Lesson#11

Esther,Part1(1:1– 2:18)

Esther,Part1 1

EzraandNehemiahtellthestoryoftheJewswho—thankstoCyrustheGreat,kingofPersia—returnedfromBabylontoJerusalemin539B.C.undertheleadershipofZerubabbel,theirappointedgovernor.Thereturneesnumbered42,360men,alongwiththeirfamilies,totalingaround230,000people.Aftermuchopposition,theyrebuiltJerusalem’ssecondtemple,completingitin516B.C.

Ezra,thepriestandscribe,returnedtoJerusalemin458B.C.,accompaniedby1,771men,plustheirfamilies,totalingabound5,000people.EzrareintroducedScripturetothereturnees,andheservedasreligiousleaderofthenascentcommunity.

Nehemiah,animportantcourtofficialservingthePersiankingArtaxerxes,returnedtoJerusalemin445B.C.NehemiahrebuiltthewallsofJerusalem,rebuiltandrepopulatedthecityitself,andinstitutedmajorreformsinJewishreligiousandcivillife.

EzraandNehemiahtoldthestoryofthosewhoreturned fromtheBabyloniancaptivity.

Esther,Part1 2

ManyJews,however,didnot returnfromBabylon.Afterall,thenorthernkingdomofIsraelhadbeenconqueredbyAssyriain722B.C.andthesurvivingJewswererelocatedthroughouttheAssyrianEmpire.Nebuchadnezzar,kingofBabylon,thendefeatedtheAssyriansatthebattleofCarchemishin605B.C.Next,NebuchadnezzarattackedJerusalem,takingthefirstwaveofJewishcaptivestoBabyloninlate605B.C.(theprophetDanielwasamongthem);heattackedagainin597B.C.,takinganotherwaveofcaptivestoBabylon(theprophetEzekielwasamongthem);andheattackedathirdandfinaltimein588B.C.,resultingina2-yearsiegeofJerusalemandthedestructionofthecityandtemplein586B.C.(theprophetJeremiahwasaneyewitness,livinginJerusalemthroughoutthesiege).ThesurvivorsofthesiegeweretakencaptivetoBabylon(Jeremiahwasleftbehindwitharemnant,andheandtheremnantlaterfledintoEgyptanddisappeared).

CyrustheGreat,kingofPersia,thendefeatedBabylonwithoutashotbeingfiredin539B.C.Averyenlightenedandinnovativemonarch,CyrusissuedhisfamousdecreeallowingallthepeopletakencaptivebyAssyriaandBabylontoreturnhomeandrebuildtheircities,templesandinfrastructures.

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4Esther,Part1

CyrusCylinder(Akkadiancuneiformscriptonclaycylinder),539B.C.BritishMuseum,London.

ManyJewishfamilies,however,hadbeenlivinginAssyriafornearlytwocenturies(722-539B.C.,183years),whileotherJewishfamilieshadbeenlivinginBabylonfornearly70years(605-539B.C.,66years).Agreatmanyhadwhollyorpartiallyassimilatedintothosedominantcultures,ortheywerehappylivingasJewsinthebeautiful,prosperousandwell-managedcities,townsandvillagesofthePersianEmpire.VeryfewhadeverseenJerusalem,letalonglivedinit.Theyhadbuiltnewlivesintheirnewhomes.AndmanyJewsfaredquitewellinPersia:bothEzraandNehemiah,forexample,werehighlyeducated,well-placedofficialsinthePersiancourtatSusa.

ManyJews—themajority,infact—didnotreturntoJerusalem.

ThebookofEsthertellstheirstory.

Esther,Part1 5

JohnEverettMallais.Esther (oiloncanvas),1865.Privatecollection.

[FellowPre-Raphaelitepainter,ValentinePrinsep,dressedGeneralCharlesGeorgeGordoninthisyellowgownforPrinsep’s “Chinese”portraitofGordon(1866).Mallais sofanciedthe“yellowjacket”thatheborroweditanddressedhismodel,MuirMackenzie,initforEsther,

butheturnedthebrocadedcapeinsideouttocreatetheabstractcolorpatternsyouseehere!]

