PURIM HEBREW LOTS THE WORD RELATED AKKADIAN JEWISH HOLIDAY SAVING JEWISH PEOPLE HAMAN PLANNING KILL THE ANCIENT PERSIAN EMPIRE STORY BIBLICAL BOOK OF ESTHER ESTER THE BOOK OF ESTHER ROYAL VIZIER KING AHASUERUS ARTAXERXES I OF PERSIA OLD PERSIAN PLANNED THE JEWS PLANS FOILED MORDECAI COUSIN ADOPTED DAUGHTER ESTHER RISEN QUEEN THE DAY DELIVERANCE FEASTING REJOICING SCROLL OF ESTHER SHOULD DAYS GLADNESS ONE TO ANOTHER GIFTS THEREFORE JEWS RECIPROCAL FOOD AND DRINK MISHLOACH MANOT DONATING CHARITY THE POOR EATING MEAL PUBLIC READING MEGILLAH SYNAGOGUE RECITING AL HANISSIM THE DAILY PRAYERS GRACE AFTER MEALS CUSTOMS DRINKING WINE ALCOHOLIC WEARING MASKS HEBREW CALENDAR HEBREW MONTH ADAR ADAR II LEAP YEARS VICTORY CITIES PROTECTED WALL JOSHUA THE MONTH SHUSHAN PURIM FIGHTING WALLED CITY SHUSHAN JERUSALEM CELEBRATE BEGINS FEAST ARMY PERSIA CIVIL SERVANTS PRINCES PROVINCES CONCLUDING INHABITANTS SUSA RICH AND POOR THE WOMEN ORGANIZED QUEEN VASHTI THE PAVILION THE ROYAL AHASUERUS GETS COURTIERS ORDERS WIFE VASHTI DISPLAY BEAUTY THE NOBLES CROWN RABBIS ORAL TORAH UNDERSTAND MEAN SOMETHING WANTED SKIN CONDITION REFUSES REFUSAL YOUNG WOMEN PRESENTED REPLACE ORPHANED YOUNG AGE FIRST COUSIN RABBINIC STATE ACTUALLY THE TORAH UNCLE MARRY FINDS THE KINGS REVEAL ORIGINS AFTERWARDS DISCOVERS PLOT BIGTHAN AND TERESH HANGED SERVICE THE KING THE DAILY RECORD VICEROY SITS PALACE GATES BOW DOWN ENTIRE JEWISH MINORITY PERMISSION FUNDS EXECUTE DATE TO DO THIRTEENTH OUT ABOUT PUTS SACKCLOTH AND ASHES SIGN PUBLICLY PARTS EMPIRE LIKEWISE EXCHANGE MESSAGES PALACE THE INTERMEDIARY REQUESTS BEHALF EMBATTLED NOBODY APPROACH PENALTY OF DEATH WARNS SHE WILL SAFER SAYS KEEPS SALVATION ARRIVE QUARTER YOUR FATHERS SUGGESTS ELEVATED THE POSITION HELP CHANGE OF HEART FAST PRAY THREE DAYS SEEK THE LAW TELL ALL ON THE THIRD DAY SEEKS AN AUDIENCE WITH COMPANY ASKS THE NEXT OFFENDED EGGED UNIDENTIFIED GALLOWS INTENTION HANG NEXT DAY SUFFERS COURTS DAILY READ FALL LEARNS THE SERVICES RENDERED WHETHER ANYTHING DONE THE MAN WISHES THINKING REFERRING HIMSELF THE KINGS ROYAL ROBES LATER THAT EVENING EXTERMINATE ENRAGED THE GALLOWS PREVIOUS DECREE ANNULLED WRITE THOUGHT POSE LETHAL FIVE HUNDRED ATTACKERS SONS THE EMPIRE PEOPLES ENEMIES RANK ANNUAL THE DELIVERY SCHOLARS ARGUE HISTORICAL BASIS AMNON NETZER SHAUL SHAKED THE NAMES SIMILAR BABYLONIAN GODS MARDUK ISHTAR MUHAMMAD DANDAMAYEV ACCURATE DETAILS ACHAEMENID HISTORICAL HELLENISTIC PERIOD SHOWS PERSPECTIVE PERSIAN COURT IDENTICAL CLASSICAL GREEK COMPOSITION OF THE BOOK AFTER THE FALL