2:5as being a Benjaminite, from which the Rabbis assumed that Esther also came from this tribe. She succeeded in remaining concealed for four years but was eventually found and brought to the royal palace. Rabbah30:4). 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. 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. Given new belongings (Esther 2:9). The Book of Esther was probably written in the 2nd centurybce. In spite of its origins it soon became the basis of the Jewish festival of Purim.According to the book, Vashti, Esther's predecessor as queen of Persia, was divorced by her husband, King Xerxes (Ahasuerus), who then sought a suitable virgin for his wife, finally choosing Esther. 5). cit.). Esther: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive This book therefore has the same sanctity as the other books of Scripture. Mordecai was Esthers cousin and guardian, having adopted her as his daughter when her parents died. It is known that Esther was the daughter of Abihail, and she had married King Xerxes of Persia around the age of 18. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. 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. Esther must have been a "teenager" based on the historical and Biblical facts above. 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. We read that: "The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. old, non-virgin wife. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. The Jewish festival ofPurimcelebrates this event. Notably, Shelamzion maintained peace through defensive measures and diplomatic outreach rather than outright acts of aggression. He wished Queen Vashti to be brought to the feast so that he may flaunt her wonderful beauty. The Jews, said Haman, must be eliminated for the good of the kingdom. 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. After recently suffering with a bad. Mordechai discovered a plot to kill King Xerxes and foiled it by informing the King through his cousin Esther. She was expressing her inner strength and her ability to survive and even to thrive in difficult circumstances. Esther and Mordecai in the Book of Esther. How old were they? - Tripod How old was King Xerxes when he married Esther? - Answers During this historical period, the first group of Jews who had returned to Judah struggled to revive temple worship by Moses' Law. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Esther-biblical-figure, McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Esther. According to the Babylonian tradition, she saw menstrual blood (BT Megillah15a). Their relationship was instrumental in saving the Jews from extermination and is one of the main themes of the Book of Esther. Esther's Origins and Her Adoption by Mordecai. 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. 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). The Coronation of Queen Esther, from the 1617 Scroll of Esther from Ferrara, Italy. Abase him before me, for You abase the proud (Esth. The Bible doesn't say how old Esther was when she married him, but if she was 17 this would make her born in 500BC. The book of Nehemiah begins in 444 BC, so they probably 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. The Jewish dietary laws delineating the permissible types of food and methods of their preparation. Another question that concerned the Rabbis was that of the children from the union of Esther and Ahasuerus. 22:16). 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. 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. 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. The Jews were well acquainted with the command of God, which stated that they must not bow down to false gods nor to those enemies of God who idolized them. How old was Queen Esther when she died? - Answers There is not one correct rendering of her name in any rabbinic manuscript (260). Queen Elizabeth II dies at age 96, surrounded by royal family at Nonetheless, in the very same document in which the rabbis rule out the possibility of Jewish queens, the rabbis remember Queen Shelamzion Alexandra quite favorably. When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. cit.). The Bible does not specify how old she was when her parents died. This exegesis casts the Biblical narrative in a different light. But to approach the king without being summoned was not only illegal, but it could very well result in death for impertinence. 31 December 1999. 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. 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. 22:1: For the leader; onayelet ha-shahar[literally, the hind of the dawn], which the Rabbis apply to Esther. Instead, Haman was hanged, and the Jews were given permission to destroy their enemies. Esther Greenwood, the protagonist of Sylvia Plaths novel The Bell Jar, is believed to be a representation of the author herself. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Kings David and Solomon had many wives, some more influential than others, but they are never represented as ruling in their husbands stead. Read the entire Scripture account of the life of Queen Esther in the Bible verses below and use the articles and videos to understand the meaning of this teachable event in the Bible:. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Sadly, Queen Elizabeth II passed away, aged 96, on September 8, 2022. The events of Esther unfold over an eight- to ten-year period. All Her . [3] Taken to the palace of King Ahasuerus of Persia, she exposed the plot of the evil Haman, who had convinced the king to allow the annihilation of all the Jews in his extensive empire. You, O Father of orphans, stand at the right hand of this orphan, who trusts in Your compassion. Another view cites the verse (9:27): the Jews undertook and irrevocably obligated themselveswhat they took upon themselves below was confirmed above (BTMegillahloc. The king held a party in his honor one day. Hi, I'm Mordecai, Esther's older cousin. 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. 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. 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. According to one tradition, he could not find a wet nurse and he himself miraculously had milk and nursed her(Gen. Rabbah30:8). book of Nehemiah began, although her husband, King Xerxes was At that banquet, she heightened the tension between the two by inviting both men to a second banquet. The Rabbis also offer various proofs that the Book of Esther was written with the spirit of divine inspiration. 