Corrections? Who knows the secrets of the human heart? The Jews had been driven out of Israel, about 70 years earlier and exiled in Persia. The Ahasuerus king of Persia, referred to in must be Cambyses, thought to be Cyrus? Ahasuerus (lion-king), the name of one Median and two Persian kings mentioned in the Old Testament. The historian Josephus said that her refusal was due to a Persian custom that presumably prohibited married women from associating with strangers. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ahasuerus, Gustave Doré: illustration of Esther and Ahasuerus, Gustave Doré: illustration of the Wandering Jew. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. King Ahasuerus, the son of Darius Hystaspes, the husband of Queen Esther and recorded in the Book of Esther also known as: Artaxerxes, Xerxes I He ruled over the kingdoms of Persia, Media, and Babylonia, “from India to Ethiopia.” This was in all probability the Xerxes of secular history, who succeeded his father Darius (B.C. By Mary Jane Chaignot. There is no reference to known historical events in the story; the narrative of Esther was invented to provide an aetiology for Purim, and the name Ahasuerus is usually understood to refer to a fictionalized Xerxes I, who ruled the Achaemenid Empirebetween 486 and 465 BCE. Ahasuerus is given as the name of a king, the husband of Esther, in the Book of Esther. He thus occupies a place in a chronological series of those Persian rulers who were directly concerned with events of Jewish history. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. This first Ahasuerus is Cyaxares, the conqueror of Nineveh. Immediately preceding Artaxerxes I in the line of Persian kings, Ahasuerus is evidently to be identified with Xerxes. Ahasuerus appears most prominently in the Book of Esther, and the intrigues of the king’s court provide the biblical origin of the festival of Purim. Add collection 200. According to the NIV Xerxes was king during the time of Esther, but according to the ESV Ahasuerus was king. Xerxes was not the eldest of Darius’ sons but, as the first-born of his marriage with Atossa, was chosen as successor. King Ahasuerus: A Shadow or Type of the Lord Jesus Christ: From the Book of Esther It was after his return from this invasion that Esther was chosen as his queen. successor, and perhaps his son. 9:1. 0 rating rating ratings . Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family, personal life, achievements, and timeline. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. It is known, moreover, that the immediate successor of Nabonidus and Belshazzar as ruler of Babylonia was Cyrus II. In Old Persian the king’s name was Khsayarsan, in Akkadian it was Ahsiarsu, and in Hebrew Ahasuerus. Visit a … Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Pronounce word 150. He ruled over the kingdoms of Persia, Media, and Babylonia, "from India to Ethiopia." by Danyka Pfeffer. Queen Esther uses her influence with the king to thwart the plot, however, and the Jews were instead given royal sanction to attack their enemies. Among this group was Esther, a Jewess who kept her ethnic background hidden (verse 8). King Ahasuerus, the father of Darius the Mede, mentioned in Dan. Achashverosh, as his name transliterates from Hebrew, was also mentioned in the books of … The only reasons to make such a distinction would be to make sure the reader understood which “Ahasuerus” was being mentioned. The mention of Ahasuerus in Tobit 14:15 in some Greek manuscripts is likely the result of a copyist’s error. Xerxes I (Old Persian: 𐎧𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠, romanized: XÅ¡aya-ṛšā; c. 518 – August 465 BC), commonly known as Xerxes the Great, was the fourth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, ruling from 486 to 465 BC.He was the son and successor of Darius the Great (r. 522 – 486 BC) and his mother was Atossa, a daughter of Cyrus the Great (r. 550 – 530 BC), the first Achaemenid king. The Talmud reveals that Esther's relationship with Ahasuerus wasn't a romantic one. A group of beautiful young virgins from the city of Susa was selected (verse 3). 634.) But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence. 6, is counted as one of the three kings of Biblical history who ruled over the entire globe, the other two being Ahab and Nebuchadnezzar (Meg. Some have suggested that Ahasuerus intended an immodest display of Queen Vashti’s beauty, but the context provides no evidence to that. a king of ancient Persia, known to the Greeks as Xerxes: husband of the Biblical Esther. 