Esthers first husband was Mordecai. Esther Greenwood, the protagonist of Sylvia Plaths novel The Bell Jar, is believed to be a representation of the author herself. The outraged king ordered that Haman be hanged on the gallows built for Mordecai and that Mordecai be named to fill Hamans position. Her thoughts are characterized by pressured speech, disorganized thought processes, confusion, and paranoia. And You, O Lord, bring success to this, Your poor handmaiden. He was born in 518BC. Mordechais loyalty and faithfulness to the King were key elements in the unfolding of the events. Esther must have been a "teenager" based on the historical and Biblical facts above. According to one tradition, she was forty years old, while another places her age at seventy-four, which is the numerical value of the name Hadassah (Esthers second name), or, according to another calculation of this numerical value, seventy-five (see above). Her son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, is now King Charles III, as the world grieves his mother, Britain's longest-reigning monarch. guessing that Nehemiah was probably not around when the events of During Jacob's stay, he fell in love with Rachel . Alexandra the Maccabee. After Esther was crowned queen, Mordecai held an important position at the palace and worked closely with the Queen in all matters. 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. Later, when Queen Vashti refused to appear before Ahasuerus (in Esther ch.1), Memuchan, a Persian royal adviser, advised King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) to remove Vashti from being Queen of Persia, and King Ahasuerus agreed to his advice. She oversaw a peaceful and prosperous period. She was Jewish but never revealed her nationality or family background as Mordecai had. 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. The Rabbis then mention an additional argument that is raised by the people, that the writing of the Book of Esther will arouse the enmity of the non-Jewish nations. However, just because you don't know when She was crowned about 55 years after the destruction of the First Temple, and fifteen years before the Second Temple was built. 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. She died peacefully on Thursday afternoon at her Scottish estate, where. What is the answer punchline algebra 15.1 why dose a chicken coop have only two doors? Esther, on the other hand, was taken every day and, like them, she requested miracles. I'm also The Talmud sees Haman's decree as a punishment from Heaven to these Jews. Esther was ready to endanger herself and even to give her life to save her people, who therefore are called her people (4:8): to plead with him for her people(Ex. For the name of Esther, a number of etymologies are possible.1) Esther comes from the Persian "setareh," meaning "star".2) Esther comes from the Aramaic "istahar," meaning "moon." The Book of Esther relates that Esther told no one of her Jewish origins, as Mordecai had ordered her. She had one. Estimates vary, but she was most likely between 50 and 60 years old when she died. Rabbah8:6). The Rabbis relate to Esther as the one responsible for the deliverance of Israel and compare her to the moon, which shone for Israel in the darkness of night. What is the answer punchline algebra 15.1 why dose a chicken coop have only two doors? Esther understood that this action would require her to commit a grave transgression, and even lose all possibility of returning to her husband Mordecai. [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]. ; Frymer-Kensky,In the Wake of the Goddesses, 137-38. 100-105 and 127-154. She was the second daughter of Laban, Rebekah's brother, making Jacob her first cousin. Jewish Women's Archive. According to the Bible, Mordechai was a Jew who lived in the Persian city of Susa, the modern-day city of Shush, Iran. Esther then initiated a covert plan to defeat Haman using her grace and beauty. Buckingham Palace's website announces the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022. He deposed Queen Vashti in 483/482BC when he was 36 ( Esther 1:3 ). but the date of The Talmud reveals that Esther's relationship with Ahasuerus wasn't a romantic one. How can a woman test for infertility at home? The King also issued a proclamation throughout the land to honor Mordecai. The beginning of the psalm: My God, my God, why have You abandoned me? is what Esther asks when she wants to know why the spirit of divine inspiration has left her: was this because she went to Ahasuerus of her own free will, or because she disparaged him, and called him a dog (following the text of the psalm)(BTMegillah15a)? [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.. assassinated with her husband (which was likely), or if she was The Scroll of Esther is read on Purim from a parchment scroll.Megillah loc. When Esther sought to deliver up Haman, she revealed her identity as a Jew in the act. He married Esther in 479BC (Esther 2:16), when he was 40. The spelling of her name is confirmed by its appearance in the Qumran material; see4QCalendrical Document C(Florentino Garcia Martinez and Elbert J. C. Tigchelaar, eds.,Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition[Brill Academic Publishers, 2000], 694). Their legal marriage age suggests that they prefer young people below 18 (prime of the youth). By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. In contrast with other women, whom Ahasuerus married without recording the nuptials or the date of the marriage, Esthers marriage was documented, and the date of her marriage was recorded (Pesikta de-Rav Kahana,Ha-Hodesh ha-Zeh["This monthEx. [11] Elias J. Bickerman, The Colophon of the Greek Book of Esther,Journal of Biblical Literature63.4 (1944): 339-62. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me? Jesus or Esther? Furthermore, the Jewish people had a special holiday to commemorate their deliverance and celebrate the bravery of Mordecai. She appears to be a loyal wife to Mordecai, as she supports him throughout his efforts to save the Jewish people from Hamans plot. He wished Queen Vashti to be brought to the feast so that he may flaunt her wonderful beauty. The Rabbis view this as self-sacrifice on Esthers part, since she was willing to die herself, provided that Haman would also perish; (4) Esther sought to turn Haman into her ally, so that he would not rebel against Ahasuerus the king (and thereby become even more dangerous); (5) Esther wanted to obscure her identity and prevent any suspicion of her being a Jew (since Haman was an antisemite); (6) Esther desired to arouse the Jews to pray and cry out to God, so they would not think that her presence in the royal palace sufficed to neutralize Hamans activity; (7) Esther sought to arouse Gods compassion, to show that the Jews did not oppose Haman, that no one stood in Hamans way, and therefore only He could deliver Israel; (8) Esther hoped that Ahasuerus, who was a capricious king, would change his opinion of Haman (BTMegillahloc. Esther was given seven maids to serve her in the harem; the Rabbis comment that she used them in order to count the seven days of the week [to know when the Sabbath fell, so that she could observe it even in the harem]. Sadly, Queen Elizabeth II passed away, aged 96, on September 8, 2022. This also leads to a different understanding of Mordecais involvement, as he walks about in the royal courtyard out of concern for his wife. The festival of Purim and the satirical setting of Megillat Esther may cause us to minimize the unusual story it preserves: the story of a young woman succeeding against all odds in foreign territory. The king held a party in his honor one day. It is known that Esther was the daughter of Abihail, and she had married King Xerxes of Persia around the age of 18. Meir, Tamar. For an analysis of these sources and their reliability, see Tal Ilan,Integrating Women into Second Temple History(Tbingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1999), esp. How old was Esther when she became queen of Persia? Her son Charles, 73, is now king. She trusted in the goodness and power of God, and in the end He delivered her and her people, the Jewish people, from destruction. them clearly. Esther, the orphaned cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai, won the kings devotion and was chosen to be the new queen; Mordecai had instructed her to not reveal that she was Jewish. Hi, I'm Mordecai, Esther's older cousin. The King of Persia, Ahasuerus, had appointed Haman to be his prime minister and a decree was issued ordering the annihilation of all Jews. ), or her strength wanedPirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer[ed. She was in a foreign land without the protection and support of her people. The murdered queens name does not survive in the historical record. She greatly feared to appear before Ahasuerus. Warrior-kings tend to figure largely as models of leadership in the Western imagination. Narrator: After Haman died, King Ahasuerus gave a second decree to preserve the Jews and give them power to destroy their enemies within the kingdom. [3] 31 December 1999. [1] As shall be discussed further below, much of what we know about Shelamzion Alexandra comes from Josephuss two accounts of her reign inJewish War1.107-119 andJewish Antiquities13.398-432. Themidrashrelates that Esther hid from Ahasueruss agents who sought women for the king. The Rabbis compare Esther to the son of the uncle who redeems an ancestral landholding(Lev. In another exposition, she was given this name by the Gentiles, after the celestial body Istahar (BTLit. [2] See Ilan,Integrating women, 127, commenting onJewish War1.71 andJewishAntiquities13.302. In this article: Her Name Early Life Palace Life Esther and Mordechai Save the King's Life This understanding of the Book of Esther is linked to the perception of Esther as a prophet: she is included in the list of seven women prophets(BTMegillah14a; Seder Olam Rabbah21). Esther told the king that her people were in danger. She was the wife of the Persian King Xerxes [aka "Ahasuerus" in many Bibles] who ruled Persia from 486 to 465 BC. The king was humiliated and enraged, and he banished Vashti. When she relayed Mordecais information to the king, she attributed it to Mordecai(Esth. Rabbah6:11). The Rabbis also relate to Esthers sexuality: if Ahasuerus wanted to find in her the taste of a virgin, he found it; if the taste of a non-virgin, he found it(BTMegillah13a;Esth. After more than 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022. [12] Queen Shelamzion Alexandra certainly stood to benefit from Esthers precedent. Rabbah5:3). (Viewed on March 4, 2023) . 7:5states: Thereupon King Ahasuerus demanded [va-yomerliterally, and he saidwritten twice in the verse] of Queen Esther, Who is he. The midrash is of the opinion that the verbva-yomeris repeated here because Ahasuerus initially spoke directly to Esther, but when he discovered that she was a Jew, he spoke to her through an interpreter. Another tradition has Mordecais wife nursing the infant (Midrash Tehilim, onPs. The story of Esther happened after Cyrus, the first Persian King, called for all deported Jews to return to Jerusalem to build the House of God (538 B.C., Ezra 1:2). Rabbah10:13). We rely on the support of readers like you. According to the Babylonian tradition, she saw menstrual blood (BT Megillah15a). not tell how old she was, is certainly not historical and appears In reference to her lineage, the Rabbis state that she continued the way of the members of her tribe: Rachel, Benjamin, and Saul(Gen. Rabbah71:35; see below: Esther Does Not Reveal Her Origins). 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. Esther retorted, "Without Jews, who needs Passover?". Mordecais refusal to bow to Haman displayed his firm faith and commitment to his people and to the God of Israel. 