In contrast, the BT also cites a tradition that Esther had a greenish [sallow] complexion, and therefore was called Hadassah; according to this tradition, Ahasuerus was drawn to her because she was endowed with great charm (BTMegillahloc. They derive this from the various verses that reflect the thought of the characters, or that attest to actions of which a normal person could not be cognizant, such as Haman said to himself(Esth. These words persuaded Esther to approach the king and she requested a private dinner for him and Haman. 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. On March 30, 2002, the Queen Mother died aged 101 years and 238 days old. Theodor-Albeck], MS. Vatican, para. 5). On returning, he found Haman falling on the couch where Esther was. The king mistook Hamans frantic pleas for mercy as an attack upon the queen. If her queenship was unprecedented in the second temple period, it was not unprecedented in the Jewish imaginationQueen Esther had made it possible to imagine a Jewish queen positively. cit.). He was a Jew living in the Persian city of Susa, and he became a prime minister in the Persian court of King Ahasuerus. She was placed with her adoptive family, the Kings, on the orders of Queen Esther of Persia, who held a grudge against all Jews. // Javascript URL redirection 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 old was Queen Elizabeth II when she died? Her death is believed to have been around the age of 57. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. She was 96. The short answer is that we'll never know. This, then, is the meaning of(Esth. old, non-virgin wife. Josephus final words about Shelamzion are that despite her deviation from proper feminine behavior, she had kept the nation at peace (Jewish Antiquities 13:432). The king held a party in his honor one day. 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? cit. was the wife of the Persian King Xerxes [aka "Ahasuerus" in many 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. Ilan relies upon Bickermans dating, as does Aaron KollersEsther in Ancient Jewish Thought(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014). 2:22): and Esther reported it to the king in Mordecais name, from which the Rabbis learned that whoever properly attributes a statement brings redemption to the world, since, by merit of this act, the king wished to give honor and advancement to Mordecai, which began Hamans downfall (Codification of basic Jewish Oral Law; edited and arranged by R. Judah ha-Nasi c. 200 C.E.Mishnah Avot6:6). Queen Elizabeth II has died today aged 96. 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. In order to recognize Mordecais efforts, the king made him his minister and gave him a royal robe and princely apparel. 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. The Queen described in the Book of Nehemiah is Queen Esther. Upset, the king stepped out into the palace gardens. 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). 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. Who is Jason crabb mother and where is she? Esther remained passive and allowed the King to rape her repeatedly. She received her Ph.D. in religion from Princeton University. [2] See Ilan,Integrating women, 127, commenting onJewish War1.71 andJewishAntiquities13.302. She oversaw a peaceful and prosperous period. The recitation of Megillat Esther during the topsy-turvy holiday of Purim can distract us from the serious side of this story and Queen Esthers example. What is the answer punchline algebra 15.1 why dose a chicken coop have only two doors? Mordecai argued that these three days fast happened to include the Passover night, which shouldn't be a night of fasting. A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). He married Esther in 479BC (Esther 2:16), when he was 40. However, later scribes, as the manuscript evidence suggests, no longer understood it. Commenting on Deuteronomy 11:13-14, which describes rain falling in its season as a reward for keeping the commandments, Sifre Deuteronomy writes (42): In other words, Rabbi Nathan observes that in the days of Queen Shelamzion, the people actually obeyed the commandmentsthey were all good for a change!and God rewarded the Israelites with plentiful rain from heaven. Happy Womens History Month! When Esther was taken captive, her emotional world was completely destroyed. After he had Vashti killed, all the lands rebelled against him; once he married Esther, one hundred and twenty-seven lands came under his rule once again, and when he appointed Mordecai as viceroy, they all returned to him (Midrash Tehilim, onPs. Old Testament Stories: Queen Esther When she approached the king, he held out his scepter. To hide her identity as a Jew, he tells her to go by the name of Esther. The midrash relates that Esther asked theTorahscholars to Write of me for all time. The Rabbis replied that it is forbidden to add to what is written in the Torah, and it is not possible to include another book in Scripture, or to establish a new holiday. [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. 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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. She married her cousin Alexander of Judaea (died 48 BC), who was the son of Aristobulus II. During the Temple period, the dough set aside to be given to the priests. She greatly feared to appear before Ahasuerus. Esther took her turn after 12 months of preparation, and she was chosen as queen: "She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. The Rabbis accordingly relate her to the MatriarchRachel, the mother of the tribe of Benjamin. Additionally, he decreed that anyone hostile to the Jews would be punished. 