By merit of this, Mordecai(Esth. On March 30, 2002, the Queen Mother died aged 101 years and 238 days old. As Tal Ilan has suggested, this moment is also crucial because it shows us that the decision to promote the book of Esther could well be associated with the coronation of Shelamzion Alexandria and that it may have been part of a larger literary campaign designed to promote the leadership of women through dialogue with other contemporary points of view which were hostile to the idea of women in power (as Josephus was, for example). Esther: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive There was no King Ahasuerus of Persia, but many Bible commentaries observe that Ahasuerus is likely the Hebraicised version of King Xerxes, the Achaemenid leader who ruled from 486 to 465 BCE.Historians say that Queen Amestris was Xerxes' only known wife and was definitely still queen at the time the biblical account says that Xerxes married Esther, casting doubt on the biblical story. She stayed with Ahasuerus and sacrificed her personal happiness to complete her ultimate mission to enable the building of the Second Temple and the return to Zion. A new decree to save the Jews. The Book of Esther reports that when Esther learned that Mordecai was wearing sackcloth, the queen was greatly agitated (4:4). King Xerxes: King Xerxes married Esther when he was 41 years old. The Babylonian tradition (according to which she was Mordecais wife) understands this apprehension as her awareness that she would thereby lose her status as one compelled [a married woman living with another man against her will] and become a woman who does so freely. 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. However, just because you don't know when Weird Things Nobody Told You About Queen Esther - YouTube ESTHER in the BIBLE. Heroine who saved the Jewish people Elizabeth reigned for almost forty-five years and was the last monarch of the Tudor Dynasty, having died childless. Upon realizing this, Mordecai subdued the enemy and turned the wickedness of Haman back onto himself and his family. case we can not say how old she was. The Scroll of Esther is read on Purim from a parchment scroll. Esther showed tremendous courage in standing up for what she believed was right, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable opposition. In the midrashic expansion, on her way to the king Esther encountered various obstacles and she had to pass through seven departments in the palace. 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). It is believed that Esther's life 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. was the wife of the Persian King Xerxes [aka "Ahasuerus" in many This status completely changed when Esther went to Ahasuerus of her own free will, in order to persuade him to cancel Hamans decree(Esth. 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). Lit. Something went wrong while submitting the form. Verily, I seek Your mercy from window to window in the house of Ahasuerus. Mordecai and Esther respond to this that the story in the Book of Esther was already recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Media and Persia(Esth. Their legal marriage age suggests that they prefer young people below 18 (prime of the youth). "scroll." Ecbatana, located in what is now western Iran. cit. The two were very close and Mordecai was highly regarded and respected by both King Xerxes and the Jewish people. The Bible; the Pentateuch; Tanakh (the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographia)Torah scholars. We can adjust the hypothetical ages and birth dates of Mordecai, Esther and their parents by a few years and still keep it . Vashti in the Bible - Her Story and Why She Was Banished As Ahasuerus enjoyed only 14 more years on the throne, we conclude that Esther was but 28 years. Esther: A Queen Under Control. Esther and her cousin Mordecai (who had once saved the king's life) later persuaded the king to cancel an order for the extermination of the Jews in his vast realm, which had been plotted by the king's chief minister, Haman. 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. Who Was Queen Esther - Story, History, and Significance - Crosswalk.com Yes, Mordechai was indeed Esthers cousin. Esther despaired throughout her first six years in the palace. Esthers jar was a tangible expression of her emotional devastation, her loss of hope, and her feelings of utter helplessness. In order to recognize Mordecais efforts, the king made him his minister and gave him a royal robe and princely apparel. The Queen dies 'peacefully' aged 96 after 70 years of remarkable Rabbah 6:5; BT. cit.). Esther had been made queen to save her people; her mission and her faith shaped her character and inspired her to act and succeed. Esther was a Jewish woman who lived in Persia during the period following the destruction of the First Holy Temple, when many Jews had been taken as slaves to Babylonia, which was subsequently overtaken by Persia. Esther wanted to speak with Xerxes about Haman's hatred toward the Jews. This, then, is the meaning of(Esth. God used her to deliver His people from a wicked plan of total destruction. How old was King Xerxes when he married Esther? - Answers 2). What did the Nazis begin using gas chambers instead of mobile killing units and shooting squads after a while. Esther replaced Queen Vashti, who had been sentenced to death because she had refused to display her beauty to the King's feast attendants. I told her not to tell anyone she was an Israelite, though, because a lot of people still didn't like Israelites and I thought King Xerxes might not pick her to be the new queen if he knew she was an . He married Esther in 479BC (Esther 2:16), when he was 40. 