If her queenship was unprecedented in the second temple period, it was not unprecedented in the Jewish imaginationQueen Esther had made it possible to imagine a Jewish queen positively. [8] See Helena Zlotnicks discussion of Esther inDinahs Daughters: Gender and Judaism from the Hebrew Bible to Late Antiquity(Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002), 87. 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. Esthers jar was a tangible expression of her emotional devastation, her loss of hope, and her feelings of utter helplessness. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. What did this queen do? Designation of the five scrolls of the Bible (Ruth, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther). cit.). The Scroll of Esther is read on Purim from a parchment scroll.Megillah loc. Esther exposes Haman's evil plan. Esther understood that this action would require her to commit a grave transgression, and even lose all possibility of returning to her husband Mordecai. Ultimately, the jar became a symbol of Esthers courage and determination. Esther was born about 492BC and was 14 when she became Queen. In Shelamzions period, there were no precedents for powerful queens in Judeanot unless one counts Jezebel, the most notorious queen in Israelite history, or her daughter Athaliah. case we can not say how old she was. Prince Charles, who is next in line for the throne, was by her side. Esther | Biblical Figure, Account, Purim, & Facts | Britannica Consequently, Esther was not considered to be a married woman who willingly engaged in adultery, and she was therefore permitted to Mordecai; indeed, the Rabbis maintain that she continued to live with the latter, at the same time that she was married to Ahasuerus (BT Megillah 13b). Anyway, there's no record of whether Esther was After Esther was crowned queen, Mordecai held an important position at the palace and worked closely with the Queen in all matters. Similarly, her son Benjamin knew about the sale of Joseph, but remained silent and did not tell his father. 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. Modesty and Sexuality in Halakhic Literature, What Queen Esther can teach us about intermarriage. Despite her hiding her identity, Esther still maintained contact with Mordecai. She remained passive to the moody King and obedient to her authoritarian uncle, Mordecai. How old was Esther when she became queen of Persia? She invited both Haman and Ahasuerus to a private banquet, stirring up jealousy in the King's mind. How old was King Xerxes when he married Esther? The Rabbis describe at length Esthers activities after she learned of Hamans decree against the Jews. Esther stood in the middle of the fourth department; the guards of the first department could no longer touch her, while those of the last department could not yet approach her. In response, Esther tells him that, like him, she is the offspring of royalty (Midrash Abba Gurion, para. 2:22): and Esther reported it to the king in Mordecais name, from which the Rabbis learned that whoever properly attributes a statement brings redemption to the world, since, by merit of this act, the king wished to give honor and advancement to Mordecai, which began Hamans downfall (Codification of basic Jewish Oral Law; edited and arranged by R. Judah ha-Nasi c. 200 C.E.Mishnah Avot6:6). According to one tradition, Esther was responsible for Mordecais being seated at the palace gate, since she told Ahasuerus that all the great kings seated a Jewish advisor at the gate (Midrash Abba Gurionloc. Rabbah6:8), or to arrange for the kashrut of her food. Unlike the other women, who wanted to be chosen, Esther tried to evade the king, but she was the one picked to be queen. Esther despaired throughout her first six years in the palace. In contrast, the BT also cites a tradition that Esther had a greenish [sallow] complexion, and therefore was called Hadassah; according to this tradition, Ahasuerus was drawn to her because she was endowed with great charm (BTMegillahloc. The Jews receive permission to defend themselves against their oppressors, and many of the enemies of the Jews are killed. Nevertheless, this must not have an easy decision for her; just one generation before her, the wife of the Hasmonean King John Hyrcanus was starved to death by her son when she tried to remain queen. not tell how old she was, is certainly not historical and appears When word of the planned massacre reachedEsther, she risked her life by going uninvited to the king to suggest a banquet that Haman would attend. She was the second daughter of Laban, Rebekah's brother, making Jacob her first cousin. She died peacefully on Thursday afternoon at her Scottish estate, where. Upset, the king stepped out into the palace gardens. After more than 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022. Rabbah6:4). For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. Esther Bible | Fun Trivia Questions | Page 5 | Old Testament / Tanakh Estimates vary, but she was most likely between 50 and 60 years old when she died. Notably, Shelamzion maintained peace through defensive measures and diplomatic outreach rather than outright acts of aggression. Victoria | Biography, Family Tree, Children, Successor - Britannica She married her cousin Alexander of Judaea (died 48 BC), who was the son of Aristobulus II. Who is Jason crabb mother and where is she? Like many Jews today, she had two names, one Hebrew and one Greek. 