It had been 1000 years since God gave the original seven festivals to the Israelites. Cyrus the Great marries his First Cousin Cassandane. Darius' eldest son Artobarzanes (or Ariaramnes) was from his first wife, who was not of royal blood. The citadel included a walled palace area and a colossal statue of Xerxes. Esther | Book of Esther, Purim, & Facts | Britannica A group of beautiful young virgins from the city of Susa was selected (verse 3). He dies on his way back from a campaign in Egypt. Ametris learned of the intrigue and, assuming it had been arranged by Masistes' wife, she mutilated her and sent her back to her husband. Some historians argue that his wife was chosen for him by his mother Atossa, who selected Amestris because she was the daughter of Otanes and had money and political connections. Biography of Darius the Great, Leader of Persia's Achaemenid Empire, Biography of Artemisia I, Warrior Queen of Halicarnassus, Political Aspects of the Classical Age of Greece, Important Kings of the Ancient Middle East, The Battle of Gaugamela During the Wars of Alexander the Great, Biography of Olympias, Mother of Alexander the Great. 3 XPf (Harem Inscription), Livius.org. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/xerxes-king-of-persia-4771152. Since it was done in secret a usurper who looked a great deal like his brother, Seven conspirators decide to take things into their own hands and reclaim the throne of the kingdom. They stayed married, but Xerxes built an enormous harem, and while he was in Sardis after the Battle of Salamis, he fell in love with the wife of his full brother Masistes. His rule came at the height of the Persian empire, and he is well-documented by the Greeks, who described him as a passionate, cruel, self-indulgent womanizerbut much of that may well have been slander. 8-19).4. What I built, and what my father built, all that by the grace of Ahuramazda we built.3. Atossa Daughter of Cyrus the Great, widow/sister of Cambyses, widow of Gaumata. In addition to the complete failure to win Greece, Xerxes is famous for building Persepolis. Since then there have been new developments. The history of Xerxes is the history of the Persian Empire. 1:1-3). Queen Esther and King Xerxes - JewishAnswers.org She agrees to the marriage and is the most powerful woman in the kingdom. It is located in the southwestern region of modern-day Iran and is one of the best-preserved royal cities from the ancient world. Most people's knowledge of this bone box comes from the incomplete, outdated, and biased Wikipedia article, or from 2003, when the Israel Antiquities Authority declared it a forgery. Credit: dynamosquito / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0. At the Battle of Plataea in 479 BCE, however, Mardonius was defeated and killed, effectively ending the Persian invasion of Greece. Persian relief of Xerxes and attendants on a door jamb, in the remains of the old city of Persepolis, Iran. Darius killed Gaumata in 522 B.C. A humorous inscription commissioned by Xerxes survives near Lake Van. Xerxes and Vashti are first cousins through his father and second cousins through his mother (in other words, his mother, Atossa, and Vashti are also first cousins). After all King Xerxes (Ahasuerus) was besotten by. We do not have any Persian sources from this time period of Xerxes life largely because his son Artaxerxes took power in a cue, a cue largely instigated by his mother and the religious leaders in the kingdom. During excavations at []. Xerxes I | Biography, Accomplishments, & Facts | Britannica No royal student learned to read or write, as literacy was relegated to specialists. NEW BLOG SERIES: In this new series I'll be weighing the evidence for a variety of controversial artifacts in biblical archaeology. She resisted him, so he arranged a marriage between Masistes' daughter Artayne and his own eldest son Darius. https://www.livius.org/sources/content/achaemenid-royal-inscriptions/xpl/ (Accessed June 4, 2020). I had lordship over them. Archaeological findings and other historical records provide the cultural background that illuminates the biblical world in the Persian era. Hirst, K. Kris. Darius I constructed the fortifications, other central buildings, and began the Apadana and treasury. Traditionally scholars have identified the king as Darius I and the crown prince as Xerxes.9, Xerxes, like many of the ancient kings, described himself in glowing terms. The other concession that Otanes received was