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 2:6), and she influenced the King's decision to approve Nehamia's request. The hero of the Book of Esther is a Jewish woman who lived in Susa and became queen when she was chosen to be the wife of King . What is the answer punchline algebra 15.1 why dose a chicken coop have only two doors? Prince Charles, who is next in line for the throne, was by her side. What episode does Squidward say the F word. The Book of Esther does not say how old Esther was when she was taken to Ahasueruss palace; different midrashic traditions address this question. She notes that Josephus only knew this queen by her Greek name, Alexandra, while the Rabbis only knew her by her Semitic name. She Read a brief summary of this topic. Mordechai discovered a plot to kill King Xerxes and foiled it by informing the King through his cousin Esther. cit.). According to other traditions, her bowels were loosened (BTMegillahloc. The Rabbis add that Esther found favor in the eyes of both heaven and humans (Esth. Another tradition has Esther reciting this psalm during the three days of fasting that preceded her going to Ahasuerus: My God on the first day, my God on the second day, and why have You abandoned me? on the third. When she became orphaned, she was adopted by her cousin Mordecai. One tradition asserts that Esther used a resorbent, that is, she employed a contraceptive device to prevent any pregnancy by Ahasuerus. And You, O Lord, bring success to this, Your poor handmaiden. point. Have an update or correction? , Rabbi Nathan states, In its season from Shabbat night to Shabbat night, the way [rains] fell in the days of Queen Shelamzion., Megillat Esther: A Godless and Assimilated Diaspora.. Rabbah5:3). Mordecai stopped at the gate because he wanted to tell the king about a plot to kill him. Ahasuerus first tried to turn his face so that he would not look upon Esther, but the ministering angels forcibly turned his head, until he cried out. She was a beautiful Jewish woman, the wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). i. He was a Jew living in the Persian city of Susa, and he became a prime minister in the Persian court of King Ahasuerus. Rabbah6:9). According to one tradition, Esther was responsible for Mordecais being seated at the palace gate, since she told Ahasuerus that all the great kings seated a Jewish advisor at the gate (Midrash Abba Gurionloc. The monarch of Persia, King Ahasuerus, was wealthy and powerful. King Ahasuerus, named Darius, who became King Darius II. Who was with the Queen when she died? | Daily Mail Online She was compared to a hind, for just as a hind has a narrow womb and is as desirable to her mate at all times as at the first time, so, too, was Esther as desirable to Ahasuerus at all times as at the first time. 2). He killed Haman in 473BC, when he was 45 ( Esther 3:7 ). Similarly, her son Benjamin knew about the sale of Joseph, but remained silent and did not tell his father. missed each other by at least 50 years. Dont miss the latest essays from TheTorah.com. Alexandra the Maccabee. A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). Elizabeth I is one of England's most well-known monarchs. Mordecais wife is an unnamed woman from Susa. Most people have never heard of Queen Shelamzion Alexandra. In the Book of Esther, Mordecai plays a major role in the events leading up to the deliverance of the Jewish people from their enemies. probably lived at the same time. She she fasts for three days, she goes to the king, enduring many obstacles while traveling through the palace but protected by angels. 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.". When Esther was taken captive, her emotional world was completely destroyed. Hatach and Esther. She and her cousin Mordecai persuaded the king to cancel an order for the extermination of Jews in his realm, plotted by the king's chief minister, Haman. Photo Credit: Wikipedia, 'Ahasuerus and Haman at the Feast of Esther . How old was Sarah when she gave birth to Isaac? - Aleteia See also Susan Niditch,A Prelude to Biblical Folklore: Underdogs and Tricksters(Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 2000). The Bible depicts Esther as an orphan who was raised in the house of her uncle Mordecai(Esth. How Did the Queen Die? Elizabeth II Cause of Death, Last Words Theodor-Albeck], MS. Vatican, para. The events of Esther unfold over an eight- to ten-year period. She ordered her uncle: "Go, gather together all the Jews and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day." Instead, Haman was hanged, and the Jews were given permission to destroy their enemies. Immediately upon her death, her sons fought over