22:23). Esther 7:1-6, 9-10. Nonetheless, it is clear that Esthers mental state was severely compromised and debilitating. Her son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, is now King Charles III, as the world grieves his mother, Britain's longest-reigning monarch. 7:6): The adversary and enemy, she first pointed to Ahasuerus, but the king moved her hand in Hamans direction. These words persuaded Esther to approach the king and she requested a private dinner for him and Haman. Mordecai was an important figure in the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. even met her a few times when He was a young boy. The Queen dies 'peacefully' aged 96 after 70 years of remarkable Routing number of commercial bank of Ethiopia? Something went wrong while submitting the form. When Esther was taken captive, her emotional world was completely destroyed. According to the tradition that she was previously unmarried, she was now married to and lived with a non-Jewish king. Queen Esther by Edwin Long in 1878. He even granted permission for the Jews to arm themselves with weapons and deliver the kings edicts throughout the kingdom. What is the reflection of the story of princess urduja? What episode does Squidward say the F word. Esthers story culminates when the beloved queen is faced with the decision to either continue to disguise her Jewish heritage and maintain her safety or jeopardize everything to advocate for her people. No, Esther and Mordecai were not married. brought him up to be favorable to the Jews and he later rebuilt the Part of HuffPost Religion. Queen Esther and Mordecai were given Haman's estate. As a result of her mothers death, Mordecai had to care for Esthers nursing. Victoria, in full Alexandrina Victoria, (born May 24, 1819, Kensington Palace, London, Englanddied January 22, 1901, Osborne, near Cowes, Isle of Wight), queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1837-1901) and empress of India (1876-1901). Esther had been made queen to save her people; her mission and her faith shaped her character and inspired her to act and succeed. Buckingham Palace's website announces the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022. She trusted in the goodness and power of God, and in the end He delivered her and her people, the Jewish people, from destruction. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'coalitionbrewing_com-leader-3','ezslot_14',155,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-coalitionbrewing_com-leader-3-0');Furthermore, Esthers actions become increasingly irrational and her behavior can be classified as psychotic. a. The document, published by National Records of Scotland on Thursday, says the late British monarch died at 3:10 p.m. UK time . He also appointed her as queen of the Persian Empire and gave her a royal medal of honor. 20). According to another tradition, he accompanied her to ensure that she did not suffer from sorcery (Esth. This last event was around the same time that Esther became Queen. Estimates vary, but she was most likely between 50 and 60 years old when she died. She recognizes that she needs to personally plead the king to save her people but knows this act is a grave transgression. 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]". 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.SederOlam Rabbah29;Midrash Panim Aherim, version B, para. Mordecai was elevated to second-in-command in the kingdom. Once upon a time a Jewish queen ruled the land. The Babylonian tradition maintains that Esther was Mordecais wife. These actions demonstrated the kings respect and admiration for Esther and earned her the loyalty of her people. 22:5). [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). In the affair of Bigthan and Teresh, Esther continued to follow Mordecais instructions. She had one. What is the reflection of the story of princess urduja? 22:7, 2426). 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. Thisdevarbuilds on Ilans work: her oeuvre is well known to academics but is not as well known as it could be tothe reading public. Read Esther 4:1-17. [7] See Elsie Sterns reading of Megillat Esther as a cautionary tale for Jews living in the Diaspora in her TABS essay, Megillat Esther: A Godless and Assimilated Diaspora.. Victoria's funeral began on 2 February 1901. When Esther's parents died, I adopted Esther and took care of her like she was my daughter. In addition, she serves as an example of how to effectively use your voice and influence to make a difference. When she relayed Mordecais information to the king, she attributed it to Mordecai(Esth. The Death of Queen Victoria | Royal Museums Greenwich - Cutty Sark assumed in to the next King's harem (also possiblealthough a Her death is believed to have been around the age of 57. [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. 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. Despite her hiding her identity, Esther still maintained contact with Mordecai. 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. cit.). The Book of Esther relates that Esther told no one of her Jewish origins, as Mordecai had ordered her. In one exegetical expansion, the women in the harem would adorn Esther, for they said to themselves: This one will certainly be married to the king, so it is worth our while to honor her (Midrash Panim Aherim, version B, para. Theodor-Albeck], MS. Vatican, para. The Book of Esther tells of Esther marrying King Ahasuerus of Persia and therefore becoming his queen. to be fictional. Photo Credit: Wikipedia, 'Ahasuerus and Haman at the Feast of Esther . Anyway, there's no record of whether Esther was We rely on the support of readers like you. After Esther was crowned queen, Mordecai held an important position at the palace and worked closely with the Queen in all matters. 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. After an exhilarating victory, they declared the following day a holiday and (alluding to the lots Haman had cast) named it Purim, which is Hebrew for lots.. 