1:1). He was the son of Darius I of Persia; his … The Semitic Ahashverosh equates to the Persian Khshayarsha, a common title of many Medo-Persian kings.” Those of you who are old enough will remember the leader of modern day Persia, now called Iran, was the Shah, a king. The name appears in Ezra 4:6, the Book of Esther, and other religious texts. The Wandering Jew, illustration by Gustave Doré, 1856. Why does the NIV say the king was Xerxes, while the ESV says the king was Ahasuerus? The man of the house was none other than the king of the greatest empire in the world of his day. 529). Ahasuerus, the Persian king of the Book of Esther, being identified by the rabbis with the one mentioned in Dan. In chapter 1 he gives a great banquet for his nobles and, after several days of eating and drinking, orders that Queen Vashti appear at the banquet so the men there might see her great beauty. He invaded Greece with an army, it is said, of more than 2,000,000 soldiers, only 5,000 of whom returned with him. Esther despaired throughout her first six years in the palace. In Daniel 9:1 Ahasuerus is presented as the father of “Darius the Mede,” who is said to have become king over Babylonia upon the death of Belshazzar. Many translations struggle with the issue of how to identify the king of Esther. The reputation of these rulers was implicit in the title, Lion Kings. King Ahasuerus, the sovereign mentioned in Ezra 4:6. He is said to have ruled "from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces" - that is, over the Achaemenid Empire. In the Book of Esther, why is King Ahasuerus so in love with Esther? The Jewish targums assumed that her motive for refusing to appear was her desire to avoid such a display. [] This first Ahasuerus is Cyaxares, the conqueror of Nineveh(Began to reign B.C. King Ahasuerus, the son of Darius Hystaspes, the husband of Queen Esther and recorded in the Book of Esther, He ruled over the kingdoms of Persia, Media, and Babylonia, “from India to Ethiopia.”. 485). Add word 100. This was in all probability the Xerxes of secular history, who succeeded his father Darius (B.C. In the LXX. 634.) And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse one from another,) and royal … He was not the rightful heir to the Persian throne, but he succeeded in impressing the populace with his riches and power, and he established his government throughout all Persian territories. His powerful empire spread from India to Ethiopia (Esth. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1 A misinterpretation of the Hebrew led to the misidentification of Ahasuerus as Artaxerxes in the Septuagint, Josephus, and the Jewish Midrash. Esther remained passive and allowed the King to rape her repeatedly. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. This was possibly the Cambyses of secular history, the son and successor of Cyrus (B.C. More than two thousand years ago (in the year 3392 after the creation of the world), King Achashverosh (Ahasuerus) ascended the throne of Persia. Ahasuerus, a royal Persian name occurring throughout the Old Testament. The son of Darius Hystaspes, the king named in the Book of Esther. In popular Jewish imagination, Ahasuerus is an illegitimate usurper king, and his royal wife, Vashti, is a grotesque Jew-hating villain, who gets what she deserves. In Ezra 4:6 Ahasuerus is mentioned as a king of Persia, to whom the enemies of the Jews sent representations opposing the rebuilding of the Temple of Jerusalem. After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. She remained passive to the moody King … The other king who some historians believe to be the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther is the Persian king Xerxes. King Ahasuerus. Esther's stepfather, Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, an advisor and high official of the king. The name Ahasuerus was revived in 1602 in the German pamphlet Kurze Beschreibung und Erzählung von einem Juden mit namen Ahasverus (“A Brief Description and Narration Regarding a Jew Named Ahasuerus”). Omissions? Answer: Esther 2 describes King Xerxes’ (or Ahasuerus’) search for a new queen of Persia. Esther, according to the ‘Book of Esther,’ was a Hebrew woman from Persia, who became the queen of King Ahasuerus, also known as Xerxes I. Because of this lack of respect, Haman plotted to destroy all the … Secular history knows him better by his Greek name, King Xerxes I who ruled Persia from 486 to 465 B.C. (Began to reign B.C. Ahasuerus, king of Persia, holds a royal banquet to honor the powerful men of his vast empire and display his enormous wealth. Ahasuerus was the King of Persia who according to the Book of Esther ruled from India to Ethiopia. King Ahasuerus: A Shadow or Type of the Lord Jesus Christ: From the Book of Esther [Steele, Susan] on Amazon.com. king ahasuerus (esther 6, 1-2), wood engraving, published in 1877 - king ahasuerus stock illustrations esther accusing haman - king ahasuerus stock illustrations Ahasuerus, King of Persia, showing his treasure to Mordecai, uncle of his wife Esther, by Claude Vignon . Persian kings did n… Yet there is no evi… Esther was a beautiful young woman who was chosen by King Ahasuerus to be queen. In this tale, Ahasuerus is the name given to the Wandering Jew, a character of Christian legend doomed to roam the earth until the Second Coming because he taunted Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion. All we have is the notice that “the king loved Esther more than all the other women” . AHASUERUS [SMITH] (lion-king), the name of one Median and two Persian kings mentioned in the Old Testament.In Ahasuerus is said to be the father of Darius the Mede. At that time King Ahasuerus was ruling from Susa the capital. In ( Daniel 9:1) Ahasuerus is said to be the father of Darius the Mede. Scholars are uncertain which king is referred to by this name. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The Book of Esther. 1 as father of Darius, king of Media, and with the one mentioned in Ezra, iv. Immediately preceding Artaxerxes I in the line of Persian kings, Ahasuerus is evidently to be identified with Xerxes. Vashti disobeys her drunken husband. Esther Images and Notes. The Jews of the Persian empire were threatened with destruction due to the machinations of Haman, the chief minister to Ahasuerus. A. During this time the enemies of Israel hired counselors to bring false accusations to the ears of the different Persian kings. He married the princess Amestris, daughter of Otanes, who would become mother to his sons Darius, Hystaspes… When Mordecai learns of Haman’s (the king’s advisor) plot to … Towards the end of the banquet when he is drunk, the king orders his wife to appear before his guests, to show off her beauty. Categories: Old Testament Kings. No other name resembling Ahasuerus, nor any name like Darius, is to be found in the list of Median kings. If “Ahasuerus” was personal name of single king then the author of Esther would not have need to make the clarification that this Persian king was the one who rule over 127 Provinces. ChristianAnswers.Net WebBible Encyclopedia. He is believed by 19th century commentators to be Xerxes I of Persia. Updates? This was probably Cyaxares I—the name that appears in secular history, the king of Media and the conqueror of Nineveh. 485). Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Esther in the presence of the Persian king Ahasuerus, illustration by Gustave Doré, 1866. Add a meaning Cancel. For a long time, they believed it was another name for Xerxes I, who reigned from 485-465 BCE. And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. King Ahasuerus did not know that Esther was Jewish. Esther 1:16-18 - And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that [are] in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus. This was in all probability the Xerxes of profane history, who succeeded his father Darius (B.C. King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) plays a prominent role in the book of Esther. The name seems impossible here, however, and may be the result of some accident in the literary transmission. Leonidas, with his famous 300, arrested his progress at the Pass of Thermopylae, and then he was defeated disastrously by Themistocles at Salamis. ix. Vashti refuses to attend, so the king deposes her. Neither of these portraits appears anywhere in the book of Esther, however. 485). Perhaps this is why the biblical text actually gives no clear reason for the king’s love for Esther. The Wealth of King Ahasuerus - This is a record of what happened during the reign of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Cush. They are listed, at least as it seems, in chronological dating order. The Jews called him Ahasuerus, the Hebrew form of his Persian name. 11 a; Targ. Ahasuerus, a royal Persian name occurring throughout the Old Testament. Nothing in this record gives a clear reason for Queen Vashti’s refusal to obey the king’s command. He is referred to in Ezra 4:4-7. Then the king's servants, which … Upon Darius’ death, Xerxes’ older half-brother, Artabazenes, claimed the throne but was rebuffed because his mother was a commoner while Xerxes’ mother was the daughter of the great Cyrus. She risked execution. In the Septuagint version of the Book of Esther the name Artaxerxes occurs for Ahasuerus. Ahasuerus is a title for Persian King and means lion-king. version of the Book of Esther the name Artaxerxes occurs for Ahasuerus.

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