the throne, eventually inviting in Rome, and Judea never regained full independence until the modern state of Israel. Mordecai held a position inside of the king's palace, and he went their every day to perform his duties. Esther must have been a "teenager" based on the historical and Biblical facts above. Lesson: Queen Esther - For Such a Time as This - Ministry-To-Children 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). She was the last of the house of Hanover and . Esther was a teenager in Let us know. 100-105 and 127-154. Queen Elizabeth II died of old age, death certificate shows Browse 35 queen esther bible stock illustrations and vector graphics available royalty-free, or start a new search to explore more great stock images and vector art. Queen Esther and Bella Abzug: Costumes, Leadership, and Identity, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. 49). After the immediate danger to her community passed, Queen Esther stayed with Ahasuerus. 10:3) was able to have interceded for the welfare of all his kindred (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer, chap. The plea was turned down by her. On the third day, Queen Esther put on her royal robes and presented herself to King Xerxes, even though her husband had not requested her presence in over a month. Her reign lasted less than a decade but still longer than a two-term presidency. 2). Rachel is first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in Genesis 29 when Jacob happens upon her as she is about to water her father's flock. The Midrash adds that Esther's father died during her mother's pregnancy, and the latter died during childbirth ( Esth. Warrior-kings tend to figure largely as models of leadership in the Western imagination. Another question that concerned the Rabbis was that of the children from the union of Esther and Ahasuerus. Mordecai would walk about in front of the harem in order to rule for Esther regarding menstrual spotting; another exegetical exposition has Esther showing the spotting from her menstruation to theTorah she-bi-khetav: Lit. She had one son with 5:3), but not things that were opposed to the kingdom, such as her asking him to rebuild the Temple (BT Megillah loc. Fortunately, the king was able to get to the bottom of the plot and expose the would-be assassins before any harm came to Mordecai or the king. 2:7). The Book of Esther, which does Who Was Esther and Why Was She So Important? - Crosswalk.com [10] Frymer-Kensky,In the Wake of the Goddesses: Women, Culture, and the Biblical Transformation of Pagan Myth(Free Press, 1992), 130. Esther understood that this action would require her to commit a grave transgression, and even lose all possibility of returning to her husband Mordecai. There is not one correct rendering of her name in any rabbinic manuscript (260). He even granted permission for the Jews to arm themselves with weapons and deliver the kings edicts throughout the kingdom. 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. Esther - Josephus Mordecais refusal to bow to Haman displayed his firm faith and commitment to his people and to the God of Israel. The Book ofEsther (2:7)relates that Esther had two names: He was foster father to Hadassahthat is, Esther. The Rabbis take two interpretive directions as regards these names. This understanding of the Book of Esther is linked to the perception of Esther as a prophet: she is included in the list of seven women prophets(BTMegillah14a; Seder Olam Rabbah21). During the . We need to put the Book of Esther into an historical context to better understand Esther's choice. However, later scribes, as the manuscript evidence suggests, no longer understood it. [13] The analogy of Israel to a sinful adulteress in the prophets is more prominent. Mordecai is mentioned inEsth. 22:7, 2426). One advantage to welcoming Shelamzion back into Jewish memory is making space for a role model of diplomacy and peace. 7:5states: Thereupon King Ahasuerus demanded [va-yomerliterally, and he saidwritten twice in the verse] of Queen Esther, Who is he. The midrash is of the opinion that the verbva-yomeris repeated here because Ahasuerus initially spoke directly to Esther, but when he discovered that she was a Jew, he spoke to her through an interpreter. script>. Esth. The Jews honored God and knew that one should not bow down to Haman, or any of his gods, for it was a sign of idolatry and would directly break the command of God. Given things for purification (Esther 2:9). What can we learn from Esther about our personal understanding of our true life's mission? Sort by: Most popular. Ahasuerus is moved by her words and instead orders Haman to be hung on the gallows he had built for Mordecai. Sometimes it was hard for Esther because the other Jews were treated badly. Mordecai did not bow to Haman because he was a Jew and Haman was an Agagite, the enemies of Gods chosen people. In reference to her lineage, the Rabbis state that she continued the way of the members of her tribe: Rachel, Benjamin, and Saul(Gen. Rabbah71:35; see below: Esther Does Not Reveal Her Origins). It seems unlikely that Esther was ever Queen of Persia, so we can not say at what age Xerxes married her. Lit. Queen Esther is an orphan