King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti to appear at a banquet, but she refused to do so which led to her banishment. After the immediate danger to her community passed, Queen Esther stayed with Ahasuerus. The king agreed, not knowing that Esther, his beloved queen, and Mordecai, the man to whom he owed his life, were both Jews. There is support for this too in the Talmud (Yoma 29a).4) Esther comes from the Median "astra," meaning "myrtle." No biblical law specifies that only men can reign, although hundreds of years after Shelamzions reign, the rabbis of would interpret Deuteronomy 17:14, which states You will set a king over you as a king, not a queen (Sifre Deuteronomy 157).[3]. Her jar allowed her to find a voice in a situation where she could feel voiceless. (Viewed on March 4, 2023) . Esther was a good queen. Jewish Women's Archive. He also arranged for the Jews to gather and fast for the protection of their lives. The Book of Esther relates that Esther told no one of her Jewish origins, as Mordecai had ordered her. The Scroll of Esther is read on Purim from a parchment scroll.Megillah13a). Ultimately, the jar became a symbol of Esthers courage and determination. Esthers first husband was Mordecai. Alexandra the Maccabee (died ca. 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. The beginning of the psalm: My God, my God, why have You abandoned me? is what Esther asks when she wants to know why the spirit of divine inspiration has left her: was this because she went to Ahasuerus of her own free will, or because she disparaged him, and called him a dog (following the text of the psalm)(BTMegillah15a)? When Esther pointed and declared(Esth. The murdered queens name does not survive in the historical record. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Another angel pushed Haman onto Esthers couch (BTMegillahloc. Esthers Origins and Her Adoption by Mordecai, Esther Delivers Up Haman and Reveals Her Identity. Bibles] who ruled Persia from 486 to 465 BC. TheTorah.com is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.We rely on the support of readers like you. Rabbah 6:5; BT Megillah 13a). Something went wrong while submitting the form. Furthermore, he commanded all the provinces of his realm to provide special favors and tax exemptions to Esther and her people, the Jews. Mordecai was an important figure in the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. As Ahasuerus enjoyed only 14 more years on the throne, we conclude that Esther was but 28 years. 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. Prince Charles, who is next in line for the throne, was by her side. Solomon. tradition is that Queen Esther's tomb is in Hamadan, also known as A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? How old was Esther when she became queen of Persia? 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. Bruce Feiler says in Where God was Born that Queen Amestris was Xerxes' only known wife, and that she remained queen long after the third year of his reign, when Vashti was supposedly deposed by Xerxes.The story of Queen Esther is demonstrably non-historical, but she is portrayed as saving the Jews of the Persian Empire from destruction. She was the daughter of the infamous King Henry VIII and his second wife the illustrious Queen Anne Boleyn, who was executed when Elizabeth was just two years old. Instead, he anticipates Peter's thought in 1 Peter 2:17, before Peter ever wrote it: Fear God. Rabbah8:3). What is the labour of cable stayed bridges? In contrast with other women, whom Ahasuerus married without recording the nuptials or the date of the marriage, Esthers marriage was documented, and the date of her marriage was recorded (Pesikta de-Rav Kahana,Ha-Hodesh ha-Zeh["This monthEx. Seeking a new queen, the king appointed commissioners to bring all the beautiful young virgins from every province into his harem for a year of cosmetic treatments so that he might select a new bride. She died in her sleep at the Royal Lodge, Great Windsor Park, which is now the main residence of her grandson. She remained passive to the moody King and obedient to her authoritarian uncle, Mordecai. 28 BC) was the daughter of Hyrcanus II (died 30 BC), who was the son of Alexander Jannaeus. She was married to King Achashverosh, whom some identify as Artaxerxes (), 1 king of Persia. Yet another tradition maintains that she was eighty years of age(Gen. Rabbah39:13;MidrashAbba Gurion, para. 4:16) and if I am to perish, I shall perish.". Ahasuerus is moved by her words and instead orders Haman to be hung on the gallows he had built for Mordecai. window.location.replace(""); In their commentary on the Book of Esther, the Rabbis expand upon and add details to the Biblical narrative, relating to her lineage and history and to her relations with the other characters: Ahasuerus, Mordecai, and Haman. 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. The Talmud reveals that Esther's relationship with Ahasuerus wasn't a romantic one. Then the queen gave Haman's estate to Mordecai and prayed the king to deliver the nation of the Jews from the fear for their lives, and she showed him what the letter that had been sent throughout the country by Haman, the son of Ammedatha; for, she said, if her country were destroyed and her countrymen were to perish, she could herself bear to . Old Testament Stories: Queen Esther When she approached the king, he held out his scepter. Perhaps there is room for a role model of the leader who advocates peace, piety, and diplomacy as well. She never forgot her cousin Mordecai and she never forgot that she was one of God's children. The Coronation of Queen Esther, from the 1617 Scroll of Esther from Ferrara, Italy. Esther took place or at the very least was too young to remember In response, Esther tells him that, like him, she is the offspring of royalty (Midrash Abba Gurion, para. He also appointed her as queen of the Persian Empire and gave her a royal medal of honor. They were honored with royal garments and a decree was written to protect all Jews. The Rabbis even find proof that God concurred with the activity of Mordecai and Esther, since it is written(Esth. When she became orphaned, she was adopted by her cousin Mordecai. This shows that her selection was part of the divine plan; Esther was meant to rule in order to bring deliverance to all Israel (Lit. Verily, I seek Your mercy from window to window in the house of Ahasuerus. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered flags at the Capitol to be flown at half-staff following the queen's death. Esther was the heroine and central figure in the Biblical book of Esther. Read a brief summary of this topic. What Did God Write on the Tablets of Stone? Esthers jar is a visual representation of her emotional turmoil and her suffering. Esther is then remembered and celebrated in the annual festival of Purim. [9] For more on Esthers diplomacy and its place in theMegillahand in understanding female biblical characters, see Michael Foxs TABS essayThe Women in Esther.. Rabbah6:9). So, we know that Daniel was dead long before Esther was born and The Jews receive permission to defend themselves against their oppressors, and many of the enemies of the Jews are killed. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. movie). During the Temple period, the dough set aside to be given to the priests. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. "And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all who saw her." (2:15). Another tradition has Mordecais wife nursing the infant (Midrash Tehilim, onPs. After recently suffering with a bad. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'coalitionbrewing_com-box-4','ezslot_5',147,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-coalitionbrewing_com-box-4-0');In the biblical book of Esther, Queen Esther is a young Jewish woman who becomes queen of the Persian Empire, thanks to the intervention of King Ahasuerus advisor, Mordecai. As a result, the King promoted Mordechai to a high position in the court. Launched Shavuot 5773 / 2013 | Copyright Project TABS, All Rights Reserved, script type="text/javascript"> Another tradition has her eating only seeds in the harem, similar to Daniel and his fellows, in order to observe the laws ofThe Jewish dietary laws delineating the permissible types of food and methods of their preparation.kashrut (BT Megillahloc. The Babylonian tradition maintains that Esther was Mordecais wife. Midrash adds that Esther's father died during her mother's pregnancy, and the latter died during childbirth (Esth. Esther and Mordecai then obtained a royal edict allowing Jews throughout the empire to defend themselves on the day set for their extermination. holy Temple in Jersusalem. In the Book of Lamentations Israel bemoan (5:3): We have become orphans, fatherless, and God promises them the redemption of the fatherless and motherless orphan (Lam. Shelamzion became sole heir to the Hasmonean kingdom when her husband, King Alexander Janneaus (King Yannai in rabbinic sources), who reigned from 10376 BCE, died. Warrior-kings tend to figure largely as models of leadership in the Western imagination. The Queen was the oldest monarch to have reigned in Britain before she passed away in September 2022, aged 96. He was blinded, but when he looked in her direction his vision was restored and he extended his scepter (Midrash Panim Aherim, version B, para. Esther asked Mordecai to fast for three days, even though the third day was the first day of the holiday ofA seven-day festival to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt (eight days outside Israel) beginning on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nissan. This means she had been married to the king for approximately 40 years at the time of her death. She she fasts for three days, she goes to the king, enduring many obstacles while traveling through the palace but protected by angels. [8] See Helena Zlotnicks discussion of Esther inDinahs Daughters: Gender and Judaism from the Hebrew Bible to Late Antiquity(Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002), 87. What is error code E01-5 on Toyota forklift. Esther becoming queen was a massive step up in the world, but that was probably because her husband was The King You Didn't Mess With. In a risky move, Esther reveals her Jewish heritage to Ahasuerus and pleads with him to spare her people, despite the risk of death. TheA type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules).Midrash adds that Esthers father died during her mothers pregnancy, and the latter died during childbirth (Esth. 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. Part of HuffPost Religion. She had two grown sons (Aristobulus and Hyrcanus II), but she decided not to step aside for them; perhaps she foresaw that the rivalry between the younger and older son would not end well. What did the Nazis begin using gas chambers instead of mobile killing units and shooting squads after a while? Others have suggested an earlier date of translation, ca. This also leads to a different understanding of Mordecais involvement, as he walks about in the royal courtyard out of concern for his wife. How Can a Torah Commentary Be Source-Critical and Jewish? How old was King Xerxes when he married Esther? The best. And lest you think I am making an argument about gendered skills (i.e., what women do vs. what men do), the following from the late biblical scholar Tikva Frymer-Kensky is noteworthy: With these two queens, the Torah and Jewish history model another way of being successful in the world, both for men and women. Then the king made a great feast of Esther, for all his . Esther gained even greater favour with Ahasuerus after she helped thwart an assassination plot against him that Mordecai overheard at the palace gate. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. script>. Haman, too, was troubled by the question of Esthers origins. missed each other by at least 50 years. The King also issued a proclamation throughout the land to honor Mordecai. Esther Greenwood, the protagonist of Sylvia Plaths novel The Bell Jar, is believed to be a representation of the author herself. 2). Themidrashrelates that Esther hid from Ahasueruss agents who sought women for the king. 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. In the Erez Israel tradition, she miscarried the fetus she bore in her womb (the offspring of Ahasuerus) (Esth. Abraham, "fell on his face and laughed" while Sarah, "laughed to herself" and even tried to deny it. According to the second direction, Esther was her real name, and she is so named throughout the Book of Esther; accordingly, the name Hadassah needs further explanation. Is the singer Avant and R Kelly brothers? Mordecai remained a close confidant to Esther and played a pivotal role in helping her save the Jewish people. 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. As a result of her mother's death . How can a woman test for infertility at home? Esther 4:11-16. Given things for purification (Esther 2:9). 5). Given new belongings (Esther 2:9). cit.). Abase him before me, for You abase the proud (Esth. The situation was even more serious according to the tradition that Esther was married to Mordecai (the Babylonian tradition), for then, as a married woman, she committed adultery. The day before, the 96-year-old queen pulled out of a virtual Privy Council meeting after her doctors advised her to rest. point. Nehemiah probably knew of Queen The short answer is that we'll never know.
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