Background Introduction to the Book of Esther

The Hebrew name for the Book of Esther is “Esther” (אֶסְתֵר / Estēr). This book, along with the Book of Ruth, is unique in the Bible for being named after a woman. It recounts how, after the Temple was rebuilt and before Ezra’s return, Queen Esther of Persia and her adoptive father Mordecai, under God’s hidden care and protection, thwarted Haman’s attempt to annihilate God’s people. This event became the origin of the Feast of Purim. This historical period corresponds to the late Spring and Autumn period to the early Warring States period in Chinese history.

Jewish tradition holds that Mordecai authored this book, but this remains uncertain. The book exhibits sophisticated literary technique, precise recording of details, and uses a notable number of Persian and Aramaic words. Its style is similar to Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah, lacking traces of Greek culture, suggesting it was likely written during the Persian Empire.

The Persians are a modern Iranian ethnic group. Cyrus (also known as Cyrus II, Cyrus the Great, or Kourash) of the Achaemenid tribe proclaimed himself King of Persia in 559 BC, initially as a vassal to the Median kingdom ruled by his grandfather. In 549 BC, Cyrus conquered Media. In 547 BC, he conquered Lydia and Asia Minor. In 539 BC, Cyrus captured Babylon, creating an unprecedented superpower whose territory stretched from Asia Minor in the west to the Indus River in the east. In contrast to the oppressive rule of Assyria and Babylon, King Cyrus was broad-minded and adopted a tolerant, conciliatory policy towards conquered nations. He issued decrees to rebuild the temples of various peoples and allowed a certain degree of autonomy to avoid internal unrest within the vast empire. Therefore, King Cyrus did not mind attributing his victories to foreign deities who were believed to have helped him, and he portrayed himself as a liberator and ruler chosen by the gods of various peoples: among the Babylonians, he was chosen by the god Marduk, ensuring Marduk’s temple was not destroyed; among the Israelites, he was chosen by the LORD God, funding the rebuilding of the Temple. Consequently, during the more than two centuries of Persian imperial rule (549-330 BC), the Middle East largely maintained peace, and culture and art flourished, making it the most important period for the formation of the Jewish nation in the New Testament era.

In 538 BC, “in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia” (Ezra 1:1), Zerubbabel led the first remnant of the exiles back to Jerusalem (Ezra 2:1-3:1), and the rebuilding of the Temple began the following year (Ezra 3:8-13).

In 530 BC, King Cyrus died in Central Asia, and his son Cambyses II (reigned 530-522 BC) succeeded him. The Temple rebuilding project was ordered to stop due to accusations from enemies (Ezra 4:7-22) for over nine years (Antiquities of the Jews Vol. 11, Ch. 2, Sec. 30). In 525 BC, Cambyses II conquered Egypt, and although many Egyptian temples were desecrated and destroyed, local Jewish synagogues were preserved. Jerusalem, situated on the road between Babylon and Egypt, was a key area for stability in the Persian Empire.

In 522 BC, Cambyses II died on his way back from Egypt, and Darius I (reigned 522-486 BC), a distant royal relative, succeeded him. During this time, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah began their ministries, and the Temple rebuilding project was allowed to continue. In 516 BC, the Temple was completed “in the sixth year of King Darius” (Ezra 6:15). Subsequently, Darius I suffered a defeat in his invasion of Greece at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC.

In 486 BC, Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes I, reigned 486-465 BC), the son of Darius I and Cyrus’s daughter, succeeded to the throne. Ahasuerus was defeated in his invasion of Greece at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC. Afterward, Esther became queen in “the seventh year of King Ahasuerus” (Esther 2:16), protecting the Jewish people from annihilation.

The name “Esther” (אֶסְתֵר) means “star.” This book is like a star God placed in the night sky, still guiding His people even when He seems to be hidden.