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. holy Temple in Jersusalem. Yes, Mordechai was indeed Esthers cousin. Elizabeth I is one of England's most well-known monarchs. The day before, the 96-year-old queen pulled out of a virtual Privy Council meeting after her doctors advised her to rest. Gaalya Cornfeld, ed.,Josephus: The Jewish War; Zondervan Publishing House, 1982). Their grandfather was Alexander Jannaeus, the second eldest son of John Hyrcanus. Mordecai was instrumental in thwarting a murderous plot by one of the kings advisers, Haman, to annihilate the Jewish people. Who is Jason crabb mother and where is she? Esther 4:11-16. Help JWA continue to lift up Jewish womens stories, this month and every month, by. Is the singer Avant and R Kelly brothers? As the Queen died on the Isle of Wight, her body was carried on board the HMY Alberta with several yachts taking the mourners and King Edward VII to Gosport in Hampshire and then by train to Victoria station in London. 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). The king was humiliated and enraged, and he banished Vashti. 2:7). The midrash compares Esther to a hind and to the dawn, based onPs. Rabbah28:6). This prayer also mentioned her situation, which contrasted with that of Sarah andRebekah: they were taken for a single night to the court of a foreign king and miracles were performed for them. Abraham, "fell on his face and laughed" while Sarah, "laughed to herself" and even tried to deny it. How old was Queen Elizabeth II when she died? This shows that her selection was part of the divine plan; Esther was meant to rule in order to bring deliverance to all Israel (Lit. Josephus tells us that she was loved by the masses of the Jewish people (Jewish Antiquities 13:407). Her loyalty to her people is admirable, as is . It is known that Esther was the daughter of Abihail, and she had married King Xerxes of Persia around the age of 18. The Queen ascended to the throne in 1952 at the tender age of 25, and was on a royal tour of Kenya when Philip delicately broke the news that her father, King George VI, had died. She she fasts for three days, she goes to the king, enduring many obstacles while traveling through the palace but protected by angels. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. She reigned in the first century BCE, sixty years after the Hasmoneans achieved independence from the Seleucid Empire and a few decades before King Herod. not tell how old she was, is certainly not historical and appears They derive this from the various verses that reflect the thought of the characters, or that attest to actions of which a normal person could not be cognizant, such as Haman said to himself(Esth. No, Esther and Mordecai were not married. 28 BC) was the daughter of Hyrcanus II (died 30 BC), who was the son of Alexander Jannaeus. The Babylonian tradition (according to which she was Mordecais wife) understands this apprehension as her awareness that she would thereby lose her status as one compelled [a married woman living with another man against her will] and become a woman who does so freely. When we talk about Esther in the Book of Esther, we can't ignore many other characters in the book as they seem to play roles almost as important as hers. Esther gained even greater favour with Ahasuerus after she helped thwart an assassination plot against him that Mordecai overheard at the palace gate. She was crowned about 55 years after the destruction of the First Temple, and fifteen years before the Second Temple was built. point. The Book of Esther relates that Esther told no one of her Jewish origins, as Mordecai had ordered her. He also appointed her as queen of the Persian Empire and gave her a royal medal of honor. 10:3) was able to have interceded for the welfare of all his kindred (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer, chap. But she does not reveal her Jewish heritage to the king and learns of a plan to kill all Jews by the kings advisor, Haman. On March 30, 2002, the Queen Mother died aged 101 years and 238 days old. For an analysis of these sources and their reliability, see Tal Ilan,Integrating Women into Second Temple History(Tbingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1999), esp. As a result, the king reversed his decree and the Jews were saved from death. Browse 35 queen esther bible stock illustrations and vector graphics available royalty-free, or start a new search to explore more great stock images and vector art. This tradition results from the desire to equate Esthers age with that of Abraham when he left his native land forThe Land of IsraelErez Israel upon Gods command. He wished Queen Vashti to be brought to the feast so that he may flaunt her wonderful beauty. Esther was taken to the royal harem despite her being married, which further aggravated her sorry condition. This means she had been married to the king for approximately 40 years at the time of her death. Alexandra the Maccabee. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. She was 96 years old. Additionally, Hamans royal throne and belongings were given to Mordecai, and he was honored by the people of the city. Rabbah15:6). Another question that concerned the Rabbis was that of the children from the union of Esther and Ahasuerus. Continue Learning about Religious Studies. Esthers jar was a tangible expression of her emotional devastation, her loss of hope, and her feelings of utter helplessness. The book of Esther (2:7) states that she had both names, Esther and Myrtle (Hadassah in Hebrew). Esther and Mordecai then obtained a royal edict allowing Jews throughout the empire to defend themselves on the day set for their extermination. Esther: A Queen Under Control. My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me? Jesus or Esther? Mordechai discovered a plot to kill King Xerxes and foiled it by informing the King through his cousin Esther. 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). Another view cites the verse (9:27): the Jews undertook and irrevocably obligated themselveswhat they took upon themselves below was confirmed above (BTMegillahloc. Esther told the king that her people were in danger. We just don't know. On the third day, Queen Esther put on her royal robes and presented herself to King Xerxes, even though her husband had not requested her presence in over a month. 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. Ahasuerus promised Esther that he would grant her request, even to half the kingdom(Esth. Why did she stay with him, rather than restart her life? 17:14): Inscribe this in a document as a reminder (since Haman was of Amalekite stock). As early as 1215, Rabbi Menachem Ha-Hevroni wrote that while visiting the Galilee, he came across the tomb of Queen Esther, "who, during her lifetime, had instructed her son Cyrus to bring her there [for burial]". According to the Bible, Mordechai was a Jew who lived in the Persian city of Susa, the modern-day city of Shush, Iran. Mordecai and Esther respond to this that the story in the Book of Esther was already recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Media and Persia(Esth. When we celebrate Purim, may we laugh with Esther and Mordecai, but also remember Queen Shelamzion Alexandra, praise her example, and wish that Eretz Israel may experience those heavenly rains of peace again in our time. [3] See discussion in Ilan, Daughters of Israel, Weep for Rabbi Ishmael!: The School of Rabbi Aqiva vs. the School of Rabbi Ishmael,Silencing the Queen: The Literary Histories of Shelamzion and Other Jewish Women(Tbingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2006). In the midrashic expansion, on her way to the king Esther encountered various obstacles and she had to pass through seven departments in the palace. 22:25). Esthers jar is a visual representation of her emotional turmoil and her suffering. Most of the Jews preferred the comfortable life of the Persian Empire to an arduous life rebuilding their devastated homeland. brought him up to be favorable to the Jews and he later rebuilt the What is a reason a mathematical model can fail? She recognizes that she needs to personally plead the king to save her people but knows this act is a grave transgression. Seeking a new queen, the king appointed commissioners to bring all the beautiful young virgins from every province into his harem for a year of cosmetic treatments so that he might select a new bride. The Jews honored God and knew that one should not bow down to Haman, or any of his gods, for it was a sign of idolatry and would directly break the command of God. [1] In preparation for Purim and the reading of Megillat Esther, the story of this forgotten Jewish queen is worth recounting. What did the Nazis begin using gas chambers instead of mobile killing units and shooting squads after a while? Meir, Tamar. 726. 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. Lastly, Mordecai helped the Jews to establish their rights, which became to be known as the Purim festival. This also leads to a different understanding of Mordecais involvement, as he walks about in the royal courtyard out of concern for his wife. You, O Father of orphans, stand at the right hand of this orphan, who trusts in Your compassion. During the Temple period, the dough set aside to be given to the priests. Queen Esther died in 473 BCE, so she was likely in her late fifties or early sixties at the time of her death. Esther had been made queen to save her people. Institution: National Library of Israel, Jerusalem. When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 7:6): The adversary and enemy, she first pointed to Ahasuerus, but the king moved her hand in Hamans direction. The Queen was the oldest monarch to have reigned in Britain before she passed away in September 2022, aged 96. // Javascript URL redirection Esther illuminated Israel like the light of dawn, while this light itself was like darkness for the nations of the world (MidrashTehilim, onPs. Her jar represented her strength and her resilience and gives a powerful message of hope to all those facing oppression. "order." The Queen described in the Book of Nehemiah is Queen Esther. Routing number of commercial bank of Ethiopia? We don't know, though tradition teaches that she lived a long life. The Babylonian tradition maintains that Esther was Mordecais wife. Queen Elizabeth II has died today aged 96. How old was Queen Elizabeth II when she died? Warrior-kings tend to figure largely as models of leadership in the Western imagination. She Considering that she was likely in her mid-teens when she met King Ahasuerus, she lost her parents before that point. Prince Charles, who is next in line for the throne, was by her side. Mordecai was a trusted advisor to King Xerxes of Persia and Esther was his adopted daughter. The Queen was the oldest monarch to have reigned in Britain before she passed away in September 2022, aged 96. In order to recognize Mordecais efforts, the king made him his minister and gave him a royal robe and princely apparel. She and her cousinMordecaipersuaded the king to cancel an order for the extermination of Jews in his realm, plotted by the kings chief minister, Haman. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered flags at the Capitol to be flown at half-staff following the queen's death. Another angel pushed Haman onto Esthers couch (BTMegillahloc. There was no King Ahasuerus of Persia, but many Bible commentaries observe that Ahasuerus is likely the Hebraicised version of King Xerxes, the Achaemenid leader who ruled from 486 to 465 BCE.Historians say that Queen Amestris was Xerxes' only known wife and was definitely still queen at the time the biblical account says that Xerxes married Esther, casting doubt on the biblical story. The Talmud reveals that Esther's relationship with Ahasuerus wasn't a romantic one. Ahasuerus is moved by her words and instead orders Haman to be hung on the gallows he had built for Mordecai. Through his actions, along with those of his cousin Esther, the Jews were saved from extermination. She was the wife of the Persian King Xerxes [aka "Ahasuerus" in many Bibles] who ruled Persia from 486 to 465 BC. When Esther sought to deliver up Haman, she revealed her identity as a Jew in the act. Victoria, in full Alexandrina Victoria, (born May 24, 1819, Kensington Palace, London, Englanddied January 22, 1901, Osborne, near Cowes, Isle of Wight), queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1837-1901) and empress of India (1876-1901). 464 BC. Esth. Queen Shelamzion Alexandra reigned as queen of Judea from 76 to 67 BCE. Her death is believed to have been around the age of 57. One day he overheard a conspiracy between two of the king's guards who wanted to assassinate Xerxes. A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). 22:26). And her name was not Esther. King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti to appear at a banquet, but she refused to do so which led to her banishment. She became the new wife of the king when his . Abase him before me, for You abase the proud (Esth. She received her Ph.D. in religion from Princeton University. "scroll." When Esther was taken captive, her emotional world was completely destroyed. 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. As Tal Ilan has suggested, this moment is also crucial because it shows us that the decision to promote the book of Esther could well be associated with the coronation of Shelamzion Alexandria and that it may have been part of a larger literary campaign designed to promote the leadership of women through dialogue with other contemporary points of view which were hostile to the idea of women in power (as Josephus was, for example). 49). And You, O Lord, bring success to this, Your poor handmaiden. older than her (do the math a 37 year old king marrying a 14 year The events of Esther unfold over an eight- to ten-year period. Thisdevarbuilds on Ilans work: her oeuvre is well known to academics but is not as well known as it could be tothe reading public. She knew King Xerxes's love for merrymakingthat's how he first got in trouble with Queen Vashti (Es 1:10, 11, 12), how he celebrated Queen Esther's rise to the throne (Es 2:17, 18), and how he ended his day with Haman after issuing the edict for genocide (Es 3:15). Like many Jews today, she had two names, one Hebrew and one Greek. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Esther-biblical-figure, McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Esther. Esthers Origins and Her Adoption by Mordecai, Esther Delivers Up Haman and Reveals Her Identity. cit.). She was a beautiful Jewish woman, the wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). One school of thought takes the numerical value ofHadassah= 74 (or 75, including the name itself as a unit) to determine Esthers age(Gen. Rabbah39:13; see below: Esthers Age). them clearly. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Sat 30 Mar 2002 15.27 EST Buckingham Palace announced today that the Queen Mother died peacefully in her sleep at 3.15 this afternoon at the age of 101. guessing that Nehemiah was probably not around when the events of Mordecai is mentioned inEsth. Torah and history converge in a remarkable way in the life of Shelamzion. The answer is yes. 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. But to approach the king without being summoned was not only illegal, but it could very well result in death for impertinence. 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. Let us know. Esther was taken from her home and came to live in the palace along with many other girls of the harem. Theodor-Albeck], MS. Vatican, para. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'coalitionbrewing_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_10',152,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-coalitionbrewing_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');Her true identity was kept hidden from everyone, until she was forced to reveal it in order to save her people from the decree of death from Persias ruling king. According to other traditions, her bowels were loosened (BTMegillahloc. They married in 478 BC after the former queen, Vashti, was banished for being unable to fulfill her husband's demands. 2). Then the queen gave Haman's estate to Mordecai and prayed the king to deliver the nation of the Jews from the fear for their lives, and she showed him what the letter that had been sent throughout the country by Haman, the son of Ammedatha; for, she said, if her country were destroyed and her countrymen were to perish, she could herself bear to . That day, Esther told the king about Haman's plan to massacre all Jews in his kingdom, and she acknowledged her own Jewish ethnicity. Additionally, he decreed that anyone hostile to the Jews would be punished. To hide her identity as a Jew, he tells her to go by the name of Esther. Similarly, her son Benjamin knew about the sale of Joseph, but remained silent and did not tell his father. One advantage to welcoming Shelamzion back into Jewish memory is making space for a role model of diplomacy and peace. 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). Another tradition has her eating only seeds in the harem, similar to Daniel and his fellows, in order to observe the laws ofThe Jewish dietary laws delineating the permissible types of food and methods of their preparation.kashrut (BT Megillahloc. These actions demonstrated the kings respect and admiration for Esther and earned her the loyalty of her people. cit. This last event was around the same time that Esther became Queen. Read the entire Scripture account of the life of Queen Esther in the Bible verses below and use the articles and videos to understand the meaning of this teachable event in the Bible:. He deposed Queen Vashti in 483/482BC when he was 36 ( Esther 1:3 ). Ilan relies upon Bickermans dating, as does Aaron KollersEsther in Ancient Jewish Thought(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014). The Rabbis were concerned about the question of Esthers marital status. The best. Like many Jews today, she had two names, one Hebrew and one Greek. There, she was forced to prepare herself for her first night with the King by spending six months doused in oil of myrrh and another six in sweet odors ointments. [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]. She was compared to the dawn, for just as the dawn breaks at the end of each night, so, too, Esther [i.e., the miraculous delivery of the Jews] came after there had been no miracles [during the period of exile and darkness](BTYoma29a). What episode does Squidward say the F word. 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. Esther was the heroine and central figure in the Book of Esther, which is now recognised by Biblical scholars to have been a second-century-BCE Jewish novel. "scroll." Save the flock of Your pasture from these foes who have arisen against us, for nothing prevents You from winning a victory by many or by few. The murdered queens name does not survive in the historical record. Rabbah 6:5; BT Megillah 13a). Her reign lasted less than a decade but still longer than a two-term presidency. 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. Do you, or does someone you know, demonstrate the same total commitment to a mission, even at the cost of sacrificing personal happiness? Commenting on Deuteronomy 11:13-14, which describes rain falling in its season as a reward for keeping the commandments, Sifre Deuteronomy writes (42): In other words, Rabbi Nathan observes that in the days of Queen Shelamzion, the people actually obeyed the commandmentsthey were all good for a change!and God rewarded the Israelites with plentiful rain from heaven. When the king saw his queen, Xerxes lowered his golden scepter to invite Esther into his presence. Rabbah30:4). Shelamzion became sole heir to the Hasmonean kingdom when her husband, King Alexander Janneaus (King Yannai in rabbinic sources), who reigned from 10376 BCE, died. Another tradition compares Esther, who ruled one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, toSarah, who died at the age of one hundred and twenty-seven(Gen. Rabbah58:3). 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." She never forgot her cousin Mordecai and she never forgot that she was one of God's children. Alexandra the Maccabee (died ca. [2] But Shelamzion remained queen and lived up to her name, maintaining the peace of Zion with a strong army, careful diplomacy, and the support of the Jews of ancient Israel and beyond. "order." 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. Nehemiah, unless she survived the assassination, in which case she What did the Nazis begin using gas chambers instead of mobile killing units and shooting squads after a while. It was Mordecai who helped Esther win the favor of the King, who then chose her to be his queen. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. The Jewish festival ofPurimcelebrates this event. Rabbah8:3). 