6Esther,Part1

ThebookofEsthertellsthestoryofabeautifulyoungJewishwoman,Hadasseh(knownas“Esther,” from“Ishtar,”meaning“star,”theMesopotamiangoddessoflove,beauty,desireandsex).Throughamemorableseriesofevents,EstherbecomesthewifeandqueenofthePersianking,XerxesI(486-465B.C.),andshethwartstheplannedgenocideoftheJewishpeopleatthehandsofHaman,avile,high-levelofficialinkingXerxes’court.

Thestoryisnot“history”inthemodernsenseoftheterm;rather,wemightconsideritan“historicalnovella.”

7Esther,Part1

ThebookofEstherwasoriginallywritteninHebrew,perhapsinthe4th centuryB.C.,providingthecontextfortheJewishfeastofPurim.*

EstherwasthelastbooktobeincludedbytheRabbisintheHebrewcanonofScripture,however,doubtlessbecauseitistheonly bookinwhichGodisnevermentioned.* IntheHebrewtext,theJewishpeoplearesavedsolelythroughtheeffortsofEstherandMordecai.

*PurimcelebratesthesavingoftheJewishpeoplefromextermination,aholocaustplannedbyHaman,thePersiancourtofficial.Purimiscelebratedonthe14th dayofAdar,the12th monthontheHebrewlunarcalendar,usuallyduringMarchonourGregoriancalendar.

* UntilrecentlyNehemiahwasnotfoundamongtheDeadSeaScrollseither;however,afragmentofNehemiahhasappearedamongCave4fragments,andthefragmenthasbeeneditedandpublishedbyTorleifElgvin,etal.ItisincludedinGleaningsfromtheCaves(TheLibraryofSecondTempleStudies,71).London:Bloomsbury—T&TClark,2016.TheSongofSongsdoesn’tmentionGod,either,butitiseroticlovepoetry,anentirelydifferentgenreofbiblicalliterature.ItwasreluctantlyincludedintheHebrewcanon,sinceitisattributedtokingSolomon.

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Consequently,alaterGreekversionofEstheremergedduringthelate2nd orearly1stcenturyB.C.,anditwasincludedintheSeptuagint,theGreektranslationoftheHebrewScriptures.ThisGreekversionofEstheraddssignificantmaterialtothestory:

• anopeningprologuethatdescribesadreamthatMordecaihad;

• thecontentsofthedecreeagainsttheJews;• prayersforGod’sinterventionofferedbyboth

MordecaiandEsther;• anexpansionofthesceneinwhichEsther

appearsbeforeXerxes,withmentionofGod’sintervention;

• a copyofthedecreeinfavoroftheJews;• a passageinwhichMordecaiexplainshis

openingdreaminlightofitsfulfillment;• a Colophonattestingtotheauthenticityofthe

text.

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ReadingtheaugmentedGreekSeptuagintversionofEstherisanentirely differentexperience

fromreadingtheoriginalHebrewversion.

So,we’regoingtoworkwiththeoriginalHebrewversion(NIVtranslation),andafterreadingit,we’llinvestigatetheGreek

additions.

WeshouldaddthatwhenSt.JerometranslatedtheScripturesfromHebrewandGreekintoLatinduringthe4th and5thcenturies(382-405A.D.),herecognizedtheGreekadditionstotheHebrewtext,butheincludedthemnotwithinthemainbodyofEsther,butattheendofhisLatintranslationasanappendix,ofsorts.

Nevertheless,theCouncilofTrent(1545-1563)reconfirmedtheentire SeptuaginttextofEsther,boththeoriginalHebrewandtheGreekadditions,ascanonical,andthat’showEstherappearsinmostCatholicversionsofScripture,includinginourNewAmericanBibletranslationintheCatholicStudyBible(OxfordUniversityPress).

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So,here’sthehistoricalcontextofourstory.RecallthesequenceofPersiankings,startingwithCyrustheGreat:

PersianKing Reigns JewishEvents

CyrustheGreat (559-530) Firstexilesreturn537 Templerebuildingstarts/stops

CambysesII (530-522)DariusI (521-486)

520 Templebuildingresumes516 Templecompleted/dedicated

Xerxes(Ahasuerus) (486-464) ESTHERArtaxerxesI (464-423)

458 EzratoJerusalem445 NehemiahtoJerusalem433 NehemiahreturnstoArtaxerxespost-433 NehemiahreturnstoJerusalem

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OurstoryopensduringthereignofXerxes,threeyearsafterhebecomesking,482B.C.

