OT Characters: Esther & Mordecai

<p>For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ <a href="https://www.douglasjacoby.com/ot43-esthermordecaimp3/">website</a>.</p><p><strong>Hebrew words/names:</strong></p><ul><li><i>‘Ester </i>(eh-STAIR), “star,” 55x in the Bible.<ul><li>After the Babylonian goddess <i>Ishtar</i></li><li>Persian <i>Sitâr</i></li></ul></li><li><i>Hadassah </i>– myrtle. This was Esther’s original name.</li><li><i>Mordecai,</i> 59x. It seems that his name is influenced by Marduk (the Babylonian national god).</li><li>Haman, 54x. He was an Agagite, a descendant of the Amalekites, bitter foes of the Israelites.</li><li><i>‘Achashverosh </i>– Ahasuerus (Xerxes), 31x.</li></ul><p><strong>Further study:</strong></p><ul><li>For the text of the apocryphal prayers of Mordecai and Esther, click <a href="http://exodus2006.com/esther.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.</li><li>For similar stories (national heroes/heroines), see Tobit and Judith (both part of the O.T. Apocrypha).</li><li>Scholars say Esther is not among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Yet it <i>might</i> be, if another cave is discovered, or if one of the unidentified fragments -- and there are many! -- is from the book of Esther.</li><li>About the fact that the book of Esther does not mention name of God, click <a href="http://douglasjacoby.com/articles/2712" target="_blank">here</a>.<ul><li>Note: Song of Songs does not contain the name of God, either, apart 8:6 (as a suffix).</li><li>The Greek version of Esther contains many references to God. This is a later edition, apparently.</li><li>Perhaps for the lack of mention of God in the Hebrew text, Martin Luther abhorred this book.</li></ul></li><li>Esther 5:3 is the same construction as in John 2:4, "What to you?" While it may sound rude, it was not.</li><li>Did Esther commit fornication by being in the harem of the king of Persia? Click <a href="http://douglasjacoby.com/articles/5685">here</a>.</li><li>About Xerxes: "He invaded Greece with an army, it is said, of more than 2,000,000 soldiers, only 5,000 of whom returned with him. Le