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. He suggested that she might be Jewish, which implied some sort of relationship between them, since he was from the offspring of Amalek, the grandson of Esau (Jacobs brother) (Esth. [12] Queen Shelamzion Alexandra certainly stood to benefit from Esthers precedent. Esther eventually won the heart of the king and his servants, and she was selected to become the new queen of Persia. Have an update or correction? She was the second daughter of Laban, Rebekah's brother, making Jacob her first cousin. Darius must be 37 years old (62 minus 25) when he got married to Esther. She was 96 years old. Esther would have been in her early to mid 60's when the This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Did Esther meet a tragic end? - The Jewish Chronicle The spirit of divine inspiration descended on Esther shortly before she went to Ahasuerus, thus leading to her inclusion in the list of the seven women prophets(BTMegillah14a; 15a). 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. Bible Survey - Esther - Livingstone Fellowship Jewish Women's Archive. How old was the Queen Mother when she died? Age Queen Elizabeth II's Another tradition has Mordecais wife nursing the infant (Midrash Tehilim, onPs. Themidrashrelates that Esther hid from Ahasueruss agents who sought women for the king. Honor the king. 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. Institution: National Library of Israel, Jerusalem. Esther was born about 492BC and was 14 when she became Queen. It is most unlikely that there ever was a Queen Esther, in which Mordecai stopped at the gate because he wanted to tell the king about a plot to kill him. Rabbah8:6). Esther understood that this action would require her to commit a grave transgression, and even lose all possibility of returning to her husband Mordecai. Please support us. Historians say there never was a Queen Vashti of Persia. 5:3), but not things that were opposed to the kingdom, such as her asking him to rebuild the Temple (BT Megillah loc. She was a beautiful Jewish woman, the wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). Rabbah6:9). Queen Shelamzion Alexandra reigned as queen of Judea from 76 to 67 BCE. She was placed with her adoptive family, the Kings, on the orders of Queen Esther of Persia, who held a grudge against all Jews. Mordechais loyalty and faithfulness to the King were key elements in the unfolding of the events. Esth. 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). Queen Esther and Bella Abzug: Costumes, Leadership, and Identity, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. Plath famously battled depression and other mental illnesses, and the same is true of Esthers condition in the novel. In conclusion, yes, Mordechai was indeed Esthers cousin. Though she may have been elderly at the time of her death, her legacy continues to live on. 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. assassinated with her husband (which was likely), or if she was Continue Learning about Religious Studies. When she came into the palace, was she left on her own, or was she given whatever she needed to please the king and to become the queen? Rabbah6:11). The monarch of Persia, King Ahasuerus, was wealthy and powerful. The Death of Esther Even after she becomes queen because of the disobedience of Queen Vashti, Esther remains modest and down-to-earth. One tradition states that she was served Jewish food in the harem, while another asserts that she was given chines of pork. case we can not say how old she was. Daniel probably died shortly after Darius took the throne in 521 The king did not believe in God but Esther did. 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. The combined symptoms in Esther signify that she was suffering from a serious psychiatric illness, but the precise diagnosis remains unclear. Warrior-kings tend to figure largely as models of leadership in the Western imagination. At the meal she pleaded for the Jews, thus revealing herself as Jewish, and accused thiswickedHaman of plotting the annihilation of her people. Their legal marriage age suggests that they prefer young people below 18 (prime of the youth). 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. The Rabbis compare Esther to the son of the uncle who redeems an ancestral landholding(Lev. The Rabbis add that Esther found favor in the eyes of both heaven and humans (Esth. 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. Queen Elizabeth, who reigned for 70 years as Britain's monarch, died Thursday at Balmoral, her estate in the Scottish Highlands. She notes that Josephus only knew this queen by her Greek name, Alexandra, while the Rabbis only knew her by her Semitic name. Esther | Biblical Figure, Account, Purim, & Facts | Britannica Mordecais refusal to bow to Haman displayed his firm faith and commitment to his people and to the God of Israel. What did the Nazis begin using gas chambers instead of mobile killing units and shooting squads after a while? 2). Codification of basic Jewish Oral Law; edited and arranged by R. Judah ha-Nasi c. 200 C.E. The best. Esther, heroine and central figure in the Book of Esther of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. She should know better to try to fool God who said to her, "No, but you did laugh . . Esther turns in prayer to God and compares the situation of the Jews of Persia to that of the Jews in Egypt: in Egypt the Jews cried out and were answered; and in Persia, they fasted, prayed and cried out over their tribulation and the decree that was harsher than that during the time of the Egyptian servitude. For today's Bible studies, we're going to discuss 10 characteristics of Esther in the Bible. What Did God Write on the Tablets of Stone? Similarly, Shelamzion had to succeed against all odds to maintain her queenship. The Book of Esther, which does 12:2], 5:11). Esther invited Ahasuerus and Haman to a feast and the Rabbis ask: why did she invite Haman? Alexandra the Maccabee. He killed Haman in 473BC, when he was 45 ( Esther 3:7 ). Updates? The Queen was the oldest monarch to have reigned in Britain before she passed away in September 2022, aged 96. To hide her identity as a Jew, he tells her to go by the name of Esther. "scroll." Designation of the five scrolls of the Bible (Ruth, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther). Designation of the five scrolls of the Bible (Ruth, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther). 2). [8]Once there, she does not plead for help but carefully petitions the king, setting in motion a plan to undermine Haman and save the Jewish people.[9]. The death of Elizabeth I and possible causes of death by Alexander