Chapter 1 began with a lavish feast given by King Xerxes of Persia in the 5th century BC. He ordered Queen Vashti to appear before his intoxicated comrades; she refused and was permanently banished from the king’s presence.
There is a 4-year interval between chapters one and two, and history tells us that Xerxes attempted another (unsuccessful) invasion of Greece during that time period.
ASSIGNMENT:
READ Esther 2:1-11.
1. List the characters mentioned in this section of chapter 2. (You should find 5).
2. Complete the following:
a. When Xerxes' anger had _____________, he remembered ______________. What did his personal attendants propose?
b. Hegai was the king's __________ who was in charge of the _____________.
c. Mordecai was a ______of the tribe of _____________. (If the family members listed in vs 5 were Mordecai's immediate ancestors) _______________was his great-grandfather who had been carried into _____________ from Jerusalem by ___________________, king of Babylon. (Date: 597 BC, 110 years before Esther)
d. Mordecai's cousin, ___________ (Hebrew name) was commonly known as ______________ (from the Persian word for star; or perhaps named after the Babylonian goddess, Ishtar).
Additional Historical Notes:
Harem - In this ancient culture, the term harem referred to either:
1) the palace women - which possibly included wives, concubines, and slaves … or 2) to the specific area of the palace in which these women lived.
Palace Eunuchs – As many as 500 young boys from around the kingdom were rounded up annually and castrated to serve as eunuchs in the Persian court. These young men were the most handsome and healthy – the cream of the crop.
3. What do we learn about the relationship between Mordecai and Esther from this passage?
4. Why do you think Mordecai forbade Esther to reveal her Jewish identity?