22:25). Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. Most people have never heard of Queen Shelamzion Alexandra. point. In the midrashic account, Ahasuerus initially ruled the entire world. The Jewish festival of Purim celebrates this event. 464 BC. Similarly, Shelamzion had to succeed against all odds to maintain her queenship. Esther had been made queen to save her people. Themidrashrelates that Esther hid from Ahasueruss agents who sought women for the king. He asked what she wanted. This also leads to a different understanding of Mordecais involvement, as he walks about in the royal courtyard out of concern for his wife. She is mentioned several times throughout the Book of Esther. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'coalitionbrewing_com-box-4','ezslot_5',147,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-coalitionbrewing_com-box-4-0');In the biblical book of Esther, Queen Esther is a young Jewish woman who becomes queen of the Persian Empire, thanks to the intervention of King Ahasuerus advisor, Mordecai. 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. They married in 478 BC after the former queen, Vashti, was banished for being unable to fulfill her husband's demands. How old was Sarah when she gave birth to Isaac? - Aleteia Photo Credit: Wikipedia, 'Ahasuerus and Haman at the Feast of Esther . Jacob had traveled a great distance to find Laban. Menstruation; the menstruant woman; ritual status of the menstruant woman. 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. Queen Esther is the reluctant heroine of the Purim story. 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. Esther standing in the Inner Court. Rabbah6:11). The moral of the story of Esther is to stay true to yourself and never give up on your beliefs. The enraged King ordered Haman's hanging, elevated Mordecai to prime minister and gave Jews the right to defend themselves against any enemy. Please consider supporting TheTorah.com. The Rabbis include Esther among the seven most beautiful women in the world (BT Megillah 15a). "Esther: Midrash and Aggadah." Rachel was silent when she saw that Jacob married her sister instead of herself. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. What is the answer punchline algebra 15.1 why dose a chicken coop have only two doors? 114 BCE: see Carey Moore, On the Origins of the LXX Additions to the Book of Esther,JBL92.3 (1973): 382-83. No, Esther and Mordecai were not married. Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96, Buckingham Palace announces She had two grown sons (Aristobulus and Hyrcanus II), but she decided not to step aside for them; perhaps she foresaw that the rivalry between the younger and older son would not end well. Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who gazed upon her; every person thought that she was one of the women of his nation, whom he found comely. Part of HuffPost Religion. "scroll." Weird Things You Didn't Know About Queen Esther - Grunge.com She and her cousin Mordecai persuaded the king to cancel an order for the extermination of Jews in his realm, plotted by the king's chief minister, Haman. Bibles] who ruled Persia from 486 to 465 BC. He deposed Queen Vashti in 483/482BC when he was 36 ( Esther 1:3 ). Esther risked her life to save the Jews, thus, she became an example of unselfishness and faithfulness. Esther retorted, "Without Jews, who needs Passover?". His father was Kish, who descended from the House of Benjamin. She trusted in the goodness and power of God, and in the end He delivered her and her people, the Jewish people, from destruction. Queen Esther - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints One tradition states that she was served Jewish food in the harem, while another asserts that she was given chines of pork. She greatly feared to appear before Ahasuerus. Furthermore, the Jewish people had a special holiday to commemorate their deliverance and celebrate the bravery of Mordecai. What did the Nazis begin using gas chambers instead of mobile killing units and shooting squads after a while?
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