Book Of Esther Research Paper

Running a successful empire is not easy thing to do; Persian kings faced many problems such as advisors abusing their power and social issues. Advisors of Persian kings had a great deal of influence on the kings and were trusted with power over the empire. These attributes that came with the job of being an advisor to a Persian king created an opportunity for corrupt advisors to do as they saw fit; right or wrong. In the Book of Esther one of king Achashvairosh’s advisors Haman took advantage of his power and influence over the king to authorize the eradication of all the Jews in the empire and pillage of their property. The reason that this came about is that “All of the king’s servants in the king’s court would kneel and bow in religious worship to Haman, because the king had commanded it, but Mordechai would neither bow nor kneel.” (Five Years Later, 2)

Also seen in the Old Testament, Esther parallels Joseph by assimilating from being a passive commoner to a queen, the highest royal position for a woman. Her life entirely changes when she marries King Ahasuerus

The purpose of the book of Esther defined is thus, it is to provide a historical motive for the commencement and perpetual celebration or observation of the Feast of Purim. It was also used to exhort the Jewish populace to put their trust on providence or God for their welfare. According to Lasor, Hubbard and Bush; “Purim is a boisterous celebration full of merriment and high spirits, in which the ordinary conventions of decorum and deportment are suspended and a spirit of satire and fun is given full sway.” The major theme of Esther is of the traps laid returning to the one who plotted and started it. This the author does by constantly reminding the audiences of the ongoing conflict between Israel and their enemies [Haman an Amalekite? an old enemy of the Jews from the time of Exodus] (Esther 2:5, 3:1-6, 9:5-10). The unknown author juxtaposes Haman with Mordecai. The whole of Esther is narrated or portrayed through these two characters with their own struggles. Haman the antagonist of the text sought to exterminate the Jews in the Persian Empire. Mordecai and Esther sought to preserve their people from their impending doom. When Esther presents herself unrequested into the presence of the King risking her life in the process, she is portrayed as trusting in something greater to preserve her. The celebratory theme that underlines

The book of Esther tells the faithfulness of one woman and her uncle. It is only one of two books that contain the heroism and bravery of a woman heroine. The story of Esther accomplishes two profound things, the first: “To demonstrate God’s providential care of his people, even those outside the land of Israel, and 2) to commend the observance of the feast of Purim by relating how it originated” (Breneman 289).Unlike the rest of the Bible the story of Esther does not directly state or talk about God, but instead shows God’s plans for all of our lives and how in all frightening moments of life, He remains faithful to those who trust and have faith in Him. “In spite of the omission of any name for deity, there is no other book in all the

In the Book of Esther, Esther’s role and power in the saving of the Jews is undervalued.

Jewish history and its overall themes are expressed through The Book of Esther, which is in The Holy Bible. This sacred text takes place in 486 BC, when King Xerxes I ruled Persia. This story is an historical interpretation of the life of Queen Esther along with the lives of the Jewish people. Even though The Book of Esther is only ten chapters, it contains many rich themes. Also, the characters exercise many different traits such as: fortitude, empathy, and divine providence. The Book of Esther explores many themes, such as faith, manipulation, and courage in order to show the Jews, who are living in exile, that it is possible to gain success in the country of one’s exile without showing one’s true identity.

Esther was an orphan who was raised by her cousin Mordecai (Leath, 2010). There came a time that she would go from orphan to queen. Esther lived in Persia, where King Ahasuerus ruled. A day arrived that Queen Vashti refused to obey King Ahasuerus and was soon replaced by Esther (Leath, 2010). During this time, the King held ultimate power and everyone was subject to the king’s authority. Consequently, Queen Vashti displayed disobedience by not obeying the King and was punished by being removed as queen (Leath, 2010). However, the removal of Queen Vashti paved the way for Esther and she was purposefully placed in position as queen. This seized

Nurse Esther was the nurse that would listen to Ishmael’s stories and she helped him become the person he was meant to be instead of the kid soldier. She was important because she makes Ishmael feel relieved by telling his stories. She was always there for him after he was brought to the hospital. She was like his brother Junior.

