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]". Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Sometimes it was hard for Esther because the other Jews were treated badly. The King also issued a proclamation throughout the land to honor Mordecai. See Ilana Pardes,Countertraditions in the Bible: A Feminist Approach(Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1992), 126 ff. 22:1: For the leader; onayelet ha-shahar[literally, the hind of the dawn], which the Rabbis apply to Esther. 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 . She invited both Haman and Ahasuerus to a private banquet, stirring up jealousy in the King's mind. Esther would have been in her early to mid 60's when the But to approach the king without being summoned was not only illegal, but it could very well result in death for impertinence. Part of HuffPost Religion. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. Mordecai was an important figure in the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. 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. 17:14): Inscribe this in a document as a reminder (since Haman was of Amalekite stock). 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). 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. She notes that Josephus only knew this queen by her Greek name, Alexandra, while the Rabbis only knew her by her Semitic name. 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. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'coalitionbrewing_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_3',146,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-coalitionbrewing_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Queen Esther was a brave and courageous woman who risked her life many times to save the Jewish people. We need to put the Book of Esther into an historical context to better understand Esther's choice. As the Queen died on the Isle of Wight, her body was carried on board the HMY Alberta with several yachts taking the mourners and King Edward VII to Gosport in Hampshire and then by train to Victoria station in London. Warrior-kings tend to figure largely as models of leadership in the Western imagination. A new decree to save the Jews. Esther told the king that her people were in danger. On March 30, 2002, the Queen Mother died aged 101 years and 238 days old. 5). Esther is also compared to a wolf, to the moon (see below: Esther as the Deliverer of Israel) and to a stove on which everyone places his pots (Midrash Tehilim, onPs. 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). Haman, having become incensed thatMordecai, aJew, held him indisdainand refused obeisance, convinced the king that the Jews living under Persian rule were rebellious and should be slaughtered. 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. She died peacefully on Thursday afternoon at her Scottish estate, where. There is not one correct rendering of her name in any rabbinic manuscript (260). In the affair of Bigthan and Teresh, Esther continued to follow Mordecais instructions. Esth. 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. Most of the Jews preferred the comfortable life of the Persian Empire to an arduous life rebuilding their devastated homeland. As a result, the king reversed his decree and the Jews were saved from death. 726. After she came to the fourth department, Ahasueruss ire was aroused and he remembered Vashti, who did not come into him despite his repeated requests, while Esther came into him without permission, like a harlot. Once upon a time a Jewish queen ruled the land. 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. "order." 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 Oops! Rabbah30:4). Mordecai then spoke these famous words, Do not think to yourself that in the kings palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your fathers house will perish. His father was Kish, who descended from the House of Benjamin. She should know better to try to fool God who said to her, "No, but you did laugh . I'm going to guess that Esther probably died with her husband in The day before, the 96-year-old queen pulled out of a virtual Privy Council meeting after her doctors advised her to rest. Esther showed tremendous courage in standing up for what she believed was right, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable opposition. 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. The bleeding jar in Esthers story is significant because of the deep symbolism behind it. 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. Other problems that also call into question the story's reliability include Mordecai being identified as sent into exile by Nebuchadnezzar - an event that must have place over a century before Xerxes assumed power. She appears to be a loyal wife to Mordecai, as she supports him throughout his efforts to save the Jewish people from Hamans plot. guessing that Nehemiah was probably not around when the events of After Esthers coronation, the king continues to gather virgins in his palace, which the Rabbis understand as an activity meant to reveal Esthers identity. The verse (5:1) Esther put on royal apparel is interpreted as her assuming the spirit of prophecy (BTMegillahloc. old or so, Estheryuckthat's not what they showed in the 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. She and her cousinMordecaipersuaded the king to cancel an order for the extermination of Jews in his realm, plotted by the kings chief minister, Haman. 2). [7] Queen Esther risks her own life when she goes to the kings chambers uninvited: If I must die, so be it, she says (Esther 4:16). 