Ester Paper
Alexandra Smith
History 111
Dr. White
November 16, 2012
Alexandra Smith
History 111
Dr. White
November 16, 2012
Response: Esther the Queen If Esther, also known as Hadassah, lived in our day she would probably say her life changed from that of an ordinary girl to a fairytale Princess. The story of the Bible's Queen Esther is filled with intrigue, romance, bravery, and honor. It is the story of a Queen who became the savior of her people through a curious mix of fate and charm. It is also a story of remarkable love and devotion. The story's setting is when Israel was in captivity to Babylon. The ruler of the Persian Empire is called Ahasuerus in the Bible and is historically known as Xerxes. Ahasuerus held a one hundred eighty-day feast to exemplify his opulence of his finest capital, Susa. Scripture reference in Esther 1:6-7 speaks highly of the feast, mentioning the "marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and precious stones…" All one hundred twenty-seven provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia gathered to acknowledge the King. Drunk with wine, the King ordered Queen Vashti to expose herself in front of the King and his male guests, but Vashti refused the humiliating order, knowing that she was risking death. Infuriated, the King banished Vashti from his presence making her an example to other wives so that they would not make the same decision and disobey their husbands. Ahasuerus divorced his Queen Vashti and began searching for a new Queen to take her place at his side. While Ahasuerus was having "fair young virgins" brought before him for choosing his Queen, a captive from Jerusalem named Esther had been living in the "house of women" where she was well liked and began what was known as the purification process to be brought before the King. The author describes a eunuch as "usually a repulsive old man, on whom the court women are very
History 111
Dr. White
November 16, 2012
Alexandra Smith
History 111
Dr. White
November 16, 2012
Response: Esther the Queen If Esther, also known as Hadassah, lived in our day she would probably say her life changed from that of an ordinary girl to a fairytale Princess. The story of the Bible's Queen Esther is filled with intrigue, romance, bravery, and honor. It is the story of a Queen who became the savior of her people through a curious mix of fate and charm. It is also a story of remarkable love and devotion. The story's setting is when Israel was in captivity to Babylon. The ruler of the Persian Empire is called Ahasuerus in the Bible and is historically known as Xerxes. Ahasuerus held a one hundred eighty-day feast to exemplify his opulence of his finest capital, Susa. Scripture reference in Esther 1:6-7 speaks highly of the feast, mentioning the "marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and precious stones…" All one hundred twenty-seven provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia gathered to acknowledge the King. Drunk with wine, the King ordered Queen Vashti to expose herself in front of the King and his male guests, but Vashti refused the humiliating order, knowing that she was risking death. Infuriated, the King banished Vashti from his presence making her an example to other wives so that they would not make the same decision and disobey their husbands. Ahasuerus divorced his Queen Vashti and began searching for a new Queen to take her place at his side. While Ahasuerus was having "fair young virgins" brought before him for choosing his Queen, a captive from Jerusalem named Esther had been living in the "house of women" where she was well liked and began what was known as the purification process to be brought before the King. The author describes a eunuch as "usually a repulsive old man, on whom the court women are very