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. Am Yisrael Chai Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Answer (1 of 5): I don't about my husband Ahaserus, but I, Haddasha aka Esther never died, for here I Am. The Book ofEsther (2:11)relates that Mordecai would walk about in front of the court of the harem, to learn how Esther was faring. The Rabbis understood Mordecais escorting of Esther as his providing her withThe legal corpus of Jewish laws and observances as prescribed in the Torah and interpreted by rabbinic authorities, beginning with those of the Mishnah and Talmud.halakhic guidance, for he would rule for her in questions ofMenstruation; the menstruant woman; ritual status of the menstruant woman.niddah (the laws governing menstrual purity, and, more generally, family purity; see below: Esthers Personal Status"). Ahasuerus promised Esther that he would grant her request, even to half the kingdom(Esth. Mordecai argued that these three days fast happened to include the Passover night, which shouldn't be a night of fasting. In Jacobs blessing to his sons, he blesses Benjamin(Gen. 49:27): Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he consumes the foe, and in the evening he divides the spoil, which the Rabbis applied to Mordecai and Esther. 22:25). The day before, the 96-year-old queen pulled out of a virtual Privy Council meeting after her doctors advised her to rest. May this man have mercy on me, for I fear him. 2). The jar symbolizes Esthers grief, fear, and pain, which stems from her captivity in King Xerxes harem. In a 1957 Christmas Broadcast, the Queen promised the United Kingdom she would give her . The courtiers hoped that she would be executed like Vashti and that they would be able to apportion her clothing and jewelry among themselves; those close to Ahasuerus encircled her and harassed her on her way to the king, while Hamans sons awaited her downfall. At first, Esther was hesitant to approach the king, as anyone who approached him without his invitation was put to death unless the king extended his top scepter. She received her Ph.D. in religion from Princeton University. Esther, heroine and central figure in the Book of Esther of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. Their grandfather was Alexander Jannaeus, the second eldest son of John Hyrcanus. Sometimes it was hard for Esther because the other Jews were treated badly. What happened to Queen Esther in the Bible? The Rabbis describe at length Esthers activities after she learned of Hamans decree against the Jews. The Rabbis even find proof that God concurred with the activity of Mordecai and Esther, since it is written(Esth. She was placed with her adoptive family, the Kings, on the orders of Queen Esther of Persia, who held a grudge against all Jews. 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. The situation was even more serious according to the tradition that Esther was married to Mordecai (the Babylonian tradition), for then, as a married woman, she committed adultery. Just as the myrtle is sweet-smelling but has a bitter taste, so Esther was sweet to Ahasuerus, but bitter to Haman (Esth. In the affair of Bigthan and Teresh, Esther continued to follow Mordecais instructions. cit.). 2). 49). At the meal she pleaded for the Jews, thus revealing herself as Jewish, and accused thiswickedHaman of plotting the annihilation of her people. Lit. The Rabbis include Esther among the seven most beautiful women in the world (BT Megillah 15a). Esther took place or at the very least was too young to remember Queen Sheba the famous rich queen , never did marry king The two were very close and Mordecai was highly regarded and respected by both King Xerxes and the Jewish people. Esther 4:11-16. It is believed that Mordecai was married before the events of the book, as the King of Persia issues a decree for all unmarried women to come to the palace for beautification treatments. This makes Esther 60 years younger than her cousin Mordecai. Prince Charles, who is next in line for the throne, was by her side. In the midrashic reenactment, Esther sent a message to Mordecai in which she asked him whether Israel had transgressed one of the commandments of the Torah. The answer is yes. According to the view that Esther was Hadassahs second name, the Rabbis explain that she was given this name because she concealed (histirah) her origins. 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. Esthers jar captures her willingness to stand up and fight against her oppressors, despite being completely alone and without support. Because of Haman's law, she and all the Jews in the kingdom would be killed. Updates? Rabbah28:6). old, non-virgin wife. When her secret was revealed, the whole of Persia, who had had no knowledge of the Jewish people or their plight, was amazed and moved by Esthers courage and selflessness. Even though Esther and Mordecai werent directly related, their close relationship was very strong and continued throughout their lives. Most of the Jews preferred the comfortable life of the Persian Empire to an arduous life rebuilding their devastated homeland. We see, however, that this was a stratagem on Mordecais part, so that Esther would not be frequently summoned to the king. What did the Nazis begin using gas chambers instead of mobile killing units and shooting squads after a while. Sort by: Most popular. She married her cousin Alexander of Judaea (died 48 BC), who was the son of Aristobulus II. Esther probably didn't live to see the events of the book of Part of HuffPost Religion. Her reign lasted less than a decade but still longer than a two-term presidency. Persian King would have probably not been interested in a 35 year Queen Vashti has been banished and an edict goes out for all qualified young virgins throughout the empire to be taken to the palace as he searches for a new queen. The Queen Mother lived to the grand age of 101 years and 238 days old. The moral of the story of Esther is to stay true to yourself and never give up on your beliefs. Mordecai is mentioned inEsth. How Can a Torah Commentary Be Source-Critical and Jewish? Mordecai would walk about in front of the harem in order to rule for Esther regarding menstrual spotting; another exegetical exposition has Esther showing the spotting from her menstruation to theTorah she-bi-khetav: Lit.