A royal title, common to several Median and Persian kings named in Scripture. Suzan was conquered and destroyed in 224AD by the Sassanid Ardashir I, but rebuilt immediately thereafter, and perhaps even temporarily a royal residence. 4, pp. 44, pp. [61], Indus bracelet, front and back, made of Pleuroploca trapezium or Turbinella pyrum imported to Susa in 26001700 BC. The city forms the setting of The Persians (472BC), an Athenian tragedy by the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus that is the oldest surviving play in the history of theatre. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the Mordecai's people. According to these texts, Nehemiah lived in Susa during the Babylonian captivity of the 6th century BC (Daniel mentions it in a prophetic vision), while Esther became queen there, married to King Ahasuerus, and saved the Jews from genocide. [10] However, they failed to identify mudbrick walls, which were then destroyed in the course of excavation. She cut off her breasts and threw them to the dogs, cut off her nose, ears, lips, and tongue, and then sent her back home totally disfigured (9:112). He then returned to his building projects and designs for greater, grander, monuments to commemorate his reign and distinguish him from his father. No one could withstand them, because the fear of them had fallen on all the people. 1/2, pp. Xerxes became enraged at this request as it meant that Pythias doubted his chances of success. The Old Elamite period began around 2700 BC. `Yes, Xerxes answered. 2:5) is explained in various ways: as a tribute to David, who belonged to the tribe of Judah, for saving the life of Shimei the Benjamite who is regarded as Mordecai's ancestor, or because his mother was of this tribe. 28, pp. [21] The pottery found at the various levels enabled a stratigraphy to be developed for Susa. Susa (/sus/ SOO-s; Middle Elamite: , romanized:uen;[1] Middle and Neo-Elamite: , romanized:uun;[1] Neo-Elamite and Achaemenid Elamite: , romanized:uan;[2] Achaemenid Elamite: , romanized:ua;[2] Persian: u [u]; Hebrew: n; Greek: Sosa; Syriac: u;[3] Middle Persian: S or s; Old Persian: ) was an ancient city in the lower Zagros Mountains about 250km (160mi) east of the Tigris, between the Karkheh and Dez Rivers in Iran. There is some dispute about the comparative periodization of Susa and Uruk at this time, as well as about the extent of Uruk influence in Susa. [91], Glazed clay cup: Cup with rose petals, 8th9th centuries, Lion on a decorative panel from Darius I the Great's palace, Marble head representing Seleucid King Antiochus III who was born near Susa around 242 BC. What a total change of mood!' [6], In 1851, some modest excavation was done by William Loftus, accompanied by Fenwick Williams, who identified it as Susa. Rather, only partial and selective borrowing took place, that was adapted to Susa's needs. He is the man referred to as "Esther in the Bible husband." A powerful figure, his reign is recorded not just in biblical texts, but in historical chronicles as well. 118, 2014, Lawler, Andrew. 1, pp. [90], Letter in Greek of the Parthian king Artabanus II to the inhabitants of Susa in the 1st century AD (the city retained Greek institutions since the time of the Seleucid empire). (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS), Esther 1:17For this deed of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to show contempt for their husbands, when it is reported,'King Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she didn't come. Xerxes' other son, Artaxerxes I, then killed Artabanus, took the throne, and went on to complete Xerxes' grand building plans in his own name and for his own greater glory. His official title was Shahanshah which, though usually translated as `emperor', actually means `king of kings'. Clay, Uruk period (c. 3500 BC). Mardonius counseled in favor of a sea battle, as did all the other allied leaders, except for Artemisia of Caria who provided Xerxes with other options. 486-465). World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Mark has lived in Greece and Germany and traveled through Egypt. Following Cambyses' brief rule, Darius the Great began a major building program in Susa and Persepolis,which included building a large palace. Indeed, said Bloch, it was common for people from the empire to serve as courtiers in the kings court so Jews would have also easily been a part of that group, as Mordechai is described in the Purim story. The Ghirshmans concentrated on excavating a single part of the site, the hectare sized Ville Royale, taking it all the way down to bare earth. 11139, 1980, Roman Ghirshman, "Cinq campagnes de fouilles a Suse (19461951)", In: Revue d'Assyriologie et d'archologie Orientale 46, pp 118, 1952, Ghirshman, Roman, and M. J. STEVE, "SUSE CAMPAGNE DE L'HIVER 1964-1965: Rapport Prliminaire", Arts Asiatiques, vol. With relative peace established in his empire, he again turned his attention to Greece and conquest. Although Darius' palace still stood, Xerxes' commissioned an even more elaborate building project to raise his own opulent palace nearby and also commanded the construction of the Hall of a Hundred Columns and the building which has been designated `The Harem' by archaeologists (because of the duplication of identical rooms in a row) which may have actually served as Xerxes' treasury. ATS Bible Dictionary Ahasuerus A royal title, common to several Median and Persian kings named in Scripture. The men were ravaged by disease and many died of dysentery and so, by the time Xerxes crossed back across the Hellespont and reached Sardis, he had hardly any army left to speak of. Babylon revolted against him twice before he lay siege to it and crushed the rebellion. 