Esther

The Book of Esther is a thrilling story about how Esther and Mordecai averted the plan to annihilate the Jewish people in the Persian period. Both its many textual versions and different readings in various media imply a wealthy interpretive tradition of the story. For centuries, readers have been fascinated by the narrative's suspense and drama, its courageous and smart Jewish protagonists, and its happy ending. However, the story has also troubled generations of readers. Among other things, Haman's genocidal plan and his Jew-hatred, the lack of references to God, and the battle scenes before the celebration of Purim in the ninth chapter have led to intensive and often contradicting discussions among interpreters. Standing on the shoulders of an amazingly rich history of interpretation, this volume gathers innovative research on core aspects of the book that challenge long-held scholarly assumptions. The articles in this volume trace the reception history from antiquity to modern times among Jewish, Christian, and Islamic circles, discussing the story of Esther in, for instance, its Hebrew and Greek versions, Targum, Babylonian Talmud, the synagogue paintings in Dura Europos, and the Lutheran reformation. In bringing together experts working with comparative material and interdisciplinary approaches to identity, belonging, gender, migration, violence, horror, fan fiction, and social media, this volume offers fresh perspectives and invites readers to reshape their understanding of the Book of Esther.

Kristin Joachimsen is Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at MF-Norwegian School of Theology, Religion, and Society. She is the author of Identities in Transition: The Pursuit of Isa. 52:13-53:12 (Brill 2011). Her current research focuses on prophetic and poetic literature, as well as the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. Theoretically, she elaborates on topics like historiography, identity, cultural imagination, and perspectives taken from postcolonial and gender studies. She is the initiator and PI of the interdisciplinary research project Perception and Reception of Persia (PERSIAS). Helge Bezold is a post-doctoral researcher and teacher at the University of Marburg, Germany. His study Esther - Eine Gewaltgeschichte (De Gruyter 2023) explores the literary and historical backgrounds of violence in the ancient Esther tradition. It was awarded the Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise in 2023. His current research project focuses on the oracles against Babylon in the book of Jeremiah.