Esther, Queen of the Jews

Though Esther's position as a queen in the Persian court is unquestioned in Jewish thought, the historicity of this datum raises some questions. Scholars have pointed out that Esther, as a Jew, could not have become King Ahasuerusâ€TM wife according to a Persian law that allowed Persian kings to marry only women from seven specific noble families. Scholars do agree on the “late†production of the Book of Esther, though they differ concerning the approximate date of its composition. Nevertheless, in Jewish thought Esther was, is, and will always be regarded as the queen of Persia, an idea based, perhaps, on the need for security and comfort for diaspora Jews, who passed this story on to their children through the generations to give them hope even in their darkest hours. Estherâ€TMs status in Jewish thought as a Persian queen is based on the contents of the different versions of the Book of Esther and also on the Persian socio-historical background of the events described in the book.