EstherIntroduction

September 9, 2011Episcopal Church of the Resurrection

Background: Marc Chagall, 1960, Ahasuerus Sends Vashti Away

Overview of Esther• On the surface:– Read like a romance novel: young and beautiful heroine,

wicked and scheming villain, wise father-figure, comical ruler, good triumphs over evil, everyone lives happily ever after

• Beneath the surface:– Racism, genocide, pride, vanity, justice

• Purpose?– “An entertaining story written for an oppressed minority

that ties what was probably originally a pagan holiday into a Jewish context.”

Perceptions of Esther• “No other book in the Hebrew Bible has received

such mixed reviews from Jews and Christians alike.”• Martin Luther:– “I am so hostile to this book that I wish it did not exist,

for it Judaizes too much, and has too much heathen naughtiness.”

• Not till 3rd Century AD did Jews recognize it as canonical

• Very popular among regular people. Not popular among religious officials

Popular with the People, Criticized by Theologians

• No mention of God, prayer, temple, religious activity

• Esther marries a gentile, eats non-kosher, assimilates among Persians

• Jewish is ethnic, not religious identity• Additions try to change this• But, God seems to be operating behind the

scenes –feels modern in this sense

Author• Unknown• May have been Persian Jew living in Diaspora trying to

live full Jewish life• This could account for neglect of traditional Jewish

themes as it tries to establish Diaspora tradition of Purim

• Writer demonstrates knowledge of Persian court• Women sometimes represented marginalization of

Diaspora Jews who had to accommodate alien environment

• Likely the author used some existing blocks or narrative to create a single story, writing by single author

Audience• “The audience the book addresses appears to be

Jews who live in close proximity to foreign rulers and must learn to make their own way in a society in which they are a minority and in which there is always danger of persecution and oppression.”– Women’s Bible Commentary, 131

• Audience may have been more ethnically than religiously Jewish

Genre• Esther is not history. It is a novella, set within a

historical framework– Xerxes’ queen was Amestris, not Vashti

• No stylistic traits of oral tradition. It was written• Purpose: demonstrate retributive justice, need for

oppressed people to be bold and shrewd• Includes satire, irony, farce and tragedy• Story has symmetrical reversal of fate for the villain

and hero, so it reads like a morality tale• Jewish Bible places Esther in the “Writings” alongside

Psalms, wisdom books and late literature like Daniel, Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah

The Setting

• Set in royal court of Sura in the Persian empire during the reign of Xerxes I, 486-465 B.C.

• Takes place within Jewish Diaspora during exile

Very Rough Outline of Jewish History• 1800s-1600s BC? – Time of Patriarchs• 1400s BC? – Israelites in Egypt• 1300s BC? – Moses and Exodus• 1200s BC? – Conquest of Canaan• 877-836 BC? – King David• 825 BC? – First temple completed• 796 BC – Israel splits into two kingdoms• 722 BC – Assyrians conquer northern Israel• 612 BC – Babylonians defeat Assyrians• 486-465 BC – Reign of Xerxes I, setting for Esther• 422 BC – Babylonians Conquer Israel, destroy temple• Late 4th/Early 3rd Century BC – Esther likely written• 370 BC – Jews return from Babylonian exile• 312 BC – Greeks conquer Israel• Late 3rd Century BC – Greek version of Esther lengthened by 107 verses• 167 BC – Maccabean revolt begins• 63 BC – Romans invade Israel• 37 BC – Herod the Great begins rule• 67 AD – Jews revolt against Rome• 70 AD – Romans sack Jerusalem, destroy temple

Placing Esther• Must have been written after Xerxes’ reign: 486-465 BC• Author unfamiliar with particulars of Xerxes, so it might

be distant from Xerxes’ time• Lacks Greek influence and language, so it was likely

written before 312• Generally positive towards Gentiles and foreign rulers,

unlike later books• Probably written in Persia, since it has no interest in

Jerusalem or the Temple• Shows knowledge of Persian court customs that would

have been unfamiliar in Israel

Relationship to OT• Persian king is mentioned 190 times. God is

mentioned 0 times• No mention of basic Jewish themes like: law,

covenant, prayer, diet, Jerusalem• Composition resembeles Daniel and Judith• Allusions to Joseph story, Exodus, conquest, Saul and

Naboth• Quotes eremiah, Zephaniah, Isaiah, Zechariah• Includes maxims from proverbs• Many parallels to Daniel –Jewish hero surviving by

wits among gentiles

Women in the Bible• Only two books in the Bible, Esther and Ruth, are

named for women• Many women in the Bible go un-named• Women treated as property, forced into marriage,

used as concubines• Purity laws biased against women• Women had little power outside of home• Women did tremendous amount of labor• Most (though not all) divine imagery is male• Esther was powerless in her context because she was a

female Jew, yet used manipulation to save her people

Sex and Violence

• Esther, the hero, is a concubine who marries a non-Jew to become queen. This violated Jewish ethics on several fronts

• Mordecai has over 75,000 people killed when he takes his revenge on the persians

• Haman’s children are all executed

Purim• Probably originated as Babylonian or Persian holiday adapted by

Diaspora Jews• Lesser holiday than those proscribed by Torah• Esther is read in aloud. At mention of Haman, kids rattle noise-

makers and boo• Orthodox Jews often get very drunk

– Tradition says one should drink until he can no longer distinguish the phrases "Cursed is Haman” and "Blessed is Mordecai”

• Customary to send food gifts to friends, give to charity and eat a festive meal

• Often people put on costumes in celebration an to commemorate God “disguising” his presence behind events

• Purim spiel is a comical dramatization of the story with music and dancing and far-ranging stories

• Celebrated on 14th day of Adar – Usually in March

Additions to Esther• Written for Greek speaking Jews in 2nd or 1st Century

BC• Much of the translation is faithful to the original

Hebrew version, but six additional sections were added

• Additions contradict the Hebrew often• Goal is to transform the book into a conventional

tale of divine intervention and exceptional Jewish piety

• “God” and “Lord” are used more than 50 times in the additions and inserted into original text

Additions to Esther

• Addition A: Mordecai’s dream and discovery of plot against king

• Addition B: Royal edict by Haman decreeing extermination of Jews

• Addition C: Prayers of Mordecai and Esther• Addition D: Esther appears unsummoned before king• Addition E: Royal edict dictated by Mordecai

countering Haman’s decree• Addition F: Interpretation of Mordecai’s dream

Schedule• September 8– Introduction

• September 15– Esther 1:1-2:4, Parties, Politics and Power– Esther 2:5-3:15, Personnel, Programs – and Pogroms

• September 22– Esther 5:9-6:14, Plots, Parades and Providence– Esther 7:1-8:17, Counterplots and Counter-Edicts

• September 29– Esther 9:1-10:3, Dueling Decrees and Purim Parties– Additions to Esther