Essay on The Book of Esther

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

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.

The Persian Empire overtook the weakening Babylonian empire under the rule of Cyrus and then expanded under his successors. The Persian Empire was unique in its ruling over the people that it had conquered, especially under the rule of Cyrus and Darius.1 In order to ensure that the empire would continue to flourish, in spite of its expansion and increasing size, the Persian rulers integrated the local cultures and peoples, which benefitted both the Empire and those they conquered.2 Although they were a conquered people, the Mesopotamian people, including and maybe especially Babylon, profited and prospered economically and culturally and enjoyed greater privileges politically then they could have hoped for under the ruler ship of other conquerors.

Cyrus' treatment of his people and the helping of others were what caused him to gain his power. He didn't think of himself as a conqueror, but as a liberator of people. He agreed to treating people of all religions and backgrounds equally, so long as they didn't rebel. Whenever he conquered a new nation, he allowed the people there to keep their religion and customs. His way of ruling was very different compared to the Assyrians and other previous rulers.

The Persian Empire originated as a result of the great king known as Cyrus who united the Mediterranean and Asia Minor into one United Kingdom. Many of Cyrus’ qualities as a leader led to the Persians unspoken success in expanding their civilization into the largest and most powerful empire the world had ever seen. His campaign inspired the Persians to develop their nation by making expeditions through Media, Babylonia, Lydia, and Egypt. These four provinces had a major affect on Cyrus’ vision of creating an unstoppable empire. Therefore this opened a lot of possibilities for Cyrus and his army as they planned to conquer these regions of Asia Minor. There were many reasons as to why Cyrus was so successful and the main reason was his ability to be so humble and welcoming to his enemies. Through his strength in military command, imperial administration, and respect for his people he forged an Empire that became one of the strongest powers in Asia Minor.

Throughout human civilization, it has been invariably true that the ideas and innovations belonging to particular societies have been adopted by both concurrent and later cultures. This has culminated in remarkably advanced societies, whose success can be attributed to that of their ancient counterparts. Much of the prosperity of modern civilization can certainly be accredited to the Achaemenid Empire, a pluralistic empire founded in 550 BCE. At its peak, it stretched from the Indus River Valley to the eastern Mediterranean coast. Despite its diversity, the empire remained politically and societally united throughout its existence. The two major Achaemenid emperors responsible for the imperial stability and prosperity were Cyrus and

Acquiring a large area of land left Cyrus little choice; he had to ordain someone to govern parts of his empire. Cyrus installed Satraps, wealthy, loyal governors, to help manage the far reaches of Persia. According to the recording the Rise of the Persians, each Satrap was able to exert limited control of his area but must also be accountable to the king (Zayac). This allowed Cyrus to regulate his vast kingdom from afar.

During antiquity, the Persian Empire was one of the most powerful and influential nations of the world. With the help of prominent Kings and military strength, the Persian Empire expanded vastly from 553 BCE until the death of Darius lll and the end of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia in 330 BCE Thesis Statement. Through analysis the Achaemenid Empire, the battles that lead to its expansion, and, to the warriors that fought them: The Persian force, the Greek force, and the Immortals. The Immortals were an elite regiment of the Kings guard. They were called the Immortals because “It was

As Hammurabi’s empire grew he was concerned with keeping order in his kingdom. “When he began ruling the city-state of Babylon, he had control of no more than 50 square miles of territory. As he conquered other city-states and his empire grew, he saw the need to unify the various groups he

Cyrus and Darius both tolerated ethnic and theological diversity. They did not try to force Persian culture on the conquered people. It seemed as though the Persians just wanted to have the right to tax and have control of the land and its riches. The Seleucids, Parthians, and Sasanids also advocated this policy. Although this policy worked quite well in allowing for fluid execution of ruling,

The depiction of Persia, namely that of the Achaemenid dynasty, has largely been favorable in the Tanach. They are presented in the Books of Esther, Daniel, Ezra/Nehemiah, Chronicles, and Isaiah as agents of G-d to preserve the nation of Israel. Yet despite on this commonality they differ on the details. The Book of Esther tells the story of a Jewish girl named Esther and the possibility of the genocide of the Jews. The Book of Daniel tells the story of the rise to power of the Medes and Persians against the Babylonians. The Book of Ezra/Nehemiah tells of how Cyrus the Great was benevolent and permitted the Jews to return to the Land of Israel to rebuild their destroyed temple. The Book of

I find myself in a palace, drinking tea with the queen of Persia. Queen Esther, a woman who had to step out of her comfort zone and face new challenges. Her appearance, soft yet powerful. Back then, a queen couldn’t enter the king’s throne room unless he summoned her, and if she did, the queen could’ve been killed. Esther knew this fact, but she risked her life by entering the throne room to ask the king to save her people who were about to be killed. She beat down the stereotype of queen’s being too scared to go up to the king. Esther inspires me to step up for what I believe is right and I aspire to be like her. Just getting a few precious minutes to pray with her would help me grow into a more confident woman. I’ve always wondered as a little

This three essays in one paper is about one book, person, and place from the Bible that is

The book of Esther is a book of history that takes place in Persia around 464 BC to 495 BC. It is a story of Gods redemptive plan using a courageous Jewish woman born Hadassah which means hidden that is what she would become among the group of Persian women that was brought before the Persian Emperor Xerxes so he could select his new queen. Xerxes had a Persian queen Vashti whom he divorced because she disobeyed him and publicly. Xerxes was a careless a foolish ruler who allowed his right-hand man Haman to rein and rule the kingdom without overseeing his affairs himself. Now there was young Jewish orphan who was raised by her cousin Mordecai a servant to the king. When news spread that all beautiful women be brought before the king. Mordecai

The book of Esther began with King Xerxes needing to pick a new queen. Beautiful women came from all over 127 provinces to his palace in the hope that they would be chosen as queen. He selected Esther, who was from the tribe of Benjamin. She decided to keep her Jewish identity hidden from the king. Esther was an orphan who was raised by her uncle, Mordecai. The king appointed a man named Haman as Prime Minister, and Esther’s uncle, Mordecai, refused to bow down before Haman. Haman was infuriated by this and he asked King Xerxes for permission to destroy all of the Jewish people. He said to the king, “There are certain people, scattered and spread out among the peoples in all the states of your kingdom, their laws are different from other peoples and they do not observe the king’s laws, so it is not worth it for the king to leave them alive” (Esther 3:8). The king agreed and ordered for all of the Jewish people to be killed. Mordecai heard about the order and told Esther that she had to change the kings mind. Esther ended up revealing to the king that she was Jewish, and said that Haman was an enemy. The king was angry and ended up hanging Haman. The king appointed Mordecai as his new Prime Minister, in the place of Haman. Mordecai granted the Jewish people the right to defend themselves against those who try to harm them. The Jewish people were saved and successfully defeated their enemies throughout the provinces.