She was sold in a slave auction, along with a few other slaves, few other slaves, and purchased by the slave owner Joseph Parish. The walk about the plantation was a long one as the very people she loved so dearly was forced to be only a batch of memories, she knew that she would never see her mother, or father again. The last words of her mother repeatedly played over, and over in her head as she walked with the other newly bought slaves on the way to the cotton plantation. Be strong my child, know that this is what you were born to do, but promise me, if you bear a child of your own, please make them free, said Esther 's mother as she had her daughter stripped right out of her arms. Her father would console her mother as the very thing her family hoped, and prayed wouldn 't happen, happened. This wasn 't new to Esther as both her parents brought her into the world of slavery, they all knew that possibly one day their family could be split up. The first couple of weeks without having her parents by her side were difficult, without having their guidance. She was lost. Even though tears may have flown down her face that did not stop her from doing her duties as a field slave. Day in and day out, Esther picked hundreds of pounds of cotton a day, outdoing the rest of the slaves. This would later grab the attention of one the plantation 's overseers, Seth Parish. My, my, my, you all let this young, beautiful, negro girl out pick you all by the

The motivation of the Book of Esther is to prove to Jews living in prison that it is possible to gain success in the country of one’s imprisonment without giving up one’s character as a Jew. In this, the Book of Esther is very similar to books in the bible such as Daniel or actually to the historical character Nehemiah. The Book of Esther is unique in two important higher opinions. First, “the protagonist of the book, and the one with who the viewers should identify, is the woman.”(jwa.org). this selection of a women hero serves an important attribute in the story. Women were, in the world of the Persian culture, essentially defenseless members of society. Even if they resided to the governing culture. They could not simply reach out and gain power, as a man could. Whatever power they could get was gained through the manipulation of the community holders of power. In this perception the imprisoned Jew could identify with the woman. He or she was pretty much powerless, and power could be gained only through one’s wits and talents. As the undertaking of Esther demonstrates, this can definitely be done. By using her beauty, charm, and intelligence, and by taking one risk, Esther saves the Jewish people, brings downfall on her enemy, and raises Mordecai to the highest position in the palace. Esther becomes the mold for the Jewish women living in exile.

Esther was determined to become the queen. However, this would not be an easy task, so she used her resources to increase her chances of becoming queen. The new hero would also take her surroundings into account in order to make decisions that guide her toward her goals. Previous to going before the king, “each lady was allowed to adorn herself with whatever apparel or jewelry she desired,” so Esther proceeded to ask the eunuch to pick her outfit because he knew what the king liked (MacArthur 133). Her subtle manipulation ended up working in her favor, causing Ahasuerus to fall in love with her. The new hero would do whatever it takes to achieve her goals; just like Esther, she would use manipulation only for the greater good. Furthermore, Esther persevered through the obstacles that came along with saving her people from being annihilated. It was known that “no one could appear before the king without his express invitation,” but Esther committed to this task because she wanted to save the Jewish race (MacArthur 138). No, Esther was not fearless. No, Esther was not confident about going before the king. No, Esther was not pleased to face him. She was afraid. Esther did not know whether she would emerge from the room alive or bruised. Yet, she was determined to risk it all because she knew their lives were valuable.

The king told her he would never hurt her or her people. The king went out to the square where Haman planned to execute the Hebrews and commanded him to stop. King Artaxerxes told his soldiers to hang instead of the Hebrews Haman and his sons for their evil intents and deeds. Mordecai replaced Haman as Prime Minister and Josh was a General for the King. Esther and the king lived happily in the kingdom. The Hebrews were saved by one brave girl who, was promoted to status of queen because of her excellent

Mordecai, Esther’s cousin and also the man who raised her, subsequently learned of a plot to assassin the king. He told Esther of the plot and she sequentially told the king. Mordecai was recognized for his act of kindness by the king. Meanwhile Haman, the king’s highest official, was angry with Mordecai and wanted him and all the Jews killed. Once more, Mordecai learned of this plot and told Esther. After fasting, she approached the king and delivered the news and also let him know her true identity. The king was enraged with Haman and ordered Haman’s death. As a result, Mordecai was granted Haman’s high position and all the Jews in the land were

The book of Esther takes us to a historical time in the Bible in the land of Persia, at a time when heroic acts of beauty take a stand for the people of her country. The loyalty and dedication wins the hearts of many that fear the power of royalty. As we read into the book of Esther we will venture through the Literary, Historical, and Contemporary worlds, and learn how life was lived through our eyes of the Persian ways. The book of Esther is about God’s work being done without his presence, nevertheless giving grace to his people and the power to those who do right by the word of God.

At first read the book of Esther is a story of a Queen who was able to achieve a heroic act that saved her people from being destroyed. However as you examine the story it’s more than a historic story of triumph, but through the actions of the characters in the story it becomes a blueprint for many aspects of leadership. By examining the different dimensions of the leadership traits of King Ahasuerus, Haman, Mordecai and Esther will represent the different facet of developing into a leader.