Purim E-Book

Christophe Stener

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 68

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

This book presents the Book of Esther historical underground, its theological and political meanings to better understand Purim feast signification. 100 works of art pictures are referred and commented.

Leseprobe

Images

Cover page

Soffer Jacob, Morocco, 19th century, MAHJ, Esther in majesty, Mordecai triumph, yad – Marrano stylehttps://www.mahj.org/sites/mahj.org/files/img_collections/10009_21422_tceg_MAHJ_800.jpg

Back page

Hammentaschen, Haman’s ears

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Hamantaschen_Purim_Dresden_%282%29.JPG/1024px-Hamantaschen_Purim_Dresden_%282%29.JPG

Work of art pictures consultation

You may access work of art pictures

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Summary

Introduction

Biblical Sources

The Book of Esther, a palimpsest

Midrash

Historicity, author and dating

Author

Datation

Textual Sources

A story, not History

From Nebuchadnezzar to Artaxerxes

The rabbinical background of the biblical tale

Esther, diaspora vade mecum

A story full of pagan deities

The characters

Ahasuerus, inspired by Xerxes

Xerxes or Artaxerxes?

Ahasuerus, antisemitic or protector of the Jews?

Vashti

Vashti repudiated and/or beheaded

Vashti disfigured or decked out of a tail

Modern rehabilitation of Vashti

Esther Hadassah

Onomastics

Esther-Ishtar - Venus

Hadassah, the Myrtle

Esther Hidden

Non-exclusive but complementary etymologies

Esther, vindictive virgin

Esther's appearance

Love at first sight

Esther and Ahasuerus wedding, morganatic or holy union?

Esther, Mordecai’s hidden wife?

Devout Esther

Esther, a prophetess

Esther, wife's model

Mordecai – Mordekai-

A Persian named Jewish

Jewish affiliation of Mordecai

A Yehoudim, a Jew from the diaspora

A Benjamite

One diaspora Jew or back from exile Jew?

Mordecai, yeshiva master

Mordecai mocked by the Purim Shpil

Mordecai, Esther's hidden betrothed?

Mordecai second in the kingdom

Haman – Aman

Onomastics

Haman the first adviser to King Ahasuerus

The conceited Haman

Haman the anti-Semitic

Haman a tragicomic character

Haman The Traitor

Story meanings

Hebrew monotheism wins

Cyrus’ Edict

An vade mecum for the diaspora

A secular tragicomedy

A feast

An oriental tale

A religious apologue

Esther, an exception to aniconism

What is a Jewish art?

Timeline of Jewish art

Esther scrolls

Synagogue and family Esther srolls

Timeline

Megila transcription precepts

Megilot cases

Jewish art work Inspired by the book of Esther

Mahzor

Ketubah

Me'ah-Berachot

Iconography of the Book of Esther

The dream of Mordecai

Suse

Ahasuerus enthroned

Banquet of Ahasuerus

Queen Vashti Feast

Queen Vashti's refusal to perform before the guests of the King

Disfigurement of Vashti

Repudiation and banishment of queen Vashti

Execution of Queen Vashti

Esther, Jewish Virgin

Entrance in the harem

Mordecai watches over the well-being of Esther at the harem

Esther in the Harem

King’s love at first glance

The second roundup

Coronation of Esther

The conspiracy of the two eunuchs revealed by Mordecai

Elevation of Haman

Disdain of Mordecai

Draw lots of the date of the pogrom

Haman gets from the king the license to kill the Jews

Despair of Mordecai

Omen of the three schoolchildren

Lamentation of the Jews

Mordecai called by Esther to get dressed

Mordecai asks Esther to intercede

Esther anguished

Mordecai makes children fast

Mordecai dreams a snake

Esther hesitation

Esther calls the Jews to the fast

Esther & Mordecai prayers

Esther's swoon

Esther's toilet

Esther's hesitation at the King's Palace door

Esther's intercession

The Golden Scepter

Esther invites the King to a dinner the next day

Esther's first Banquet

Haman's wife suggests hanging Mordecai

Haman is forced to attend Esthers banquet

The King’s insomnia

The king orders Haman to honor Mordecai

The Children and the Omer

Aman has to shave and bath Mordecai

Mordecai’s triumph

Haman's daughter blunder

Haman concern

Pessimism of Haman's wife

Haman forced to go to Esther's Feast

The Queen denounces Haman to Ahasuerus

The king withdraws to his garden

Supplication of Haman

Haman assaults Esther

Wrath of the King and punishment of Haman

Punishment of Haman

The king gives Haman’s property to Esther

Mordecai presents himself before the king

The king gives his seal to Mordecai

The King empowers Mordecai and Esther to revoke the edict of the massacre of the Jews and revenge

