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Extra Websites
What to look for in a
husband; compare this with Ahaseurus'way of choosing a wife
Finding
a Husband
Fabulous
gold jewelry from the ancient world
Bible Archaeology: Jewelry
Esther's story in
more detail
Bible Women:
Esther
Esther as one of the great heroines of the Bible
Bible Top Ten Heroines
The Palace of Persepolis
Bible Archaeology: Palaces
Paintings
of Esther at the court of the king, with the famous 'Fainting
Paintings'
Bible Art: Esther
FAMOUS
PAINTINGS
OF ESTHER
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Foolish King, Wise Queen
The Book of Esther, and Esther with Additions
Esther with
Additions, Chapter 2
A Nationwide
Beauty Contest
1 After these things,
the king's anger abated, and he no longer was concerned about Vashti or
remembered what he had said and how he had condemned her.
2 Then the king's servants said 'Let beautiful and virtuous girls
be sought out for the king.
3 The king shall appoint officers in all the provinces of his
kingdom, and they shall select beautiful young virgins to be brought to
the harem in Susa, the capital. Let them be entrusted to the king's
eunuch who is in charge of the women, and let ointments and whatever
else they need to given them.
4 And the woman who pleases the king shall be queen instead of
Vashti. this pleased the king, and he did so.
5 Now there was a Jew
in Susa the capital whose name was Mordecai son of Jair son of Shimei
son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin;
6 he had been taken captive from Jerusalem among those whom King
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had captured.
7 And he had a
foster child, the daughter of his father's brother, Aminadab, and her name
was Esther. When her parents died, he brought her up to womanhood as his
own. The girl was beautiful in appearance.
8 So, when the decree of the king was proclaimed, and many girls
were gathered in Susa the capital in custody of Gai, Esther also was
brought to Gai, who had custody of the women.
The Preparations
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The Grooming of Esther, Theodore Chasseriau,
(see Bible Art) |
9 The girl pleased
him and won his favor, and he quickly provided her with ointments and
her portion of food, as well as seven maids chosen from the palace; he
treated her and her maids with special favor in the harem.
12 ......Now the
period after which a girl was to go to the king was twelve months.
During this time the days of beautification are completed -- six months
while they are anointing themselves with oil of myrrh, and six months
with spices and ointments for women.
13 Then she goes in to the king; she is handed to the person
appointed, and goes with him from the harem to the king's palace.
14 In the evening she
enters and in the morning she departs to the second harem, where Gai the
king's eunuch is in charge of the women; and she does not go in to the
king again unless she is summoned by name.
Esther wins the
Contest
15 When the time was
fulfilled for Esther daughter of Aminadab, the brother of Mordecai's
father, to go in to the king, she neglected none of the things that Gai,
the eunuch in charge of the women, had commanded. Now Esther found favor
in the eyes of all who saw her.
16 So Esther went in to King Artaxerxes in the twelth month, which
is Adar, in the seventh year of his reigh.
17 And the king loved Esther and she found favor beyond all the
other virgins, so he put on her the queen's diadem.
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The Festival of Esther, Edward Armitage |
Esther
with Additions, Chapter 14
Esther's Prayer
1 Then Queen Esther,
seized with deadly anxiety, fled to the Lord.
2 She took off her splendid apparel and put on the garments of
distress and mourning, and instead of costly perfumes she covered her
head with ashes and dung, and she utterly humbled her body; every part
that she loved to adorn she covered with her tangled hair.
3 She prayed to the
Lord God of Israel, and said: 'O my Lord, you only are our king; help
me, who am alone and have no helper but you.
Esther is Received
by the King
1 On the third day,
when she ended her prayer, she took off the garments in which she had
worshiped, and arrayed herself in splendid attire.
2 Then, majestically adorned, after invoking the aid of the
all-seeing God and Savior, she took two maids with her;
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was a law that anyone coming unbidden into the King's presence would be
instantly killed. Esther had not been bidden to his presence, and
therefore risked death. |
3 on one she leaned gently for support,
4 while the other followed, carrying her train.
5 She was radiant with perfect beauty, and she looked happy, as if
beloved, but her heart was frozen with fear.
6 When she had gone
through all the doors, she stood before the king. He was seated on his
royal throne, clothed in the full array of his majesty, all covered with
gold and precious stones. He was most terrifying.
Esther Faints
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Esther Before Ahaseurus, Artemesia Gentileschi
(see Bible Art) |
7 Lifting his face,
flushed with splendor, he looked at her in fierce anger. The queen
faltered, and turned pale and faint, and collapsed on the head of the
maid who went in front of her.
8 Then God changed the spirit of the king to gentleness, and in
alarm he sprang from his throne and took her in his arms until she came
to herself. He comforted her with soothing words, and said to her,
9 'What is it, Esther? I am your husband. Take courage;
10 You shall not die, for our law applies only to our subjects.
Come near".
11 Then he raised the golden scepter and touched her neck with it;
12 he embraced her, and said 'Speak to me....'
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