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)? King Xerxes: King Xerxes married Esther when he was 41 years old. 2:5as being a Benjaminite, from which the Rabbis assumed that Esther also came from this tribe. . Another angel pushed Haman onto Esthers couch (BTMegillahloc. Designation of the five scrolls of the Bible (Ruth, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther). Mordecais wife is never directly named, but it is presumed that she was originally from Susa, based on her residence in the city at the time of the story. The events of Esther took place between 483 and 473 BC, during the first part of King Xerxes's reign when he appointed Esther as his queen. Esther was ready to endanger herself and even to give her life to save her people, who therefore are called her people (4:8): to plead with him for her people(Ex. The Queen Mother lived to the grand age of 101 years and 238 days old. Ilan relies upon Bickermans dating, as does Aaron KollersEsther in Ancient Jewish Thought(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014). 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. Save the flock of Your pasture from these foes who have arisen against us, for nothing prevents You from winning a victory by many or by few. Esther understood that this action would require her to commit a grave transgression, and even lose all possibility of returning to her husband Mordecai. Alexandra the Maccabee. The combined symptoms in Esther signify that she was suffering from a serious psychiatric illness, but the precise diagnosis remains unclear. Despite her hiding her identity, Esther still maintained contact with Mordecai. cit. "order." See also Susan Niditch,A Prelude to Biblical Folklore: Underdogs and Tricksters(Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 2000). 464 BC. 2). The answer she gave was that anasmakhta(Scriptural support) for the writing of the Book of Esther is to be found in the verses mandating that the memory of Amalek be blotted out, with the explicit command(Ex. 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. Theritualobservance of Purim begins with a day of fasting,Taanit Esther(Fast of Esther) on Adar 13, the day preceding the actual holiday, in honour of the fast Mordecai and the other Jews held on Esthers behalf when she went uninvited to the king. He had a war against Greece in 480-470BC, when he was 39-49. According to another tradition, he accompanied her to ensure that she did not suffer from sorcery (Esth. The Babylonian tradition maintains that Esther was Mordecais wife. 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). 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. Esther exposes Haman's evil plan. She was a beautiful Jewish woman, the wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). She was Jewish but never revealed her nationality or family background as Mordecai had. Read Esther 4:1-17. Old Testament Stories: Queen Esther When she approached the king, he held out his scepter. 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. This makes Esther 60 years younger than her cousin Mordecai. It is most unlikely that there ever was a Queen Esther, in which "the written Torah." Updates? Additionally, Hamans royal throne and belongings were given to Mordecai, and he was honored by the people of the city. BC (he would have already been well over 90 years old at this 114 BCE: see Carey Moore, On the Origins of the LXX Additions to the Book of Esther,JBL92.3 (1973): 382-83. Esther, on the other hand, was taken every day and, like them, she requested miracles. According to other traditions, her bowels were loosened (BTMegillahloc. Esther's Origins and Her Adoption by Mordecai. Mordechais loyalty and faithfulness to the King were key elements in the unfolding of the events. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Esther-biblical-figure, McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Esther. During Jacob's stay, he fell in love with Rachel . 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 asked what she wanted. She was the last of the house of Hanover and . 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. 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. Please consider supporting TheTorah.com. In the midrashic exposition, Ahasuerus tries to discover Esthers origins, explaining that this would be beneficial for her relatives, since he would appoint them to important positions (Midrash Panim Aherimloc. When we celebrate Purim, may we laugh with Esther and Mordecai, but also remember Queen Shelamzion Alexandra, praise her example, and wish that Eretz Israel may experience those heavenly rains of peace again in our time. As a result of her mother's death . 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). Furthermore, the Jewish people had a special holiday to commemorate their deliverance and celebrate the bravery of Mordecai. One advantage to welcoming Shelamzion back into Jewish memory is making space for a role model of diplomacy and peace. Thisdevarbuilds on Ilans work: her oeuvre is well known to academics but is not as well known as it could be tothe reading public. When the king saw his queen, Xerxes lowered his golden scepter to invite Esther into his presence. Kings David and Solomon had many wives, some more influential than others, but they are never represented as ruling in their husbands stead. Esther was born about 492BC and was 14 when she became Queen. She remained passive to the moody King and obedient to her authoritarian uncle, Mordecai. Later pilgrims mentioned the site, and noted that special celebrations were held there on Shushan Purim. The matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king: Mordecai's attitude wasn't "I'm a Jewish man in exile under a pagan king, so I do not care if he is killed.". 2). Her thoughts are characterized by pressured speech, disorganized thought processes, confusion, and paranoia. 