Esther

Historical Background

• 1525 BCE: Birth of Moses
• 1446 BCE: Israelite Exodus from Egypt
• 1406 BCE: Death of Moses; Joshua leads the Israelite conquest of Canaan
• ~1143 BCE: Book of Ruth
• 1043 BCE: Saul crowned as first King of Israel
• 1010 BCE: David crowned as second King of Israel
• 970 BCE: Solomon crowned as third King of Israel
• 930 BCE: Israel divides into two kingdoms: the Northern Kingdom (Samaria) and Judah (Jerusalem)
• 722 BCE: Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom and Samaria
• 627 BCE: Jeremiah begins his ministry in Jerusalem
• 586 BCE: Babylonian Empire conquered Jerusalem and destroyed Solomon’s Temple
• 539 BCE: Babylonian Empire conquered by Cyrus of the Persian Empire
• 520–515 BCE: After Haggai’s ministry, the Jews rebuild the Second Temple in Jerusalem
• 486 BCE: Xerxes I crowned as King of Kings of the Persian Empire

Historical Background (continued)

• “This is what happened during the time of Xerxes, . . . ”—Esther 1:1a
• Note: Some translations may render Xerxes name as “Ahasuerus.” Scholars consider “Ahasuerus” to be an appellative title, similar to “Pharaoh” in Egypt or, much later, how the name “Caesar” will come to denote the Roman Emperor, even those who do not descend from the Julio-Claudian bloodline. The Bible mentions other “Ahasuerus-es” (see, e.g., Ezra 4:6 (probably Cyrus’s son Cambyses); Daniel 9:1 (Darius’s father Cyaxares).
• “ . . . the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush.”—Esther 1:1b
• Note: “Cush” referred to the upper Nile region in Egypt.

Historical Background (continued)

• When the Book of Esther opens (~483 BCE):
• Greece is celebrating its 79th Annual Olympic Games, with the city-state of Athens in its Golden Age . . .
• . . . but its success draws the eye of King Xerxes I, who plans to invade the Peloponnesian Peninsula in the coming years.

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Historical Background (continued)

“At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa . . . ”—Esther 1:2

Historical Background (continued)

• The events in the book of Esther are why the Feast of Purim is celebrated by the Jewish people.
• The book of Esther is read in its entirety during the feast
• Esther means “Star” and is the persian name given to Hadassah whose name means “Myrtle”
• Vashti most likely regained her position at a later time, after the events of Esther.
• Vashti was the only true wife of Xerxes

Reading

• Read Esther 1:3–9

Discussion

1. In these six verses, how many banquets/feasts do we read about, and how long do they each last? What do you suppose were the purpose of these banquets/feasts, and what do they say about King Xerxes?

Reading

• Esther 1:10–22

Discussion

1. On the last day of the second feast, what does King Xerxes I ask Queen Vashti to do, and why? What does verse 10 note about his mental state at the time? Are there any implications for us today? (See Proverbs 31:4–5; Ephesians 5:18).
1. Note: Jewish tradition holds that Xerxes was trying to settle an argument amongst his court officials about the most beautiful woman in the world. The Hebrew used in verse 11—”to behold”—implies that Xerxes intended to show Vashti off immodestly.
2. How does Queen Vashti respond? What are some possible reasons she refused to do so? (See Proverbs 23:20–21).
• Note: At the last day of feasting, the Persian King typically called for concubines and dancers.
3. Assume that Vashti was wrong to deny Xerxes’s request; does that justify Xerxes’s response?
• Note: To the extent the Greek historian Herodotus can be trusted, Xerxes was not a wise man. Herodotus says that Xerxes once executed his finest engineers after a storm destroyed a bridge they built. Then he ordered his army to “lash” the sea for daring to defy him.
4. What happens to Queen Vashti as a result of her denial? What does this set the stage for?