Cover
Half-title page
Title page
Copyright page
Dedication
Contents
List of Figures
List of Abbreviations
1 An Introduction
I The Story of Esther
II Esther, Jews, and Christians
III Challenges and Purposes
IV Sources and Approach
V State of Research
VI Outline
Part I Esther: Story and History, Literary Features, and Theology
2 Esther’s Story: Composition, Literary Unity, Textual Development, and Noble Characters
I The Story of Esther
II Place and Time of Composition
III Structure and Literary Unity
1 Esther 9:20–28 – The First Purim Letter
2 Esther 9:29–32 – The Second Purim Letter
3 Esther 10:1–3 – The Closing Chapter of the Book
IV Textual Development: The Hebrew and Greek Versions
1 B-Text, A-Text, and MT
2 The Six Major Greek Additions and the Colophon
3 Which Text Is Closest to the Urtext?
4 Provisional Summary
V Noble Characters
1 Vashti: A Queen with Dignity and Self-Respect
2 Esther: Beauty, Courage, and Wisdom
3 Mordecai: “Seeking the Welfare of His People”
A The Major Persona of the Book
B A Courtier at the King’s Gate
C The Clash between Mordecai and Haman
VI Conclusion
3 Virtuosity, Literary Style, and Features
I Virtuosity
II The Secular Feature of the Book
III Repetitive Style and Other Literary Elements
IV Mosaic Style
V Synonyms and Series of Synonymous Words
VI Inner Interpretations and Identifications
VII Inclusio, Chiasmus, and Chiastic in Parallel
1 Inclusio and Chiasmus
2 Chiasmus in Parallel
VIII Antithesis
IX Structures of Reversal Destiny and Talionis
X Overstatement, Hyperbole, and Typological Numbers
XI Satirical and Humoristic Descriptions
XII Conclusion
4 The Central Message of Esther within Biblical and Ancient Near East Contexts
I The Fear of Complete Annihilation
II Esther’s Response to the Fear of Complete Annihilation
III Theology without Mentioning Theos
IV The Theological Message of Esther
V Is the Presumed Theological Concept of Esther Innovative?
VI Conclusion
5 Historical Setting and Historicity
I The Historicity of the Esther Story
1 Esther as a Completely Reliable Story
2 Esther as a Completely Unreliable Story
A The Esther Story and Purim Are Echoes of Ancient Myth
B Esther as a Nonhistorical Story
II Historical Setting and Historicity
1 The Empire
A Borders and Provinces
B מדינה , “satrapy,” and dahyu
C “One Hundred Twenty-Seven”
2 The Emperor: Ahasuerus/Xerxes
3 The Queen and Harem
A The Queen: Vashti, Esther, and Amestris
B The Harem
4 The Imperial Hierarchy
5 The Geographical Setting: Susa, Persepolis, and Their Palaces
A Susa and Its Palace
B Susa versus Persepolis
6 Achaemenid Royal Annals and Imperial Archives
7 The Royal Postal Delivery System
8 The Persian Legal System
9 Tolerance toward Others
10 Conspiracy and Murder in the Royal Court
11 Annihilation of the Imperial Jews
III Conclusion: Esther as Novelistic History
IV Appendix: Persia and Persians in the Hebrew Bible
6 Ancient Parallels to Haman’s Accusations
I Haman and His Accusations
II The Opponents of Daniel
1 Daniel in the Lions’ Den
2 Is Daniel’s Story Shaped According to Esther’s Story?
III The Counselors of Antiochus VII Sidetes/Euergetes
IV Apollonius Molon
V Apion of Alexandria
VI The Roman Governor Flaccus
VII The Roman Historian Tacitus
VIII The Greek Scholar Lucius Flavius Philostratus
IX Conclusion
Part II “Oh, How Much They Love the Book of Esther!” Esther among the Jews
7 Esther, Torah’s Law, and the Dead Sea Scrolls’ Community
I Introduction
II Why Is the Book of Esther Absent from the Dead Sea Scrolls?
