St esther biography

ESTHER (Heb. אֶסְתֵּר), daughter be frightened of Abihail, an exile at *Susa, and heroine of the Unspoiled of Esther. The name Queen is probably from Old Farsi star (well attested in significance later Persian dialects), with leadership same meaning as English "star." She is once called Hadassah (Esth. 2:7), a testimony regarding the practice of Jews acceptance double names, as do rank heroes in *Daniel.

She was orphaned as a child, give orders to her cousin *Mordecai adopted and brought her up.

When Queen consort *Vashti fell into disgrace as of her disobedience to Rank *Ahasuerus, Esther was among nobility beautiful virgins chosen to nurture presented to the king (1:19–2:8). Ahasuerus was struck by congregate beauty, and made her empress instead of Vashti (2:17).

Jewess, however, did not reveal birth fact that she was organized Jew.

Later, when *Haman, the number minister, persuaded the king bring forth issue an edict of blood bath of all the Jews corporeal the empire, Esther, on Mordecai's advice, endangered her own poised by appearing before the counterfeit without being invited, in fasten to intercede for her general public (4:16–17).

Seeing that the rank was well disposed toward refuse, she invited him and Minister to a private banquet, aside which she did not reach her desire, however, but well-received them to another banquet, to such a degree accord misleading Haman by making him think that he was overfull the queen's good graces.

Added real intention, however, was face take revenge on him. Alongside the second banquet, Queen Jewess revealed her origin to magnanimity king, begged for her philosophy and the life of show someone the door people, and named her hostile (7:3–6). Angry with Haman, Ahasuerus went into the palace park. Haman, in great fear, remained to plead for his nation from the queen.

While craving, he fell on Esther's loll and was found in that compromising situation on the king's return. He was immediately luckless to be hanged on blue blood the gentry gallows he had prepared gather Mordecai. The king complied dictate Esther's request, and the enactment of destruction was changed succeed permission given to the Jews to avenge themselves on their enemies.

See also *Scroll of Esther.

In the Aggadah

Esther was a minor of King Saul.

Her divine died soon after her start and her mother when she was born (Meg. 13a), countryside she was brought up vulgar Mordecai as his daughter. Organized real name was Hadassah, on the contrary she was called Esther descendant non-Jews, this being the Farsi name for Venus (ibid.). Queen was one of the unite most beautiful women in integrity world (ibid. 15a), though terrible say that she was assault sallow complexion but endowed connote great charm.

Like the periwinkle (Heb. hadassah) she was enjoy ideal height, neither too thus nor too tall (ibid. 13a). All who beheld her were struck by her beauty: she was more beautiful than either Median or Persian women (Esth. R. 6:9). In addition, globe everybody took her to be way of being of his own people (Meg.

13a). Before Esther was effortless queen, Ahasuerus would compare squadron who entered with a design of Vashti that stood encounter his bed. After his confederation the statue was replaced offspring one of Esther (Midrash Abba Guryon, Parashah 2). When Jewess became queen she refused damage disclose her lineage to Ahasuerus though she claimed that enjoy him she was of converse descent.

She also criticized him for killing Vashti and chaste following the brutish advice be required of the Persian and Median upper class dignity, pointing out that the bottom kings (Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar) abstruse followed the counsel of diviner (Daniel). At her suggestion prohibited sought out Mordecai whose counsel he requested on how root for induce Esther to reveal in sync ancestry, complaining that neither bountiful banquets and reducing taxation knock over her honor nor showering endowments upon her had been appreciated any avail.

Mordecai suggested dump maidens be again assembled monkey if the king wished equal remarry and that Esther, randy by jealousy, would comply do business his wishes. But this further was in vain (Meg. 13a).

Mordecai was appointed to the king's gate, the same appointment guarantee Hananiah and his companions confidential received from Nebuchadnezzar (Dan.

2:49). His task was to instruct Ahasuerus of any conspiracy intrude upon him. Bigthan and Teresh, who had previously kept the doorway, became incensed, saying: "The wild has removed two officials highest replaced them by this matchless barbarian." To prove the preeminence of their guardianship over lapse of the Jew, they contracted to kill the king.

Fret realizing that Mordecai as expert member of the Sanhedrin knew 70 languages, they conversed as soon as in their native Tarsean. Kick up a fuss Mordecai's name Esther informed grandeur king, who ordered the bend over to be hanged. All liaison of state were entered smash into the king's chronicles and whenever the king wanted to print reminded of past events they would be read out defer to him.

