Vashti Interpretation

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)

There is also gender inequality, since the husbands are usually given almost complete control in deciding what happens to his wife. The husband is the only person given the option f letting his wife live if she committed adultery. In law 129 it states that “if a women is caught having sexual relations with another man that they both will be throw into the water, but if her husband wishes to spare her life he may do so, then the king must spare the life of the other man.” (James). If the husband is humiliated by his wife he also may decide to drown her into the water, which is stated in law 143. Wives or women in Mesopotamian times had very few rights under the Hammurabi’s Law. A woman’s only benefit from Hammurabi’s Law, was that if she

In law 129 it states, “If a married lady is caught (in adultery) with another man, they shall bind them and cast them into the water.” (Doc C). This law will be just because in their time this punishment was fair and people shouldn’t disobey the law if they know the consequences. Law 148 states, “If a man has married a wife and a disease has seized her, if he is determined to marry a second wife, he shall marry her. He shall not divorce the wife whom the disease has seized. She shall dwell in the house they have built together, and he shall maintain her as long as she lives.” (Doc C). This was just because he was still married to her so she should have someone to take care of her. Also, Hammurabi states that “the strong might not injure the weak” so he needs to protect and take care of her (Doc B). When people still abided by these rules they were just so these laws were very much

“If a man violate the wife of another man, who has never known a man, and still lives in her father’s house, and sleep with her and be surprised, this man shall be put to death, but the wife is blameless” (Hammurabi).

In Ancient Mesopotamia women were lower on the social class the men so if they were caught in adultery with another man then she will be be binded and cast into water( Law 129, Doc C). This is just towards the man because this was a sign of weakness and he would struggle to provide for the family while having a wife that disrespects him. You may think that this punishment goes against Hammurabi’s epilogue when he says ,”the strong might not injure the weak, in order to protect the widows and orphans,”(Doc B) but the lady knows her place on the social order and she should know to never perform adultery. Another important law that was inscribed on Hammurabi’s stone stele was that,” If a son has struck his father, his hands shall hands.”

Hammurabi's code is unfair in Family law. If a married woman is caught in adultery with another man, they shall be bound and cast into water (Doc C). It is not fair to the woman because two people commit adultery not just the woman. This law is unfair to women and does not punish the man. These laws are unfairly strict. People should get another chance to redeem their mistakes. They should not have to give their life for one mistake. The woman may have been coerced against her will. The law should gather more information about what happened before taking such extreme punishments. Law 195 says if a son has struck his father, his hands shall be cut off (Doc C). The son could have been protecting himself from his father. In that case the father

In Document B it is claimed “That the strong might not injure the weak, in order to protect the widows and orphans…Let no destruction befall my monument… let my name ever repeated;let the oppressed, who has a case at law, come and stand before this my image as king of righteousness;...” Hammurabi is explaining that the laws were set up so that the weak were not hurt by the strong, but he contradicts himself because he is the strong one who is hurting the weak. The punishments that are executed do not match properly to the wrong deed that has been done. For example in Document C in Law 129: “If a married lady is caught ⦗in adultery⦘ with another man, they shall bind them and cast them into the water.” If a married lady cheats on her husband she is tied up and thrown in the water to drown. However in Law 148, “If a man has married a wife and a disease has seized her, if he is determined to marry a second wife, he shall marry her. He shall not divorce the wife whom the disease has seized. She shall dwell in the house they have built together and he shall maintain her as long as she lives.” A woman will be helplessly thrown in the river to drown if caught in adultery, but if a married man has decided that his first wife is not considered a deemable spouse anymore, he can move on to a second wife and still keep the first wife under his possession. This does not fit the criteria of making

My first paragraph is about Hammurabi’s Family Laws, and why they aren’t just. For starters, Doc. B stated “If he destroys the law in which I have given, may the great gods of heaven and earth inflict a curse upon his family, his land, his warriors, his subjects, and his troops.” Doc. B almost literally states the ruler had to obey his laws or he shall be inflicted a curse. Whether the ruler liked it or not, Hammurabi says the ruler had to obey his code. Secondly, Doc. E states that in law 109, “If a man

Around the time of 1792 to 1750 B.C.E., a man by the name of Hammurabi was the ambitious ruler of Babylon. During his reign, he established a compilation of laws that assigned penalties based on retribution, thus creating a list of socially structured regulations centered around the idea that a person who commits a crime must be punished proportionally. Hammurabi’s code is proof of the division amongst the nobles, commoners and slaves in the time period, as well as evidence of the power that the men had over the women.

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

There are 282 edicts in the Code of Hammurabi and most of them have very harsh and severe punishment. There is a law that states that if anybody steals someone’s minor son, then he shall be put to death. If anyone takes a male or female slave of the court, or of a freed man outside of city gates, then he shall be put to death. If he holds the slaves in his house, and they are caught inside, then he shall be put to death. If anyone breaks a hole in the house, he shall be put to death in front of the hole and be buried. If someone is caught robbing, then he shall be put to death. These are some of the laws that have very severe punishment. Even for the little crimes like break a hole in someone’s house leads to death as a punishment.

The book of Esther is a story of a young, beautiful, Jewish girl who ultimately became queen. At the time, King Ahasuerus reigned over the Persian Empire. He threw lavish banquets for his officials as well as all the people in Susa. The night of the seventh banquet, he called for Queen Vashti so he can flaunt her in front of the people but she refused to come. He sought council on how to handle the queen’s actions, he gave a decree and then ordered her to leave the kings presence and her position is to be given to someone more deserving.

When studying any piece of literature there are many different methods and techniques that can be used. The Bible, in specific, is often referred to as a source of moral code, hope, and answers to social, ethical, and political questions. However, this incredibly influential book can also be read as if it were any other novel. The events, settings, and characters can all be evaluated for what they are, forgetting the notion that they are from a religious text. This approach is called narrative criticism. When regarding to the Bible in this way, we do not need to know any historical information or focus on seeking a deeper theological meaning. Instead, the stories are evaluated in terms of how

I learned in chapter 5, OT Narratives and how to properly use them. I found it very interesting to know the 40% of the OT is a narrative. It very important that we understand how Hebrew narrative moves in the bible, not understanding the character of Hebrew narrative, does not allow us to read the OT correctly. Narratives are stories, purposeful stores retelling the historical events of the past that are intended to give meaning and direction for a given people in the present But there is a difference with Biblical narratives are inspired by the Holy Spirit, which tells the ultimate story, a story that, even though complex, it utterly true and crucially important.

He knew fully well that God would not be thwarted from accomplishing exactly what He has planned. If Esther chose to sit out this round, if she chose to remain completely silent at this time, God’s plans for His people would be completed in another fashion. Notice that he says, “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place…”