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. The ancient Jewish historian Josephus provides some details. According to various traditions, at this time she recitedPsalm 22(For the leader; onayelet ha-shahar): in the Rabbinic exegesisayelet ha-shaharis Esther, and the content of the psalm is applied to her. Rabbah10:13). 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. She was crowned about 55 years after the destruction of the First Temple, and fifteen years before the Second Temple was built. The king wanted to honor Esther, so he showered her with gifts, including a crown and royal robes. 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. They did not have the riches that Esther had. Esth. Instead, Haman was hanged, and the Jews were given permission to destroy their enemies. In post-Temple times, a small piece of dough set aside and burnt. 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 BT presents this in the opposite way: the king first talked with her by means of an interpreter, but when she told him that she was descended from King Saul, he spoke with her directly, out of respect (Lev. We rely on the support of readers like you. Mordecais wife is an unnamed woman from Susa. Torah and history converge in a remarkable way in the life of Shelamzion. At first, Esther was hesitant to approach the king, as anyone who approached him without his invitation was put to death unless the king extended his top scepter. 28 BC) was the daughter of Hyrcanus II (died 30 BC), who was the son of Alexander Jannaeus. cit.). The events of Esther unfold over an eight- to ten-year period. 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. Menstruation; the menstruant woman; ritual status of the menstruant woman. The Queen was the oldest monarch to have reigned in Britain before she passed away in September 2022, aged 96. 22:25). Jacob had traveled a great distance to find Laban. 7:6): The adversary and enemy, she first pointed to Ahasuerus, but the king moved her hand in Hamans direction. How old was Esther when she became queen? [2] See Ilan,Integrating women, 127, commenting onJewish War1.71 andJewishAntiquities13.302. 49). Let us know. She was 96. 22:16). 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. 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. Mordecai was elevated to second-in-command in the kingdom. Continue Learning about Religious Studies. Esther remained passive and allowed the King to rape her repeatedly. She was the wife of the Persian King Xerxes [aka "Ahasuerus" in many Bibles] who ruled Persia from 486 to 465 BC. She trusted in the goodness and power of God, and in the end He delivered her and her people, the Jewish people, from destruction. Then the king made a great feast of Esther, for all his . Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was born in 1900 and would give birth to the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1926. Most people have never heard of Queen Shelamzion Alexandra. 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. Esther was taken from her home and came to live in the palace along with many other girls of the harem. Because of Haman's law, she and all the Jews in the kingdom would be killed. [12] Queen Shelamzion Alexandra certainly stood to benefit from Esthers precedent. Mordecai argued that these three days fast happened to include the Passover night, which shouldn't be a night of fasting. She had one. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Queen Esther died in 473 BCE, so she was likely in her late fifties or early sixties at the time of her death. May this man have mercy on me, for I fear him. Alexandra the Maccabee (died ca. 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. Esther remained passive and allowed the King to rape her repeatedly. extended into the reign of her stepson, Artaxerxes. According to the Babylonian tradition, she saw menstrual blood (BT Megillah15a). 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. She had been suffering from a cold for the previous four months. 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. ), or her strength wanedPirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer[ed. 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. Esther then initiated a covert plan to defeat Haman using her grace and beauty. Perhaps there is room for a role model of the leader who advocates peace, piety, and diplomacy as well. The murdered queens name does not survive in the historical record. Esther risked her life to save the Jews, thus, she became an example of unselfishness and faithfulness. How old was Queen Elizabeth II when she died? cit.). 4:16) and if I am to perish, I shall perish.". Their legal marriage age suggests that they prefer young people below 18 (prime of the youth). a. After Esther was crowned queen, Mordecai held an important position at the palace and worked closely with the Queen in all matters. Princess Margaret, the Queen's younger sister, was born in 1930. Mordechai discovered a plot to kill King Xerxes and foiled it by informing the King through his cousin Esther. Rabbah1:41; BT Megillah 16a). The Talmud sees Haman's decree as a punishment from Heaven to these Jews. According to the tradition that she was previously unmarried, she was now married to and lived with a non-Jewish king. What is error code E01-5 on Toyota forklift. The Rabbis describe at length Esthers activities after she learned of Hamans decree against the Jews. Ahasuerus consulted with Mordecai how to discover Esthers secret, and Mordecai advised him to arouse Esthers jealousy by inviting other women to him, thus motivating her to disclose her secret (BT Megillah 13a). The Queen was the oldest monarch to have reigned in Britain before she passed away in September 2022, aged 96. 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].

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