by queen esther. Secular history knows him better by his greek name, king xerxes i who ruled persia from 486 to 465 b. The book of esther is also rich in types and patterns which expound for us, the purpose of god in redeeming mankind from the power of sin. During the third year of his reign, the persian king held a great feast for all the nobles and princes of persia and media.
Esther can represent us, the followers and disciples of our beloved lord jesus, who desperately need all the help we can get in this troublesome life. Achashveirosh, king of persia, ruled a vast empire from india 1 to ethiopia 2. Esther and mordecai under xerxes of persia amazing bible. One woman s crusade to prevent the genocide of her people.
The kingdom of persia the book of esther the israel bible. When haman falls before esthers couch to beg for his life, the king can condemn him for something other than the murderous scheme, which the king himself had endorsed. Who was the king of persia in the book of esther answers. Are cyrus the great of persia, and king ahasuerus, of the. But because her situation is uncertain, she keeps her ethnic identity. The book of esther confirms that darius i is the most likely candidate for esthers king in another way as well. Moore archaeology at the albrigh institutet by phili, p j. The book of esther describes the jewish heroine esther, who saved the jewish people in persia from annihilation during the reign of king xerxes i ahasuerus. When, several years later, nehemiah asked the persian king for permission to return to zion and rebuild jerusalem, the queen is seating by him nehemia 2. It relates the story of a hebrew woman in persia, born as hadassah but known as esther, who becomes queen of persia and. We need to put the book of esther into an historical context to better understand esthers choice. Timeline archaeological study bible, esther, p 714.
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