PERIOD THE THIRD SECOND CENTURY HERODOTUS NAME AMESTRIS DAUGHTER OTANES ALBERT DAVID XERXES ALLIES FATHER DARIUS BEROSSUS THIRD CENTURY BCE CONTEXT ACCOUNT INTRODUCTION IDOLS ANAHITA ARTAXERXES II MNEMON THE PERSIAN HISTORIAN JOSEPHUS BOOK ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS AWARENESS MATERIAL THE GREEK VERSION SEPTUAGINT ARTAXERXES TEXT INFORMATION DATING EVENTS EZRA PERSECUTION OF JEWS FORCED WORSHIP JOSIPPON COMPILATION JEWISH HISTORY LITTLE CLAIM CHAPTER THE ORIGINAL TRADITIONS MATCHING AUTHOR CLAIMS EXCEPTION THE DETAILS THE LETTERS PERSIAN HISTORY IDENTIFICATION OF DARIUS THE MEDE BRIEF ISLAMIC MUHAMMAD IBN JARIR HISTORY OF THE PROPHETS KINGS CHRISTIAN RULE ARDASHIR BAHMAN ARTAXERXES II MASUDI THE MEADOWS OF GOLD WOMAN MARRIED KING THUS JEWISH TRADITION REMEMBERED PERSIAN FOLKLORE FERDOWSI SHAHNAMEH MARRYING BIBLE GENERALLY XERXES I OF PERSIA PRIMARY SOURCE ORIGIN THE LAST THE BOOKS THE HEBREW BIBLE CANONIZED SAGES THE GREAT ASSEMBLY THE FOURTH THE TALMUD REDACTION ORIGINAL TRACTATE MEGILLAH THE MISHNAH THE LAWS ACCOMPANYING TOSEFTA GEMARA BABYLONIAN TALMUD RECORD BELSHAZZAR ACCORD ROYAL DESCENT MENTION MADE IN CHULLIN IDOLATRY DISCUSSED TRACTATE SANHEDRIN THE WORK ESTHER RABBAH MIDRASH DIVIDED COMMENTARY CHAPTERS SOURCE MATERIAL TARGUM SHENI ELEVENTH CENTURY CHRONICLE ADAM THE AGE TITUS BELIEVED WRITTEN BY JOSEPH BEN GORION HANUKKAH NATIONAL RELIGIOUS STATUS HOLIDAY LEVEL THOSE DAYS HOLY BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS MANUAL LABOR SPECIAL PRAYER THE MIRACLES AMIDAH MORNING AFTERNOON BIRKAT HAMAZON MITZVOT ARE TO THE PUBLIC IN THE EVENING THE FOLLOWING MORNING FOOD FRIENDS FESTIVE MITZVAH CEREMONY THE CELEBRATION THE READING THE SYNAGOGUE REGULATION REPORTED ENACTMENT RABBI JOSHUA BEN LEVI ON THE EVE WOMEN IN AS AS IT QUEEN ESTHER WHOM THE MIRACULOUS BENEDICTION BENEDICTIONS THE READER THE TEN ONE BREATH SIMULTANEOUS DEATH THE CONGREGATION WAS TO RECITE ALOUD THE VERSES RELATE CANTILLATION TRADITIONAL CUSTOMARY READING OF THE TORAH BESIDES VERSES SHORT PHRASES THE CHANT LAMENTATIONS PARTICULARLY REFER TO READER JUMPS MELODY THE FEELING SADNESS THE LISTENER EPISTLE THE EARLY MEDIEVAL ERA GEONIM THE WHOLE ORDER GIVE IT APPEARANCE HALAKHA READ IN LANGUAGE THE AUDIENCE THE STORY OF THE ATTACK AMALEK PROGENITOR AT NIGHT BLESSINGS AT THE END BLESSING AMEN MIND THE OTHER MEMBER HEARD UNLESS MINYAN PRESENT NIGHTTIME PARAGRAPHS THE FIRST ONE ACROSTIC POEM LETTER HEBREW ALPHABET BALKED COUNSEL THE NATIONS WICKED STOOD WANTONLY EVIL BRANCH OFFSPRING