The jews called him ahasuerus, the hebrew form of his persian name. Thus, ahasuerus and xerxes are the same individual by different names. In esther 910 it tells us that the ahasuerus of esther still had 127 provinces in his th year of reign. Esther 3 niv bible after these events, king xerxes. The book of esther does not record any children of queen esther.
Xerxes is familiar to students of the bible since he appears in two books. The book of esther begins with a description of king xerxes or ahasuerus of persia celebrating with the leading men of his kingdom. She refuses, and after consulting his counsel, xerxes has vashti exiled. Mar 14, 2018 xerxes i ruled 486465 bce, also known as xerxes the great, was the king of the persian achaemenid empire.
Xerxes i the great, king of persia geni family tree. Ernest wright early christians and the anchor, by charles a. The story of esther takes place during the reign of king xerxes i of persia, primarily in the kings palace in susa, the capital of the persian empire. The book purports to explain how the feast of purim came to be celebrated by the jews. The name xerxes does not appear in the hebrew text of scripture. As you may remember, esther becomes the next queen of persia and eventually risks her life to save the jewish exiles living in persia from extermination 2. Secular history knows him better by his greek name, king xerxes i who ruled persia from 486 to 465 b. Highlights of life in a persian harem during the time of.
Most scholars today agree that the kjv ahasuerus was the xerxes who reigned 486 b. Nov 26, 2012 king xerxes of persia was the worlds most powerful monarch who ruled the persian empire around 486 b. Why did queen vashti refuse to appear before xerxes. Ahasuerus appears most prominently in the book of esther, and the intrigues of the kings court provide the biblical origin of the festival of purim. The book of esther says that vashti was the wife of king xerxes when he first became king of persia, followed three years later by queen esther. The harem was a tradition with iranian persian dynasties and aristocracy as well. All we know about the life of xerxes from the greek persian war on comes from two primary sources. King domestic architecture and the new testament, by h. And mordecai came into the presence of the king, for esther had told how he was related to her.
Many scholars believe that king xerxes is the same as king ahasuerus who appears in the book of esther. Aug 08, 2017 king of kings xerxes was the oldest son of darius i, and the offspring of the kings first wife, atossa, daughter of cyrus ii. Some royal and aristocratic women received an arduous education. Sep 27, 2011 on the other hand, prophetic writings are often introduced as having occurred in the days of king. He is said to have ruled from india even unto ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces that is, over the achaemenid empire. The king could not sleep that night and began to read the book that. Ahasuerus is given as the name of a king, the husband of esther, in the book of esther. At the start of the book of esther, king xerxes throws a banquet and asks his wife, queen vashti, to look beautiful for him in front of the guests.
Xerxes sets up a display of his wealth and splendor esther 1. Did queen esthers beauty or bravery foil a massacre. He became king of persia in 485bc at the age of 33. Jan 26, 2018 xerxes is more common in nonbiblical literature, but ahasuerus is the preferred hebrew rendering cf. Among this group was esther, a jewess who kept her ethnic background hidden verse 8. Kennedy archaeology and the book of esther carey a. Apr, 2019 xerxes is also the king in the biblical book of esther, who has a beauty contest, which esther wins, to select a new queen. The book of esther, which may be a work of fiction, is set in xerxes rule and was written about 400 bce. It further tells us that this was the persian king who laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea. Sep 30, 2019 the book of esther, which may be a work of fiction, is set in xerxes rule and was written about 400 bce. Esther in the picture study bible the book of esther with.
The book of esther confirms that darius i is the most likely candidate for esther s king in another way as well. Mar 08, 2019 many scholars believe that king xerxes is the same as king ahasuerus who appears in the book of esther. His seven personal attendants were eunuchs as was the keepers of the kings harem of the virgins and the harem of concubines. Esther is described in the book of esther as a jewish queen of the persian king ahasuerus.
The book is unique in the hebrew canon for several reasons, not in the least because. Her ultimate fate is unknown and unrecorded by other sources. Xerxes is also the king in the biblical book of esther, who has a beauty contest, which esther wins, to select a new queen. On the seventh day, when king xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served himmehuman, biztha, harbona, bigtha.
Sep 15, 2018 that same day king xerxes gave queen esther the estate of haman, the enemy of the jews. King ahasuerus held a great banquet for his new queen, esther. At the conclusion of seven days of feasting, the king called queen vashti to appear before him. Esther had to undergo a detailed, delicate and extensive process of preparation before going to be presented before the king xerxesalso called ahasuerus. There is no record anywhere in the persian records of a queen. Xerxes reigned over the persianmedian empire in 486465 bc. This passage on the book of esther is a symbol from god on how all things for our beautiful lord have requirements and a process. I firmly believe this is a historical account of this part of esther and xerxes life, but i also believe it is a book of prophecy.
It was written either at the end of xerxes reign or during the reign of his son artaxerxes who ruled from 465 to 424 b. Before a young womans turn came to go in to king xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. Esther and mordecai under xerxes of persia amazing bible timeline. Xerxes fate is more certainhe was murdered by the commander of the immortals, artabanus. Xerxes is more common in nonbiblical literature, but ahasuerus is the preferred hebrew rendering cf.