ThiswasthetimeoftheGreco-PersianWars,499-449B.C.,aseriesofconflictsbetweenthePersianEmpireandtheGreekcity-states.ThePersiansfirstinvadedGreecein492B.C.,duringthetimeofkingDarius,Xerxes’father.ThefirstinvasionendedindisasterwiththefamousbattleofMarathonin490B.C.,inwhichtheGreeksthrashedthePersiansaccordingtoHerodotus,leaving6,400Persianbodiesonthebattlefield,whiletheAthenianslostonly192men.

NewsofthevictoryreachedAthensbythemessengerPheidippides,whoranthe26milesfromMarathontoAthens,deliveredthenews...andpromptlydroppeddead!

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Luc-OlivierMerson.Pheidippides GivingWordofVictoryaftertheBattleofMarathon(oiloncanvas),1869.PrivateCollection.

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Afterthecolossalfailureofthefirstinvasion,DariusbeganraisingahugearmytosubjugatetheGreekscompletely.Beforehecoulddoso,however,DariusdiedandhissonXerxestookthethronein486B.C.Xerxescontinuedhisfather’spreparationsforattackingGreece.

Asourstoryopens,itis483B.C.andXerxesisbuildingsupportforhiscampaign.

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“This is what happened during the time of Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. 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 nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present.

(Esther 1: 1-3)

So,Xerxes* invitesallofhisofficialsfromthroughouttheEmpiretoSusaforagrandbanquet(oneoftenbanquetsinEsther—foodies,itseems!),todrumupsupportforhismilitarycampaignagainsttheGreeks.

Herodotus(Histories,3.89)tellsusthatDarius,Xerxes’father,hadorganizedtheEmpireinto20satrapies,governedby20satraps.Provincesweresmallerunitswithinthesatrapies.

*ThenameintheHebrewtextisAhasuerus;XerxesistheGreekformofthename,bothderivingfromthePersianKhshayārsha.

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ThearchaeologicalsiteofSusainIran.AerialphotographtakenonOctober23,1935.

OrientalInstitute,UniversityofChicago.

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Sitetoday,withurbansprawlencroaching.

FootprintofthepalacebuiltbyDarius,usedbyXerxes.

Sitetoday,withacropolistotheright.

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“For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa. The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars . . .

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. . . There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones.Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s liberality. By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.”

(1: 4-8)

JacopodelSellaio.TheBanquetofAhasuerus(temperaonpanel),1490.UffiziGallery,Florence.

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I’dlikeagobletofScreamingEaglecabernet,ifyou

please.

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“Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.”

(1: 9)

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“On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas—to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.”

(1: 10-12)

QueenVashtirefusesXerxes’requestto“display”[ָרָאה,rah-ah’]herselftotheking’sdrunkenfriendsattheendofthe7-daystagparty,wearing[only?]herroyalcrown!

Vashtiflatlyrefuses.

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“Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times and were closest to the king—Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom . . .

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. . . ‘According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?’ he asked. ‘She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her.’”

(1: 13-15)

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Ah,oh!QueenVashtiisinbigtrouble!

Youcansaythatagain!

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“Then Memukan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, ‘Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come’ . . .

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. . . This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord.’”

(1: 16-18)

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Thoseguysaresexistpigs!

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“Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she . . .

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. . . Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.’ The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed.”

(1: 19-21)

Aswereadthisstorywegetaclearsensethatwe’renotreading“history”;rather,we’rereadinganembellishedtalethatwillleadtoasurpriseending.

It’sinconceivable,forexample,thatXerxes,thekingofthePersianEmpire,wouldtakeanembarrassingdomesticslighttohisclosestadvisorswhowere“expertsinmattersoflawandjustice,”andasaresultissueanEmpire-widedecreethatcannotberepealed,divorcinghiswifeVashti!

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Xerxesresolvesaminordomesticdisputebyissuingasweepinginternationaledict! Thisirrevocableedict,ofcourse,willcomplicateourstoryasitmovesforward,entanglingourcharactersinaself-wovenwebofmelodrama—andnotalittlecomedy.

Thisismuchmorelikeoperabuffa—comedicopera—thanitishistory.

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“The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukanproposed. He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household, using his native tongue.”

(1: 21-22)

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That’safineedict,ifIdosayso!