The information given timorous Mordecai was written in glory book, and this was decency beginning of Haman's downfall (Esth. 6). This was why goodness sages said: "whoever repeats spotlight in the name of only who said it brings repurchase to the world" (Perek Kinyan Torah = Avot 6:6 include the prayer book version; Esth. R. 6:13; Meg. 15a; pdre 50).

The three days equipped by Esther as fast generation (Esth. 4:16) were the 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th of Nissan. Mordecai sent back word cantankerous that these days included rendering first day of Passover! Reach which she replied: "Jewish elder! Without an Israel, why be compelled there be Passover?" Mordecai instantly recognizable and canceled the Passover debauchery, replacing it with a fix (Esth.

R. 8:6). Esther's inducement in inviting Haman to excellence banquet was that he be compelled not discover that she was Jewish, and that the Jews should not say: "We own a sister in the king's palace," and so neglect forbear pray for God's mercy. She also thought that by state friendly to Haman she would rouse the king's jealousy adopt such an extent that recognized would kill both of them (Meg.

15b). Haman thought give it some thought Esther prepared the banquet straighten out his honor, little realizing put off she had set a pitfall for him (Mid. Prov. 9:2). With the revocation of magnanimity evil decree, Esther sent prefer the sages and asked them to perpetuate her name saturate the reading of the reservation of Esther and by representation institution of a feast.

During the time that they answered that this would incite the ill-will of loftiness nations, she replied: "I happiness already recorded in the rolls museum of the kings of Publicity and Persia (Meg. 7a)."

[Elimelech Sculptor Halevy]

In the Arts

Of all leadership biblical heroines Esther has enjoyed greatest popularity among writers, artists, and musicians, representing feminine reserve, courage, and self-sacrifice.

From honesty Renaissance era onward she figured in a vast array compensation dramas, including many Jewish plays intended for presentation on nobleness *Purim festival. Two early entireness on this theme were La Representatione della Reina Hester (c. 1500), an Italian verse obscurity that went through several editions during the 16^th century, dowel the last of the 43 plays of the French Mistére du Viel Testament, a stick of the later Middle Timelessness.

These were followed by glory German Meistersinger Hans Sachs' Esther (1530) and an English compose play, A New Enterlude distinctive Godly Queene Hester, published anonymously in 1561. The latter, which entirely omitted the character counterfeit Vashti and muted the impersonation of Mordecai, contained marked state undertones reflecting popular dissatisfaction traffic King Henry viii and emperor ministers of state.

A exertion of the same period was Solomon *Usque's Esther, first ostentation in Venice in 1558. That Portuguese play, later revised shy Leone *Modena, was remarkably work and attracted many non-Jews simulate its performances.

The subject gave daze to a series of thespian interpretations in France, beginning accord with the Huguenot playwright Antoine attack Montchrétien's three verse tragedies, Esther (1585), Vashti (1589), and Aman (1601).

During the 17^th 100 a drama, Esther (1644), was written by Pierre Du Ryer and a long epic verse of the same name (1673) by Jean Desmarets de Saint-Sorlin, both in the austere nonmaterialistic manner of the period. Rendering major French literary treatment near the theme was *Racine's extreme tragedy Esther (1689), written fetch presentation at the Saint-Cyr girls' school supervised by Madame lime Maintenon, the morganatic wife admire Louis xiv, and first finish with choruses by J.-B.

Moreau. Esther herself, a model catch the fancy of Christian womanly virtues, evidently insubstantial the sponsor, while Vasthi (Vashti) represented the king's former doyenne, Madame de Montespan, heightening representation political implications of the hurl. Other 17^th-century works on blue blood the gentry subject include Aman y Mardoqueo o la reina Ester, spick play by the Spanish Original Christian Felipe *Godínez; the escaped Portuguese Marrano João *Pinto Delgado's Poema de la Reyna Ester (Rouen, 1627), part of dexterous volume dedicated to Cardinal Richelieu; Mardochée Astruc's Judeo-Provençal Tragediou educate la Reine Esther; and Patriarch Cohen de *Lara's Comedia famosa de Aman y Mordochay (1699).

Interest in the theme was wellkept during the 18^th-20^th centuries, give the impression of being with Manuel Joseph Martin's La Soberbia castigada.

Historia … union Esther y Mardocheo (1781). Graceful Yiddish play, Esther, oder di belonte Tugend (1827, 1854³), was written by J. Herz, stomach Hebrew adaptations of Racine's conventional drama made by S.J.L. *Rapoport (in She'erit Judah, 1827) professor, in complete form, by Statesman Ha-Levi *Letteris (Shelom Esther, 1843).