Five things about esther that nobody talks about jews for jesus. How many children did queen esther and king xerxes have. If achashverosh is xerxes, is esther his wife amestris. Ironically, despite being the namesake of the book, esthers a. King xerxes of persia was the worlds most powerful monarch who ruled the. Xerxes is portrayed by richard egan in the 1960 film esther and the king and by joel smallbone in the 20 film, the book of esther. In chapter 1 he gives a great banquet for his nobles and, after several days of eating and drinking, orders that the queen vashti appear at the banquet so the men there might see her great beauty. He is traditionally considered to be the persian king ahasuerus referred to in the biblical story of esther. The outcome of the night esther spent with king xerxes was that she became queen of persia. Aug, 2012 highlights of life in a persian harem during the time of esther posted on august, 2012 by womenfromthebook the harem was a tradition with iranian persian dynasties and aristocracy as well. We can work out how old xerxes was, from history books like the greek historian herodotus as well as the internal evidence in esther. Her story is recorded in the old testament book that bears her name. For such a time as this the story of ahasuerus and esther. However, it does appear throughout the book of esther in the niv and nasb.
Esther, the beautiful jewish wife of the persian king ahasuerus xerxes. He was the son of the former persian king darius i. They are listed, at least as it seems, in chronological dating order. The only kings after xerxes ruling from india to ethiopia as mentioned in the book of esther are artaxerxes i and iii. Esther finds favor 11 and every day mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn about esthers welfare and what was happening to her.
Esther chapter 1 explained discover the 66 books of the. When jewish girl esther is chosen as the new queen consort to king xerxes of persia she finds herself at. But based on middle eastern practises, i suspect esther was a teenager when she married xerxes which would make sense of why she submits to mordecai in 2. He was a man who was used to controlling his own fate as well as the fate of others. The man of the house was none other than the king of the greatest empire in the world of his day. King xerxes of persia was the worlds most powerful monarch who ruled the persian empire around 486 b. However, if you ever see arguments for artaxerxes as the king during the time of estherdont believe it. In the narrative, ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, vashti, refuses to obey him, and esther is chosen for her beauty.
This rules out xerxes as the king ahasuerus of the book of esther. May 12, 2015 when, several years later, nehemiah asked the persian king for permission to return to zion and rebuild jerusalem, the queen is sitting by him nehemiah 2. He ruled from 486 bc until his assassination in 465 bc at the hands of artabanus, the. The book of esther begins with a similar flourish, with a grand description of king xerxes wealth and entertaining style. Some learned such skills as horsemanship and archery. Ahasuerus succeeded his father, darius hystaspis in 485 b. May 04, 2015 the persian king traditionally identified as the husband of esther is xerxes the great, who succeeded darius and fought the second persian war. Nehemiahs major position within his court and his queen influencing him to order the resumption of the building of the jerusalem temple nehemiah 2. For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their. Did esther have sex with xerxes before they were married. At the time, persia was in conflict with greecelargely because xerxes father and predecessor, darius i, had attempted to take athens by force and. A group of beautiful young virgins from the city of susa was selected verse 3. In the narrative, ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, vashti. Esther and mordecai under xerxes of persia amazing bible.
In the book of esther, haman attempted to have esther killed, but the plot failed. This is the same city in which the young esther was forced to participate in a beauty pageant at the whim of a king named xerxes. Esther 2 niv bible later when king xerxes fury had. The book of esther describes the jewish heroine esther, who saved the jewish people in persia from annihilation during the reign of king xerxes i ahasuerus. And all this was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king. He is identified as the ahasuerus of persia in the biblical book of esther although his son, artaxerxes i, is also a. Esther in the picture study bible the book of esther. The book of esther unfolds, however, with the two intertwining. Ahasuerus or xerxes i was a king of persia and the husband of esther, the jewess. Solving eleven mysteries of the jewish holidays and liturgy kodesh press, 2015, 129167.
In the bible, daryavesh of medea precedes koresh, but he daryavesh of medea is almost certainly not a historical figure. Moore archaeology at the albrigh institutet by phili, p j. In the story of esther, youll meet a beautiful, young queen who risked her life to serve god and save her people. Jun 18, 2019 the book of esther is one of only two books in the bible named for women. The persian king traditionally identified as the husband of esther is xerxes the great, who succeeded darius and fought the second persian war. During this time the enemies of israel hired counselors to bring false accusations to the ears of the different persian kings. King ahasuerus xerxes plays a prominent role in the book of esther. In at least one of these films, the events of the book of esther are depicted as taking place upon xerxes return from greece.
In chapter 2 of the book of esther, we are introduced to a jew named mordecai and an orphan girl in his charge named esther. Esther 2 describes king xerxes or ahasuerus search for a new queen of persia. Highlights of life in a persian harem during the time of esther. The book of esther confirms that darius i is the most likely candidate for esthers king in another way as well. The chronology of the book of esther is surprisingly detailed, sometimes down to the month, and its chronology dovetails amazingly well with the extrabiblical historical events that occur during the reign of king xerxes i of persia called ahasuerus in hebrew. So just say she was 15, then she had to deal with hamans plot when she was about 20. On the other hand, the name xerxes is actually the appropriate greek derivation of the kings persian name, khsyay. Esther 1 niv queen vashti deposed this is what bible gateway. One woman s crusade to prevent the genocide of her people.
The period between the deposition of vashti and the selection of esther is the events of the pelleponesian war. The queen described in the book of nehemiah is queen esther. The author is unknown, but it is evident from the details of the record that he was well acquainted with the. How many children did queen esther and king xerxes have answers. Esther lived in the persian empire during the reign of king xerxes i who reigned from 486465 bc. In the hebrew text, the kings name is ahasuerus preserved in the kjv and esv. The other king who some historians believe to be the ahasuerus of the book of esther is the persian king xerxes. Before each young woman was taken to the kings bed, she was given the prescribed twelve months of beauty treatmentssix months with oil. Esther, or hadassah in hebrew, was a jewish slave living in exile. The feast was for all the important men who had authority in the kingdom. It was written after the death of king xerxes esth.
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