Triumph of Mordecai and Jews

Revenge of the Jews and celebration

Hanging of the ten sons of Haman

Decimation of the enemies of the Jews

Conversion, Circumcision, pagans

Purim Letters

Mordecai, second of the Kingdom

The Purim

Uncertain etymology

Judaization of the Feast of Marduk

Hebrew monotheism overcomes paganism

The Feast of Esther institution

Purim & Purims

Date of the Purim of Esther

Adloyada and Carnival

Purim objects

Piyyut Song Book

Rattles

Puppets

Dishes

Contemporary Jewish Art (20th-21st centuries)

Literature

The Book of Esther and anti-Semitism

Religious origins

Hitler, the new Haman

Introduction

This book is an iconographical reading of the Book of Esther enlightened by the Midrash and the Jewish legends. It does not deal with Purim ritual per se but analyses its theological and political meanings. Some read Esther’s story as a secular tale, an oriental harem comedy. It does express the Zionist hope of a Persian diaspora Jew. Believers hear the voice of YHWH even more present than He is hidden, not named. None of these readings are exclusive.

This book is an abstract from Christophe STENER, The Book of Esther, an exegesis in images, BOD, 2018, 700 Pages.

Biblical Sources

There are two versions of Scripture: the Hebrew or Masoretic one, the Greek one. The Masoretic version is the only recognized by the Hebrew canon as well as by the Reformed Church despite YHWH's name missing. The Catholic Church admits the Greek version which includes the dream of Mordecai, Esther’s and Mordecai’s prayers to God. The Bible quotations are from the New International Version.

The Book of Esther, a palimpsest

The Text Was, according to some exegetes, the book of Esther is a palimpsest, either reduced or enriched with Greek religious passages. Inconsistencies indicate this long transmission whose most blatant Is that the King of Persia designated as Ahasuerus (Xerxes) in the Hebrew version but as Artaxerxes, his son, In the Greek version. The dating of the book is uncertain. It author(s) unknown. The recent discovery of a fragment of the Book of Esther (10QE) In the 2nd century BC old manuscripts of Qumran is a new and important piece to His Study. The original text was hitherto known by the Jewish Antiquities of Flavius Josephus (end of the 1st S. A.D.

Book of Esther, Qumran, 2nd c. BC

https://thetorah.com/newly-deciphered-qumran-scroll-revealed-to-be-megillat-esther/

Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, Tyniec Abbey, 1466, National Library of Poland

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Josephus_Antiquitates_Iudaice.jpg/800px-Josephus_Antiquitates_Iudaice.jpg

Midrash

According to the Jerusalem Talmud: “It is necessary to explain the story of Esther in a Midrashic manner" . The Book of Esther has been commented since two thousand years by Talmud, Babylon one as well as VI c. CE) (Megila 12 A-B) and Jerusalem (VII-V c. CE) one, by Targum Rishon (700) & Targum Scheni (900), Midrash Rabbah of Esther (16th century), Josippon (IX-X c.), RASHI’s comments (XI c.) and extensive rabbinic literature. A synthesis of the Hebrew gloss was compiled by rabbi Rafael Hiya PONTREMOLI in his Meam Loez (1864). Louis GUINZBERG gathered the Legends of the Jews (1909 to 1938).

Comment on Esther, 1201, Oxford, Bodleian Library

https://i0.wp.com/arz.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/1014-Bodelian.jpg?w=402

Historicity, author and dating

Author

Naming Mordecai or to Ezra is purely speculative. Talmud gives Esther or the Great assembly. The most common view is that the book was composed within some Persia Jewish diaspora by an anonymous author(s).

Datation