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. . (Viewed on March 4, 2023) . Rebekah had sent him there to be safe from his angry twin brother, Esau. Later pilgrims mentioned the site, and noted that special celebrations were held there on Shushan Purim. . The spelling of her name is confirmed by its appearance in the Qumran material; see4QCalendrical Document C(Florentino Garcia Martinez and Elbert J. C. Tigchelaar, eds.,Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition[Brill Academic Publishers, 2000], 694). Her son Charles, 73, is now king. Daniel probably died shortly after Darius took the throne in 521 does not give many details of Esther's life, Persian records do. 2:7). A day was set aside for the slaughter, and a decree issued to every corner of the empire. Mordecais wife is an unnamed woman from Susa. Their relationship was instrumental in saving the Jews from extermination and is one of the main themes of the Book of Esther. In conclusion, yes, Mordechai was indeed Esthers cousin. Because of Haman's law, she and all the Jews in the kingdom would be killed. 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. Rabbah6:9). Esther was a teenager in 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. 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. Esther was given seven maids to serve her in the harem; the Rabbis comment that she used them in order to count the seven days of the week [to know when the Sabbath fell, so that she could observe it even in the harem]. Am Yisrael Chai Mordecai was a trusted advisor to King Xerxes of Persia and Esther was his adopted daughter. We need to put the Book of Esther into an historical context to better understand Esther's choice. In a risky move, Esther reveals her Jewish heritage to Ahasuerus and pleads with him to spare her people, despite the risk of death. 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. 22:5). 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. A new decree to save the Jews. The jar symbolizes Esthers grief, fear, and pain, which stems from her captivity in King Xerxes harem. According to other traditions, her bowels were loosened (BTMegillahloc. He became King of Persia in 485BC at the age of 33. them clearly. The Queen Mother lived to the grand age of 101 years and 238 days old. 22:26). Though she may have been elderly at the time of her death, her legacy continues to live on. 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. As a result of her mother's death . assumed in to the next King's harem (also possiblealthough a Esth. Mordecais refusal to bow to Haman displayed his firm faith and commitment to his people and to the God of Israel. Sat 30 Mar 2002 15.27 EST Buckingham Palace announced today that the Queen Mother died peacefully in her sleep at 3.15 this afternoon at the age of 101. My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me? Jesus or Esther? And her name was not Esther. This last event was around the same time that Esther became Queen. movie). The Scroll of Esther is read on Purim from a parchment scroll.Megillah loc. Her reign lasted less than a decade but still longer than a two-term presidency. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Guy Siverson Graceful Touch | Massage Therapy Therapist (s) | Rapid City Author has 5.2K answers and 2.7M answer views 7 mo Esther 2:7 King James Version Torah and history converge in a remarkable way in the life of Shelamzion. Queen Esther and Mordecai were given Haman's estate. When Esther pointed and declared(Esth. Mordecai was Esthers cousin and guardian, having adopted her as his daughter when her parents died. 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. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. As Esther poured her tears and anguish into the jar, it became a bridge between her innermost feelings and the outside world. Solomon. In another exposition, she was given this name by the Gentiles, after the celestial body Istahar (BTLit. The outraged king ordered that Haman be hanged on the gallows built for Mordecai and that Mordecai be named to fill Hamans position. 22:7, 2426). The Rabbis viewed Esther as one who was compelled to marry Ahasuerus against her will. The book of Esther (2:7) states that she had both names, Esther and Myrtle (Hadassah in Hebrew). This book therefore has the same sanctity as the other books of Scripture. Additional traditions maintain that not only did Esther become pregnant by Ahasuerus, but she was also the mother of the last Darius (idem) or of Cyrus (Kallah Rabbati2:15). Haman, too, was troubled by the question of Esthers origins. The night of their union, Ahasuerus loved Esther "above all women" and made her the Persian Empire's Queen. The answer is yes. 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. Esthers jar was a tangible expression of her emotional devastation, her loss of hope, and her feelings of utter helplessness. She became the new wife of the king when his . Esther would have been in her early to mid 60's when the She understood why she had to suffer through her relationship with this irritable king. Designation of the five scrolls of the Bible (Ruth, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther). 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. The Book of Esther reports that when Esther learned that Mordecai was wearing sackcloth, the queen was greatly agitated (4:4). Queen Esther died in 473 BCE, so she was likely in her late fifties or early sixties at the time of her death. She was 96 years old. According to tradition, the book of Esther was written in the mid-4th century BCE, and was made part of the canon which was sealed a couple of decades after.Esther was queen for about 11 years.The name of Mordecai is the Judaised pronunciation of Marduka, which is attested in the Persepolis Texts as the name of officials in the Persian court during the period of Xerxes I. Esther then initiated a covert plan to defeat Haman using her grace and beauty. The story of the underdog, of the weaker winning against the stronger, is the quintessential biblical and Jewish theme, but it is not often that Israel is figuredliterarily or in realityas a woman and still praised as pious, divinely appointed, and beloved.[13].