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. It is a remarkable moment in Jewish history, in which we can see one of the times when Jews were connecting to each other from Jerusalem to the Diaspora and establishing the holidays that we take for granted today. We rely on the support of readers like you. Sometimes it was hard for Esther because the other Jews were treated badly. Guy Siverson Graceful Touch | Massage Therapy Therapist (s) | Rapid City Author has 5.2K answers and 2.7M answer views 7 mo Esther 2:7 King James Version 5). [7] Queen Esther risks her own life when she goes to the kings chambers uninvited: If I must die, so be it, she says (Esther 4:16). The Book ofEsther (2:7)relates that Esther had two names: He was foster father to Hadassahthat is, Esther. The Rabbis take two interpretive directions as regards these names. She was 96. They were in no way penalized for being ruled over by a queen rather than a king.[5]. 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. missed each other by at least 50 years. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Daniel probably died shortly after Darius took the throne in 521 Despite her hiding her identity, Esther still maintained contact with Mordecai. Omissions? but the date of Josephus final words about Shelamzion are that despite her deviation from proper feminine behavior, she had kept the nation at peace (Jewish Antiquities 13:432). After Esthers coronation, the king continues to gather virgins in his palace, which the Rabbis understand as an activity meant to reveal Esthers identity. The historical reality of this biblical episode, and whether or not Esther actually existed, has often been questioned. Esther's Origins and Her Adoption by Mordecai. [11] According to the colophon to Greek Esther, a delegation of Jews from Jerusalem went to Egypt with the translation of the story of Megillat Esther and asked the Jews of Alexandria to begin celebrating the festival of Purim. Beautiful as the moon (Talmud, Megillah 13a).3) Esther comes from the Semitic root ath-tar, "morning star." Even after she becomes queen because of the disobedience of Queen Vashti, Esther remains modest and down-to-earth. Esther was a teenager in She was the second daughter of Laban, Rebekah's brother, making Jacob her first cousin. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. They did not have the riches that Esther had. 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. Esther had been made queen to save her people; her mission and her faith shaped her character and inspired her to act and succeed. Mordecai is promoted to the second highest ranking position in the empire, and Esther is given control of the household of Haman. 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). [12] Queen Shelamzion Alexandra certainly stood to benefit from Esthers precedent. Later pilgrims mentioned the site, and noted that special celebrations were held there on Shushan Purim. Themidrashrelates that Esther hid from Ahasueruss agents who sought women for the king. Persian King would have probably not been interested in a 35 year The plea was turned down by her. Designation of the five scrolls of the Bible (Ruth, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther). Scripture is silent on when and how Queen Esther died, and history is also silent on her life, as well. 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. The Book of Esther, which does The Funeral of Queen Victoria by Wiliam Lionel Wylie (c) National Maritime Museum. cit.). Solomon. This meant the king was happy to see her and would not put her to death. Rabbah6:8), or to arrange for the kashrut of her food. When she relayed Mordecais information to the king, she attributed it to Mordecai(Esth. 31 December 1999. May this man have mercy on me, for I fear him. After Esther was crowned queen, Mordecai held an important position at the palace and worked closely with the Queen in all matters. Her son Charles, 73, is now king. How old was Esther when she became queen? 49). Esther: Nice Jewish Girl, Married to a Goy? In post-Temple times, a small piece of dough set aside and burnt. Esther asked Mordecai to fast for three days, even though the third day was the first day of the holiday ofA seven-day festival to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt (eight days outside Israel) beginning on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nissan. How can a woman test for infertility at home? It is most unlikely that there ever was a Queen Esther, in which Mordecais wife is never directly named, but it is presumed that she was originally from Susa, based on her residence in the city at the time of the story. The King also issued a proclamation throughout the land to honor Mordecai. to be fictional. In the midrashic account, Ahasuerus initially ruled the entire world. Vashti (Hebrew: , romanized: Vat; Koin Greek: , romanized: Astn; Modern Persian: , romanized: Vti) was a queen of Persia and the first wife of Persian king Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther, a book included within the Tanakh and the Old Testament which is read on the Jewish holiday of Purim.She was either executed or banished for her . Esther was the heroine and central figure in the Biblical book of Esther. Rabbah6:5). Given new belongings (Esther 2:9). Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.