38Esther,Part1

ErnestNorman.VashtiDeposed(oiloncanvas),1890.GalleryOldham,Manchester,England.

So,XerxeshadthrownthepartyinSusatogarnersupportforthe2nd invasionofGreece,480-479B.C.Althoughhedidgetthesupport,theextravaganzainSusawasapersonaldisasterforhim—atleastonthehomefront.

Thenhewentofftowar.

Xerxeshadahugearmyandamassivenavalarmada.AthensandCorinthwerewithinhisgrasp.ThealliedAthenianforcesgatheredatthenarrowcoastalpassofThermopylae(the“HotGates”)tostopthePersianadvance.

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Approximately7,000alliedforcesblockedthepass;thePersianarmy(accordingtoancientsources)numberednearly1million,althoughitwasmorelikely100,000orso.Whichever,theGreekforceswerevastlyoutnumbered.TheGreeksfoughtheroicallyforsevendays,buttheywereslaughteredinoneofhistory’smostfamous“laststands.”Thefinalholdoutswere300Spartanswhofoughttothedeath.*

*Foradramaticaccount,watchthe2006movie,300.

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TheThermopylaepass.Theancientcoastlinewasweretheroadistoday.Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Thermopylae#/media/File:Thermopylae_ancient_coastline_large.jpg

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Thememorialtothe300Spartans.Dr.C.andhisintrepidLogosstudentsvisitedThermopylaeontheir“FootstepsofSt.Paul”teachingtourtoGreece.

PhotographybyAnaMariaVargas

EmboldenedbyhisvictoryatThermopylae,XerxespushedontoAthensandtorchedit.TheGreeksweretottering.Xerxesthenputhisnavyintoplay,moving800shipsintopositiontofaceofftheGreeks’271.Aftersomeprolongedsparring,thetwonavieslockedhornsinthenarrowstraitsofSalamis.ThereXerxes’largefleetworkedtohisdisadvantage,asXerxes’shipsstruggledtomanoeuverinthecrowdedstrait,becomingdisorganizedandineffective.Thesmaller,morenimbleGreekfleetattacked,swiftlysinkingorcapturingover200Persianships.

AttheBattleofSalamis,Xerxesgothisbutthandedtohim,andhecrawledhome,defeated!

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44Esther,Part1

Source:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_salamis.png

Xerxesreturnedhomeinabluefunk:the2nd invasionofGreecehadfailed;hisnavysatatthebottomoftheSaronic Gulf...andhemissedhisqueen,Vashti.

Nowwhat?

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“Later when king Xerxes’ fury had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, ‘Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa . . .

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. . . Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.’ This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it.”

(2: 1-4)

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Ha,ha,ha!I’llbethedid!

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They’regoingtohaveabeautycontest!

Themostbeautifulgirlineachofthe127provinces

willcometothepalaceforayear’sworthofbeautytreatments...and

“education”!

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Andjustwhatkindof“education”wouldthatbe?

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“Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachinking of Judah. Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.”

(2: 5-7)

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Ah,ha!Theplotthickens!

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“When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. She pleased him and won his favor . . .

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. . . Immediately he provided her with beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem . . .

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. . . Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.”

(2: 8-11)

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So,whatgoesonintheking’sharem?

1. HowwouldyouclassifythestoryofEstherasaliterarywork?

2. WhywasthereaquestionamongtheRabbisaboutEstherbeingincludedintheHebrewcanonofScripture?

3. WhyisitimportanttounderstandthehistoricalcontextofEsther’sstory?

4. HowdowepickuptheeroticsexualsubtextofEsther’sstory?

5. WhydidMordecaiadviseEsthertohideherJewishancestry?

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“Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace . . .

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Oh,my!

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Théodore Chassériau.EstherPreparingHerselftoMeetKingAhasuerus(oiloncanvas),1841.LouvreMuseum,Paris.

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. . . In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.”

(2: 12-14)

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It’sgoodtobetheking!

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“When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested . . .

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Sowhentheyoungwomenwouldreturnfromtheirnightwiththe

king,Hegai would“debrief”them,asitwere,tofindoutwhatthekingliked...andhepassedthe

infoontoEsther!

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. . . And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. 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 [479 B.C., a year after the Battle of Salamis] . . .

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. . . Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti . . .

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. . . And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.”

(2: 15-18)

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Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All RightsReserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from thecopyright owner.

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