Esther Through the Centuries

This interdisciplinary commentary ranges from early midrashic interpretation to contemporary rewritings introducing interpretations of the only biblical book not to mention God.

Jo Carruthers is RCUK Academic Fellow at the University of Bristol working across the disciplines of Religious and Literary Studies. She has published on Esther as well as the reception of the Bible in literary and nationalist contexts.

List of Plates	p. xi
Series Editors' Preface	p. xiii
Acknowledgements	p. xv
Introduction	p. 1
Why Reception?	p. 2
An Irredeemable Book?	p. 7
Jewish Tradition	p. 10
Christian Tradition	p. 12
Summary of Works	p. 13
Godless Scripture	p. 21
Allegory	p. 28
Providence, Choseness, Nationhood	p. 32
Political Application	p. 46
Esther as Literature	p. 49
Esther 1:1-9	p. 52
1:1 The King and Empire	p. 53
1:3 The King's Feast	p. 57
1:4 Display of Wealth	p. 58
1:8 No Compulsion to Drink	p. 59
1:9 Women's Feast	p. 60
Vashti	p. 61
Esther 1:10-22	p. 68
1:12 Disobedience	p. 68
1:13-22 The Empire Strikes Back	p. 83
1:19 Vashti's Punishment	p. 88
1:22 The Decree	p. 89
Esther 2:1-7	p. 93
2:1 The King Remembers Vashti	p. 93
2:2-4 To the Harem	p. 95
2:5-6 Mordecai	p. 98
2:7 Hadassah-Esther	p. 103
Esther 2:8-23	p. 109
2:8-14 Esther in the Harem	p. 109
2:15 Esther's Beauty	p. 121
2:16-18 Esther Becomes Queen	p. 125
Esther 3	p. 133
3:1 Haman	p. 134
3:2 'But Mordecai did not bow down'	p. 139
3:7 Casting Lots	p. 143
3:8 (Mis)Representing Jews: A People Set Apart	p. 145
3:8 Evil Counsellors	p. 151
3:12-15 Genocidal Edicts	p. 155
3:15 'The King and Haman sat down to drink'	p. 157
Esther 4:1-14	p. 160
4:1-3 'Great mourning among the Jews'	p. 160
4:4-14 Esther and Mordecai Confer	p. 163
4:14 'From another quarter'	p. 174
Esther 4:15-17	p. 176
4:15 'Fast ye for me'	p. 176
4:16 'If I perish, I perish'	p. 180
Esther as Exemplar of Resolve	p. 184
4:17 'Mordecai [...] did everything as Esther had ordered him'	p. 191
Esther 5	p. 192
Esther before Ahasuerus	p. 192
5:4-8 Esther's First Banquet	p. 215
5:9-14 Haman's Wrath	p. 218
Esther 6	p. 221
The King's Sleeplessness	p. 222
6:11 The Triumph of Mordecai	p. 227
Esther 7 and 8	p. 233
7:1-6 Esther's Second Banquet	p. 233
7:7-8 Haman's Fate	p. 238
8:1-6 'How can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?'	p. 244
8:7-14 The Irreversible Decree	p. 244
8:15-17 "The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour'	p. 249
Esther 9 and 10	p. 254
9:2 Scenes of Slaughter	p. 256
9:7-10 Ten Sons of Haman	p. 265
9:26 Purim	p. 267
9:29 & 32 'Then Esther the Queen ... wrote with all authority'	p. 275
10 The Greatness of Mordecai	p. 277
Bibliography	p. 280
Primary Sources
Pre-1500	p. 280
1500-1800	p. 281
Post-1800	p. 284
Esther Secondary Sources	p. 289
Other Secondary Sources	p. 293
Index	p. 296
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

FREE SHIPPING

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Esther Through the Centuries

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials