Veiling Esther, Unveiling Her Story

Veiling Esther, Unveiling Her Story: The Reception of a Biblical Book in Islamic Lands examines the ways in which the Biblical Book of Esther was read, understood, and used in Muslim lands, from ancient to modern times. It focuses on case studies covering works from various periods and regions of the Muslim world, including the Qur'an, pre-modern historical chronicles and literary works, the writings of a nineteenth-century Shia feminist, atwentieth-century Iranian encyclopaedia, and others. These case studies demonstrate that Muslim sources contain valuable materials on Esther, which shed light both on the Esther story itself and on the Muslim peoples and cultures that received it. Adam J. Silverstein argues that Muslim sources preserve important pre-Islamic materials on Esther that have not survived elsewhere, some of which offer answers to ancient questions about Esther, such as the meaning of Haman's epithet in the Greek versions of the story, the reason why Mordecai refused to prostrate before Haman, and the literary context of the 'plot of the eunuchs' to kill the Persian king. Throughout the book, Silverstein shows how each author's cultural andreligious background influenced his or her understanding and retelling of the Esther story. In particular, he highlights that Persian Muslims (and Jews) were often forced to reconcile or choose between the conflicting historical narratives provided by their religious and cultural heritages respectively.

THE Megillot is without a doubt a hot topic in biblical studies at the moment, Silverstein has compiled an exceptionally significant study of Esther's reception from Muslim sources or from those living in Muslim lands. He has proven that studying these sources provide insights about how Esther was understood not only by Muslims, but also by Jews who were living among them...This book is pioneering in its field and essential to any serious scholar of Esther or even general readership, who are interested to know the evolution of literature in the Near East., In this fascinating study, S. makes a compelling case for the cross-fertilization of ideas between the Muslim, Jewish, and Samaritan communities in Islamic lands. Highly recommended., [the chapters] are all solid examples of careful literary-historical, philological scholarship. One might take issue with one or another point, but the collection represents an excellent contribution to the increasingly popular and important scholarship on biblical reception literatures, and one that ventures significantly into the important reception traditions of the Muslim world.

Adam J. Silverstein is Associate Professor of Middle Eastern History at Bar Ilan University. He held a British Academy post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Cambridge, before taking up lectureships in Near and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oxford, where he was also a Fellow of Queen's College. Subsequently, Professor Silverstein was Reader in Abrahamic Religions at King's College London. His publications include The Oxford Handbook of theAbrahamic Religions (2015) and Islamic History: A Very Short Introduction (2010). He is also the series editor for The Oxford Studies in the Abrahamic Religions with Guy G. Stroumsa.