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Books of Ketuvim
Three Poetic Books
1. Psalms
2. Book of Proverbs
3. Book of Job
Five Megillot
4. Song of Solomon
5. Book of Ruth
6. Book of Lamentations
7. Ecclesiastes
8. Book of Esther
Other Books
9. Book of Daniel
10. Book of Ezra - Book of Nehemiah
11. Books of Chronicles
Old Testament


Information[]

  • The book is named after the character "Esther"
  • Author unstated/unknown
    • Possible author: Mordecai
      • Josephus, some rabbinic circles claim Mordecaic authorship
      • Author seems to have been a resident of Persia (not Palestine)
    • Possible author: Nehemiah
      • Nehemiah would have known about Purim, as proclaimed in Esther
      • Nehemiah was literate, had access to royal archives

The authorship of this book is unknown. It must have been obviously written after the death of Ahasuerus (the Xerxes of the Greeks), which took place B.C. 465. The minute and particular account also given of many historical details makes it probable that the writer was contemporary with Mordecai and Esther. Hence we may conclude that the book was written probably about B.C. 444-434, and that the author was one of the Jews of the dispersion.

This book is more purely historical than any other book of Scripture; and it has this remarkable peculiarity that the name of God does not occur in it from first to last in any form. It has, however, been well observed that “though the name of God be not in it, his finger is.” The book wonderfully exhibits the providential government of God.

  • Dated 464-415 B.C.

Themes[]

  • Provide the historical background for the feast of Purim
  • Emphasis on the significance of the Jewish people
  • Encouragement for Babylonian/Persian Jews of God's providential ability

See also[]

External Links[]


PD-icon.svg This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.

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