III Esther’s Marriage to Ahasuerus
IV Boaz’s Marriage to Ruth the Moabitess
V “Fast for Me”
VI Conclusion
8 Esther in Jewish Canon, Tradition, Culture, and Thought
I The Book’s Name
II The Place in the Canon
III Esther through the Generations
IV The Story of Esther and the Talmudic Rabbis
1 Fill in Gaps and Intertextual Allusions
2 Anachronism
3 Divine Interference
4 Theodicy
A The Traumatic Experience of the Jews
B The Case of Vashti
V Esther and Mordecai
1 Esther
2 Mordecai
VI Purim and the Remembrance of Amalek
VII Haman, Agag, and Amalek
VIII Reading of the Megillah
IX The Story of Esther in Jewish Thought
X The Esther Story in Art, Play, Music, and Film
XI Some Other Jewish Voices
1 Claude G. Montefiore
2 Samuel Sandmel
3 Schalom Ben-Chorin
4 Jonathan D. Magonet
5 Overall Assessment
XII Conclusion
9 Identification of Jew-Haters with Haman New “Hamans,” “Purims,” and “Megillot”
I Creative Expounding of the Book of Esther
1 The Greek Esther: Haman as a Macedonian
2 Josephus’ Rephrasing of Haman’s Charges
3 Targum Sheni to Esther
4 Midrash Esther Rabbah
5 Saba’s Commentary on Esther in Setting of Expulsions
6 Christians as Edom and Haman
7 Leopold Zunz and the German Kaiser Friedrich Wilhelm IV
II Forming New “Purims” and “Megillot”
1 Purim Shmuel haNagid
2 Purim Narbonne
3 Purim Castile
4 Purim Saragossa
5 Megillat Mizrayim
6 Purim Mizrayim
7 “Second Purims” in Other Mediterranean Lands
8 Purim Frankfurt or the Vintz-Purim
9 Megillat ha‘Atzmaut
10 Haman, Amalek, Purim, and the Muslim/Arab–Israeli Conflict
III The Esther Story, Purim, and the Nazi Germans
1 “The Murder Feast”
2 “A Second Triumphant Purim”
3 “We Read Haman the People Heard Hitler”
4 “Purim Hitler” of Casablanca and Other Holocaust Survivors
IV Conclusion
V Appendix: Esther’s Theological Message versus Historical Reality
1 The Historical Reality
2 Theology, History, and Us: A Post-Shoah Reading of Esther
Part III Divine or Demon? Esther among the Christians
10 Esther in the Christian Canon, Interpretation, Tradition, and Culture
I The Christian “Book of Esther” versus the Jewish “Megillat Esther”
II Anti-Jewish Trends in Esther’s Greek Translations
III Authority, Place, and Names of Esther in the Christian Canon
IV Esther in Christian Interpretation, Tradition, and Culture
1 Quotation and Interpretation of Esther
2 Rabanus Maurus’ Commentary
3 Martin Luther’s Translation and Negation of the Book
4 Esther in Christian Liturgy, Theology, Art, and Music
V Conclusion
11 Esther, the Jews, and Martin Luther
I The Place of Luther’s Approach in Christian Reception
II Luther and the Figures of Esther and Mordecai: Positive Characterizations
III Luther and the Book of Esther: Negative Characterizations
IV An Understanding of Luther’s Conflicting Attitudes toward Esther
V Luther’s Attitude toward Esther against the Background of His Approach to the Old Testament
VI Luther’s Attitude toward Esther against the Background of His Approaches to Judaism and Jews
1 Luther and Judaism
2 Luther’s Friendly Approach toward Jews
3 Luther’s Hostile Approach toward Jews
VII Luther, the Book of Esther, and the “Ethnic Character” of the Jews
VIII Haman, Antiochus Epiphanes, and Martin Luther
IX Conclusion
12 Christian Anti-Esther and Judeophobic Interpretation
I Christian Repudiations of Esther, Jews, and Judaism
II Political Background and Parallels to These Anti-Jewish Accusations
1 Johann Gottlieb Fichte
2 Friedrich Rühs
3 Jakob Friedrich Fries
III An “Antisemite Pogrom of the Jews” or Legitimate Self-Defense?
1 How Many Enemies Were Killed?
2 Who Was Killed and Why?
3 Self-Defense or Revenge?
4 Killing and Hanging of Haman’s Sons
5 Purim Feast: Celebration of Deliverance
IV Conclusion
13 Christian Pro-Esther Interpretation
I Before the Holocaust
The Case of Wilhelm Eduard Vischer
II After the Holocaust
III Conclusion
14 Synthesis and Conclusion
I The Book of Esther
II Esther and the Jews
III Esther and the Christians
Bibliography
Authors Index
Names and Subjects Index
Sources Index
Terms and Expressions Index