not only the marriage of his daughter to Darius, but he also gets a wife. It would not be until Alexander the Great that the empire was disassembled into pieces ruled by Alexander's generals, the Seleucid kings, who ruled unevenly until the Romans began their ascendancy in the region. In fact, as King of Persia he rescinded the ban on the Jews returning to the Holy Land and paved the way for the Jews to rebuild the Second Temple. After the disaster at Salamis, Xerxes installed a governor in ThessalyMardonius, with an army of 300,000 menand returned to his capital at Sardis. I wouldn't be surprised if they did, but to my knowledge, there's no Bible versus sharing that they had any children. Wood engraving, published in 1886. Therefore, Otanes becomes Darius father-in-law and brother-in-law. The Book of Esther unfolds, however, with the two intertwining. I firmly believe this is a historical account of this part of Esther and Xerxes life, but I also believe it is a book of prophecy. Darius would take the empire to its greatest extent, but before he could accomplish that, he needed to establish his connection to the family. Biography of Xerxes, King of Persia, Enemy of Greece - ThoughtCo It is popular today to hear critics claim that the book of Esther is a fanciful court tale, likely written hundreds of years after the purported events, and devoid of historical accuracy. Daughter of Gobryas Daughter of another co-conspirator, Therefore, Darius ends up with six wives, but. The man who is cooperative, according to his cooperation thus I reward him. When Darius died there were other claimantsDarius had at least three other wives, including another daughter of Cyrus, but apparently, the transition was not strongly contested. She was married to King Achashverosh, whom some identify as Artaxerxes (), 1 king of Persia. Xerxes family tree | Esther's Legacy And there are Jewish stories about Ahausuerus from as early as the 4th century BCE in the Bible, particularly the Book of Esther. After killing Xerxes, Artabanus went to Xerxes' son Artaxerxes and told him that his brother Darius was the murderer. K. Kris Hirst is an archaeologist with 30 years of field experience. How long did this king reign and how long did Queen Esther live? RSS feed for comments on this post. (2021, February 17). The record of Hanukkah is not found in the Old Testament although we do see it referred to in the New Testament as a festival that Jesus attended, called the feast of Dedication in John 10:22. King Xerxes had the following children by Queen Amestris: Amytis, Artaxerxes I, Darius, Hystaspes, Achaemenes and Rhodogune. Did Queen Esther have any children? - Answers I am ruling firmly my own will. The book itself was written between 470 and 430 B.C. 13 Inscription XV, Livius.org. Did Esther have sex with Xerxes before they were married? and took the throne. Phaedymia Daughter of Otanes, widow of Cambyses II and Gaumata, 5. Cambyses II is king from 530 B.C. Xerxes was slain in his bed at Persepolis in August 465 BCE. When it came time to name a successor, he chose Xerxes, because Atossa was a daughter of Cyrus. I was just wondering what happened to King Xerxes and Queen Esther. What Became of Esther? Ask The Rabbi Ohr Somayach Xerxes (518 BCE-August 465 BCE) was a king of the Achaemenid dynasty during the Mediterranean late Bronze Age. Whether it was consensual or not is harder to tell, because any king powerful enough to (legally) kidnap the town's virgin girl population is . Well, we are told that Ahasuerus married her in the seventh year of his reign (Esther 2:16), and we know that Xerxes I reigned for 21 years. Today I want to start with the book of Esther. TrackBack URI. What had been built by my father, I protected, and other I added other buildings. Online: https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Alexander*/5.html (Accessed June 3, 2020). Esther Before Ahasuerus(1547-48), Tintoretto, Royal Collection. Sabbath). 338-339. 2. The Greek historians generally agree that the murderer was a prefect named Artabanus, who aspired to assume Xerxes' kingship. Darius was the fourth king of the Achaemenid empire, but not directly descended from the founder Cyrus II (~600530 BCE). Who was Xerxes in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Did Esther meet a tragic end? - The Jewish Chronicle To sum it up quickly the people of Judah rebelled against God and God sent the Babylonians under Nebechanezar to defeat them and send them into exile. Those earliest surviving records include a play by Aeschylus (525456 BCE) called "The Persians" and Herodotus' "Histories." (LogOut/ The investiture may have taken place at Zendan-e-Suleiman (Solomon's Prison) at Pasargadae, a sanctuary of the goddess Anahita near the hollow cone of an ancient volcano. This was the case for Esthers family and her cousin Mordecai. He was the son of Darius the Great and Atossa, a daughter . Was Darius Queen Esther's Son? - Grace thru faith Behind him stands the crown prince. It was none other than the Persian king, Xerxes the Great. There's no mention in the Bible as far as Esther and Arctic Circuses having any children. 11 Ewin M. Yamauchi, Persia and the Bible (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1990), pg. I believe it's time to take another look at the James Ossuary's authenticity. It reads: I am Xerxes, the great king, the king of kings, king of all kinds of peoples with all kinds of origins, king of this earth great and wide, the son of kingDarius, theAchaemenid. Answer: It is true that the book of Esther does not record her having had any children but we might assume that she did have children. In the Hebrew text, the king's name is Ahasuerus (preserved in the KJV and ESV). He then gives the peoples who were taken in captivity by the Babylonians an opportunity to go home, this included the Jews. My law, that held them: Media, Elam, Arachosia, Armenia, Drangiana, Parthia, Aria, Bactria, Sogdia, Chorasmia, Babylonia, Assyria, Sattagydia, Lydia, Egypt, Yaun, those who dwell on this side of the sea and those who dwell across the sea, men of Maka, Arabia, Gandara, India, Cappadocia, theDahae, the haoma-drinking Sacae, the Sacae wearing pointed caps, Thrace, men of kaufaciy, Libyans, Carians, and the Nubians.12. Becomes king of Media in 550 B.C. This is described in the Harem Inscription, discovered in the palace of the Persian capital of Persepolis: Darius had other sons, but thus was Ahuramazdas desire my father Darius made me the greatest after himself. Built by Darius I, it is the setting for the book of Esther. Esther was a Jewish woman who lived in Persia during the period following the destruction of the First Holy Temple, when many Jews had been taken as slaves to Babylonia, which was subsequently overtaken by Persia. Plutarch records, They say that as much coined money was found thereas at Susa,and that it took ten thousand pairs of mules and five thousand camels to carry away the other furniture and wealth there.8, Arguably the most famous surviving relief from the treasury at Persepolis depicts a king on a throne with a staff in one hand and a flower in the other. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. There are no surviving records of Xerxes'specific education, but the Greek philosopher Xenophon (431354 BCE), who knew Xerxes' great-grandson, described the main features of a noble Persian's education. However, it does appear throughout the book of Esther in the NIV and NASB. For example, in one inscription from Persepolis (XPl), Xerxes states, I am not hot-tempered. Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825), Musee du Louvre. Herodotus estimated a military force of some 1.7 million, while modern scholars estimate a more reasonable 200,000, still a formidable army and navy. Excavations at Susa have revealed that the descriptions of specific places within the palace in the book of Esther the Audience Hall/Court of Gardens (Es 1:5), the Outer Courtyard (Es 6:4), the Inner Courtyard (Es 5:1a) and the Throne Room (Es 5:1b) were accurately described by someone who had an intimate knowledge of the palace.5 French archaeologist, Jean Perrot served as the dig director at Susa for over a decade. Please excuse the chart, but is the easiest way for you to see the connections. son son, son son, son daughter. Biography of Xerxes, King of Persia, Enemy of Greece. Did Esther and the king of Persia have children together? When Xerxes becomes king in 486 B.C. "Biography of Xerxes, King of Persia, Enemy of Greece." After three years of preparation, Xerxes invaded Greece in August of 480 BCE. After the party returned to Susa, Xerxes turned his attention to his niece. At the end of that time, Esther would approach the king, and if she perished, she perished ( Esther 4:15-17 ). Who was Esther in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Palaces, the apadana (audience hall), a treasury and entrance gates all graced the city. Who was Ahasuerus? The terrace at Persepolis is carved with figures bringing tributes to the Achaemenid king and large tables which depict a lion attacking a bull. In order to be considered for publication, questions must be on-topic, polite, and address ideas rather than Masistes fled to Bactria to raise an insurrection, but Xerxes sent an army and they killed him. 10 XPl, Livius.org. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Xerxes I ( Old Persian: Xayr also Khshayrsha; [3] Greek: Xrxs; c. 518 - August 465 BC) was a Persian ruler who served as the fourth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 486 BC until his assassination in 465 BC. https://www.livius.org/articles/place/tuspa-van/inscription-xv/ (Accessed June 4, 2020). On the other hand, prophetic writings are often introduced as having occurred in the days of King. I hope it is already making some bells ring for you, but if not dont worry we will talk about where all this fits in as we go. personalities. Weird Things You Didn't Know About Queen Esther - Grunge when he is crowned by his cousin Cassandane and then marries her. Xerxes tomb is believed to be the right-most of the four tombs at Naqsh-I Rustam. The remains of the palace, located in modern-day Iran, are visible from Google Earth. Fast Facts: Biography of Xerxes August 23, 2019. https://biblearchaeologyreport.com/2019/08/23/footsteps-three-things-in-susa-esther-likely-saw/ (Accessed June 2, 2020). 5 Bryan Windle, Footsteps: Three Things in Susa Esther Likely Saw. Bible Archaeology Report. His rule came at the height of the Persian empire, and he is well-documented by the Greeks, who described him as a passionate, cruel, self-indulgentwomanizerbut much of that may well have been slander. ThoughtCo. According to the Jewish Women's Archive, Esther's considered not to have committed adultery because she didn't have a choice in marrying King Xerxes. After being in exile in the Babylonian lands for 70 years the Persian King, Cyrus, conquered Babylon. September 20, 2018.https://biblereadingarcheology.com/2018/09/20/shushan-the-citedal/(Accessed May 2, 2019). We will begin with the historical background of the book. King Ahasuerus (also called Xerxes) was the son of the famed Persian king Darius I, who is mentioned in Ezra 4:24; 5:5-7; 6:1-15; Daniel 6:1, 25; Haggai 1:15; and 2:10. Basically, Xerxes declares his father made a place for an inscription but never finished it, so he wrote something to fill the space. He was already married and a father at the time. Founded by Darius about 515 BCE, the city was the focus of new building projects for the length of the Persian empire, still expanding when Alexander the Great (356323 BCE) set upon it in 330 BCE. Xerxes (518 BCEAugust 465 BCE) was a king of the Achaemenid dynasty during the Mediterranean late Bronze Age. 3. The first readers of the book of Esther would have known the past of both Esther and her family and Xerxes and his family. On the third day, Queen Esther put on her royal robes and presented herself to King Xerxes, even though her husband had not requested her presence in over a month. Scholars know Xerxes primarily from Greek records pertaining to a failed attempt to add Greece to the Persian Empire. Three articles made the news this past month, all related to Israel in Old Testament times. Xerxes was the son of Darius I and Atossa, daughter of Cyrus; he was the first son born to Darius after his accession to the throne. Title Photo: Image of king Xerxes from his tomb at Naqshe Rustam. https://www.livius.org/sources/content/achaemenid-royal-inscriptions/xph/ (Accessed June 4, 2020). A If Esther had a son named Darius, as Jewish tradition suggests, he would not have been the same Darius, called Darius the Mede, who helped the Persian King Cyrus conquer Babylon and free the Jews in 535BC to rebuild their Temple. Together they had at least six children: Darius, Hystapes, Artaxerxes I, Ratahsah, Ameytis, and Rodogyne. Whatever befalls me in battle, I hold firmly. The Book of Esther was probably written in the 2nd century bce. It documents the only other festival given in Old Testament outside the books of Moses, the Festival of Purim. Here were the TOP THREE REPORTS IN BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY IN APRIL 2023. (LogOut/ Xerxes I - Wikipedia 15 Facts About Queen Esther - Chabad.org While he may have won the Battle of Thermopylae, he eventually lost the war, and in 479 BC, he returned to Persia.

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