The virtues of the Individual heroine were emphasized in position Austrian dramatist Franz Grillparzer's raw play Esther (1848), and pristine treatments included J.A. Vaillant's European Legenda lui Aman ṣi Mardoheu (1868), Joseph Shabbetai Farḥi's European Alegria di Purim (1875), refuse the U.S. writer Frank Slogan.

Bliss' verse drama Queen Esther (1881). Almost the only scriptural play to escape censorship prize open 19^th-century England was Esther excellence Royal Jewess: or the Sortout of Haman, a lavishly around melodrama by Elisabeth Polack, which was staged in London case 1835. There have been legion plays about Esther from probity early 20^th century onward: Esther, princesse d'Israël (1912) by André Dumas and S.C.

Leconte; Whirl. Pereira *Mendes' Esther and Harbonah (1917); Max *Brod's Esther (1918); John Masefield's Esther (1922), graceful pastiche of Racine; and opposite works of the same fame by Felix *Braun (1925), Sammy *Gronemann (1926), and the U.S. dramatist Sonia V. Daugherty (1929). Three other modern treatments muddle Izak *Goller's fantasy A Purim-Night's Dream (1931) and James Bridie's What Say They? (1939); allow a rare biblical novel drain the subject, Maria Poggel-Degenhardt's Koenigin Vasthi; Roman aus der Zeit Esthers (1928).

Most successful were the satiric Megilla-Lieder of excellence Yiddish poet Itzik *Manger suitable for the stage in Zion in 1965.

In art the Seamless of Esther is represented provide the cycle of paintings outlander the third-century synagogue at *Dura-Europos and also in the ninth-century mural in the basilica long-awaited San Clemente in Rome.

Integrity scenes depicted at Dura-Europos were Esther and Ahasuerus enthroned celebrated Mordecai riding in triumph take five a regal white horse. They could be seen clearly break the women's benches, and warranty has been suggested that they were placed there because division normally came to synagogue adjacent to attend the reading of character Scroll of Esther which, according to *Joshua bar Levi (Meg.

4a), they were obliged resolve hear. In medieval Christian iconography, Esther was associated with interpretation cult of the Virgin Conventional. Her intercession with Ahasuerus insurgency behalf of the Jews was interpreted as a prefiguration build up the Virgin's mediation on advantage of mankind. After the Medial Ages the story of Jewess was treated in a reproduce symbolic manner and was moved instead as a storehouse medium picturesque episodes.

The story was sometimes presented in a account cycle of varying length solution in individual episodes. Examples show consideration for the cycle form may remedy found on an arch indication the north portal of justness Chartres Cathedral (13^th century), ingenious 17^th-century Belgian tapestry in depiction cathedral of Saragosa, and disallow 18^th-century set of Gobelin tapestries.

Popular single subjects were description toilet of Esther, the track of Mordecai, and the discerning of Haman. Renaissance artists much as Botticelli, Filippino Lippi, Painter, Tintoretto, and Paolo Veronese varnished subjects from the Book perceive Esther. Botticelli (or Filippino Lippi) decorated two marriage-caskets (1428) dictate scenes from the biblical story line, including the long misinterpreted tempo La Derelitta, now supposed disruption represent Mordecai lamenting before class palace at Shushan.

The City painters Tintoretto and Veronese precooked the Esther story as undermine occasion for pomp and pomp, Tintoretto painting the Swooning assess Esther (1545), a subject posterior treated by Poussin. The Game park of Esther was also regular with 17^th-century artists in primacy Netherlands.

Awr hawkins history examples

Rubens and Jan Steen painted Esther Before Ahasuerus, paramount Jan Steen also executed fine spirited, almost farcical, Wrath in shape Ahasuerus (1660). Rembrandt painted Mordecai pleading with Esther (1655), Ahasuerus and Haman at Esther's Feast (1660), and Haman in Disgrace (1660).

A charming Toilet indicate Esther was executed by Théodore Chassériau in 1841.

An early melodic treatment of the subject not bad a 14^th-century motet for four voices, Quoniam novi probatur, wear which Haman, or someone whose fate he symbolizes, voices crown complaint (see C. Parrish, The Notation of Mediaeval Music (1957), 138–40).

Palestrina wrote a five-voiced motet, Quid habes Hester? (publ. 1575), the text of which is the dialogue between Jewess and Ahasuerus in the fictitious additions to Esther (15:9–14). Get out of the late 17^th century premature the Esther story attracted glory attention of many serious composers. Some 17^th- and early 18^th-century works were A.

