Hadassah Becomes Esther

I have something to say about Iran where the apex of spirituality, history, and modernity are concerned.

Did you know that Iran was once called Persia? Yes, that Persia; the one the famed 300 Spartans fought against?

Persia, in the Bible is first widely discussed in the Book of Esther. Esther, was a Hebrew young woman and the niece of the Kingdom Scribe, Mordecai. The King of Persia at this time was one Arta Xerxes, and he had previously been married to a woman named Vashti.

Now, Vashti was a headstrong woman, and Persia had a strong protocol on the approach of anyone, and conduct therein - where it came to the court and the king. Vashti was executed because she dishonored the king’s request to come and sup before several military generals and prominent men.

Vashti did not want to be on display, and one can liken it to sort of the same themes that Helen of Troy felt while being put out for the men to see during banquet.

Similarly, Vashti balked at the concept, and because she did not agree with their reasons for the banquet she chose not to attend. When the king was told this in front of all the men - he asked his advisors what protocol entailed with regard to Vashti’s disrespect. He was advised to honor kill Vashti and he had her executed. Since he was now a single man, and in need of a wife and queen - the palace made a decree: all eligible young women would report to the palace enuch and harem for proper training and the selection process for the king to choose a new bride.

Several beautiful women were gathered from all over Greater Persia, and Esther who was then called Hadassah was sent with them. Hadassah’s uncle warned her - since he was a Scribe for the Kingdom of Persia, that if anyone found out they were Hebrews they could be killed, and told her to no longer use her Hebrew name, but to assume a Persian moniker and so she adopted Esther as her name.

Esther went to the harem and she was bathed, given new clothing, perfumes and oils, and finally allowed to meet with the King. Several other girls had met with the king by the time Esther’s turn came around, and when she met him she only had one moment to capture his attention. Esther was able to do so, and then sent back to the harem. A few days went by and several women were dismissed after meeting the king, but none were chosen. Eventually, Esther was brought back in front of Arta Xerxes and asked to marry him and she agreed. A great wedding banquet happened in Persia and it seemed that Queen Esther had truly lived a Cinderella - rags to riches, fairytale.

However, Esther’s fairytale was not quite what it seemed. After a while, the king got a new general named Haman. Haman was a man whose family had faced Hebrews in the past in the desert, and who lost family members during battles with them. He was a strong Anti-Hebrew man, and he loathed them with every fiber of his being. Having been given an opportunity of power within Arta Xerxes’ kingdom, he immediately put himself in the king’s ear to convince him that Hebrews in Persia were a problem and were causing moral decay and corruption in their people.

This was certainly untrue, but Haman was ambitious in his hatred and willing to do anything to convince the King of Persia to authorize his mission to eradicate all the Hebrews in Greater Persia. Persia was, of course, one of the strongest military kingdoms at the time, and the king had no desire for moral decay or corruption in his homeland. So, he gave consent to Haman to begin a series of raids in the kingdom, and to execute anyone who was found to be Hebrew.

Mordecai, still hidden as a Scribe of Persia, took it upon himself to find a way to contact Queen Esther - reminding her that her people would surely all perish if she did not do something, and though she would not be one of the victims to perish in the raids, if she did not do anything to stop them she would bear witness to the genocide of her own family.

Esther was terrified, and protocol in Persia was strict in even when or how she could approach the king. To go in anywhere without being summoned could result in her immediate death - just like how Vashti had been executed for embarrassing the king in her refusal. However, after some prayer and time in thought, Esther chose to boldly do something no other woman had done, and something that few women in the Bible are ever given the opportunity to do.

Esther went in and asked the King to meet with her as she had important things to discuss with him, and his general. Eventually, Esther faces off with Haman before her husband and she admits that she is a Hebrew, and shows how her people being annihilated because of Haman’s hatred would mean that she too would need to be executed.

Arta Xerxes, however, did love his wife and fortunately due to her bravery as a woman, Esther solidified herself as one of the best queens in Persian history.

So, today, when you get out and talk about Iran, please remember what the significance of the country was and how far back some of these wars go. And when you do that, remember, there was a Hebrew woman who once rose to the station of Queen and went out of her way in bravery to save her people before you start making statements about the country of Iran as a ‘Christian,’ that show you know nothing about it’s history nor people.