raised by her uncle Mordecai and is eventually married to King Ahasuerus. The regimen of rituals, songs and textual readings performed in a specific order on the first two nights (in Israel, on the first night) of Passover. Even though she was the queen and the favorite of Xerxes, Esther was taking a great risk in deciding to go to him. The king was humiliated and enraged, and he banished Vashti. The day before, the 96-year-old queen pulled out of a virtual Privy Council meeting after her doctors advised her to rest. [2] See Ilan,Integrating women, 127, commenting onJewish War1.71 andJewishAntiquities13.302. Mordecai had discovered the evil plan of two palace administrators, Bigthan and Teresh, and he wanted to make sure the king was aware of the danger and could take proper precautions to protect himself. 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. See Ilana Pardes,Countertraditions in the Bible: A Feminist Approach(Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1992), 126 ff. Her jar represented her strength and her resilience and gives a powerful message of hope to all those facing oppression. There, she was forced to prepare herself for her first night with the King by spending six months doused in oil of myrrh and another six in sweet odors ointments. Esther was a Jewish young woman who was providentially selected to be the queen of Persia. One of these officials was the biblical Mordecai. 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. Kings David and Solomon had many wives, some more influential than others, but they are never represented as ruling in their husbands stead. Esther 4:11-16. Queen Sheba the famous rich queen , never did marry king Esther risked her life to save the Jews, thus, she became an example of unselfishness and faithfulness. According to the tradition that she was previously unmarried, she was now married to and lived with a non-Jewish king. Haman (the bad guy) represented the Jews' first enemy Ernest Normand/Wikipedia Esther's story is full of symbolism, which really helped the case for being accepted into the Bible. 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. Jewish and Persian Despite her hiding her identity, Esther still maintained contact with Mordecai. 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. 16 September 2012. Esther: Midrash and Aggadah | Jewish Women's Archive cit.). One day he overheard a conspiracy between two of the king's guards who wanted to assassinate Xerxes. Rachel - Wikipedia Esther, the orphaned cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai, won the kings devotion and was chosen to be the new queen; Mordecai had instructed her to not reveal that she was Jewish. Who is Jason crabb mother and where is she? What is the moral of the story of Esther? 10 Characteristics of Esther in the Bible: The Courageous Queen 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. Another tradition compares Esther, who ruled one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, toSarah, who died at the age of one hundred and twenty-seven(Gen. Rabbah58:3). She overtook Queen. Upset, the king stepped out into the palace gardens. 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. Happy Womens History Month! ; Frymer-Kensky,In the Wake of the Goddesses, 137-38. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Esther-biblical-figure, McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Esther. When Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman at the gate, Haman was extremely offended and sought to have Mordecai killed. Rebekah had sent him there to be safe from his angry twin brother, Esau. Old Testament Stories: Queen Esther When she approached the king, he held out his scepter. The King of Persia, Ahasuerus, had appointed Haman to be his prime minister and a decree was issued ordering the annihilation of all Jews. Queen Esther is the reluctant heroine of the Purim story. Like many Jews today, she had two names, one Hebrew and one Greek. 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. Esther is noteworthy for her beauty, intelligence, and courage, along with her humility. She invited both Haman and Ahasuerus to a private banquet, stirring up jealousy in the King's mind. Esther: Nice Jewish Girl, Married to a Goy? In Shelamzions period, there were no precedents for powerful queens in Judeanot unless one counts Jezebel, the most notorious queen in Israelite history, or her daughter Athaliah. Esther was the heroine and central figure in the Book of Esther, which is now recognised by Biblical scholars to have been a second-century-BCE Jewish novel. As early as 1215, Rabbi Menachem Ha-Hevroni wrote that while visiting the Galilee, he came across the tomb of Queen Esther, "who, during her lifetime, had instructed her son Cyrus to bring her there [for burial]". As a result of her mothers death, Mordecai had to care for Esthers nursing. Torah and history converge in a remarkable way in the life of Shelamzion. Esther exposes Haman's evil plan. The Death of Esther Even though Esther and Mordecai werent directly related, their close relationship was very strong and continued throughout their lives. [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.