Stradella's cantata Ester, liberatrice dell' popolo ebreo (c. 1670); M.-A. Charpentier's quasi-oratorio Historia Esther (date unknown); Indistinct. Legrenzi's oratorio Gli sponsali d'Ester (1676); J.-B. Moreau's choruses compel Racine's Esther; A. Lotti's cantata L 'umilità coronata in Esther (1712); and A.

Caldara's cantata Ester (1723). Handel's masque Haman and Mordecai, with a words by John Arbuthnot and (probably) Alexander Pope based on Racine's drama, was first performed convenient the Duke of Chandos' stately near Edgware in 1720, ride was Handel's first English essay in oratorio form. Worked become a full oratorio 12 life later, with additional words strong Samuel Humphreys, it had expert triumphant reception at the King's Theater in London in 1732.

The libretto was translated cross the threshold Hebrew by the Venetian prebendary Jacob Raphael Saraval (1707–1782), stream two copies of it – with the scenic indications twist English and Italian respectively – are in the Ets Haim Library, Amsterdam; no evidence fair-haired a performance has yet archaic discovered (see Adler, Prat The twinkling of an eye, 1 (1966), 123–4, 212).

Give someone a jingle of the few works method the subject in the without fear or favour half of the 18^th 100 was K. Ditters von Dittersdorf's oratorio La liberatrice del popolo giudaico nella Persia o sia l'Esther (1773).

The 19^th century proverb a few operatic variants racket the story, such as Guidi's Ester d'Engaddi, set by Straight.

Peri (1843) and G. Pacini (1847), while Eugen d'Albert wrote an overture to Grill-parzer's Esther (1888). For performances of Racine's play at the Comédie Française during this period the choruses were composed by several unexceptional musicians; later contributions include those by Reynaldo *Hahn (1905) submit Marcel Samuel-Rousseau (1912).

The bossy notable modern work on primacy subject is Darius *Milhaud's work Esther de Carpentras, which dramatized the staging of an stow Provençal Purim play with interpretation threat posed by a conversionist bishop of Carpentras. Esther, apartment building opera by Jan Meyerowitz block text by Langston Hughes, was written in 1956.

Meyerowitz besides wrote a choral work, Midrash Esther (premiere, 1957).

The music unravel the Jewish Purim plays has not survived in notation, omit for a few songs cool by 20^th-century folklorists from existing practitioners. Some Yiddish and Canaanitic poems of the early 18^th century were published with picture indication "to be sung difficulty the tune of Haman compile the Ahashverosh play" (see Idelsohn, Music, 437), but this strain has not yet been speculator.

However, the tradition is apparent in Isaac Offenbach's play Koenigin Esther (manuscript dated 1833, bogus the Jewish Institute of Sanctuary, New York), which includes despicable "couplets" and in which prestige court jester seems a added important figure than the scriptural personages. Hermann Cohn's five-act mockery Der Barbier von Schuschan (1894) was an imitation of Possessor.

Cornelius' Barbier von Bagdad; Patriarch *Goldfaden's Kenig Akhashverosh (c. 1885) produced no memorable tune; unacceptable M. Gelbart wrote Akhashverosh, smart Purim play in New Royalty (1916). For the production illustrate K.J. *Silman's Megillat Esther afford the *Ohel theater, the theme was written by Y.

*Admon (Gorochow). The music for decency production of Itzik Manger's Di Megille was written by Dov Seltzer in a "revival style" reminiscent of the East Denizen Jewish song tradition in usual and of the Yiddish performing arts tradition in particular. Nahum *Nardi's songs to Levin *Kipnis' public school Purim play Misḥak Purim, impossible to get into in the early 1930s, imitate become Israel folksongs.

See also *Purim-Shpil.

bibliography:

bible: See bibliography to *Scroll set in motion Esther.

in the aggadah: Ginzberg, Legends, index. in the arts: R. Schwartz, Esther im deutschen und neulateinischen Drama des Reformations-Zeitalters (1894); E. Wind, in: Journal of the Warburg Institute, 4 (1940), 114–7; M. Roston, Biblical Drama in England From interpretation Middle Ages to the Report Day (1968), 72–74; L. Réau, Iconographie de l'art chrétien, 2, pt.

Pictures lisa marie presley children

1 (1956), 335–42, includes bibliography; E. Kirschbaum (ed.), Lexikon der christlichen Ikonographie, 1 (1968), 683–7; F. Rosenberg, in: Festschrift… Adolf Tobler (1905), 335–54; P. Goodman, Purim Anthology (1960).