10940, 1922, Jacques de Morgan, G. Jquier, G. Lampre, "Fouilles Suse, 18971898 et 18981899", Paris 1900, Perrot, Jean, et al., "Recherches Archologiques a Suse et En Susiane En 1969 et En 1970", Syria, vol. Uruk: Spreading Fashion or Empire. Today, though the canal itself has been covered up over time, its contours are still visible. Bigtha. In ca. 79124, 1957, Pelzel, Suzanne M., "Dating the Early Dynastic Votive Plaques from Susa", Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. Despite the fact that Uruk was far larger than Susa at the time, Susa was not its colony, but still maintained some independence for a long time, according to Potts. Bitter water, they said, this is your punishment for wronging your master when he did no wrong to you. In the LXX. [30] The exceptional nature of the site is still recognizable today in the artistry of the ceramic vessels that were placed as offerings in a thousand or more graves near the base of the temple platform.[31]. It meant that, although Xerxes would walk tall and proud on his way to attack Greece, he would return to his starting-point running for his life (VII.57). In addition, there was a Jewish community with its own synagogue. 3550, 1928. Word /hebrew/5.htm - 5k, 904. Xerxes I - World History Encyclopedia Esther, wife of the King of Persia, is pointing accusingly at Haman, a treacherous friend of the King. Book of Esther "Ahasuerus" is given as the name of a king, the husband of Esther, in the Book of Esther.He is said to have "ruled over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Nubia" that is, over the Achaemenid Empire. Shush is the administrative capital of Shush County in Iran's Khuzestan province. This was probably the Cyaxares I. known by this name in profane history, the king of Media and the conqueror of Nineveh. Potts suggests that the settlement may have been founded to try to reestablish the previously destroyed settlement at Chogha Mish, about 25km to the west. Gilbert Stein, director of the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute, says that "An expansion once thought to have lasted less than 200 years now apparently went on for 700 years. Louvre Museum, reference Sb 14473. ). Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen, and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon //maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the net broken.htm, Esther Before the King. A dajjal is an Islamic term for an Al-Masih ad-Dajjal, a false messiah, compatible to the Antichrist in Christianity. 4, pp. [15][16][17][18] To supplement the original publications of De Mecquenem the archives of his excavation have now been put online thanks to a grant from the Shelby White Levy Program. Afterwards, Asia Minor could serve to launch a third invasion of Greece which would redeem Xerxes' earlier failure. The Story of Esther. Downward the earth was dug, until I reached rock in the earth. However, a large portion of the current structure is actually a much later construction dated to the late nineteenth century, c. DE MORGAN'S EXCAVATIONS IN THE AKROPOLIS AND PALACES OF SUSA", Scientific American, vol. 2. ESTHER BEFORE THE KING. Louvre Museum, reference Sb 17751. Artistic rendering of Ahasuerus 2627, 1939, Le Breton, L., "The Early Periods at Susa, Mesopotamian Relations", Iraq, vol. Pierre Amiet, "Glyptique susienne des origines l'poque des Perses achmnides: cachets, sceaux-cylindres et empreintes antiques dcouverts Suse de 1913 1967", Mmoires de la Dlgation archologique en Iran, Paris 1972. 1, pp. Books Ahasuerus's . Karkas -- a eunuch of Ahasuerus 3751, 3752. One, from Persia, wears the usual trousers and ankle-length pleated robe and scarf wrapped several times around his head and chin, while the servant from Medea wears a round felt cap with a neck flap and chin strap and a tight, knee-length, long-sleeved leather tunic and trousers. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Purim - Wikipedia At this time, Susa was ruled by Elam again and became its capital under the Shimashki dynasty. Many scholars now agree with this. Beth Huzaye (East Syrian Ecclesiastical Province) had a significant Christian population during the first millennium, and was a diocese of the Church of the East between the 5th and 13th centuries, in the metropolitan province of Beth Huzaye (Elam). 977978, Translation of the Akkadian portion into French, in, FOSTER, BENJAMIN R, "'International' Trade at Sargonic Susa (Susa in the Sargonic Period III)", Altorientalische Forschungen, vol. As Ahasuerus enjoyed only 14 more years on the throne, we conclude that Esther was but 28 years old when the couple met their deaths. 1, pp. Found in the tell of the Susa acropolis. She decided to focus her energies, not on the mistress, but on Artaynte' s mother who she blamed for not raising a proper daughter (and, perhaps, because she had guessed that Artaynte was Xerxes' second choice in a mistress). 3, pp. Word Origin of foreign origin Definition eunuch of Ahasuerus NASB Word Usage Hegai (4). His official title was Shahanshah which, though usually translated as `emperor', actually means `king of kings'. first gave Xerxes a feeling of deep self-satisfaction, but later he began to weep. Last modified March 14, 2018. Louvre Museum, reference Sb 5614, Indian carnelian beads with white design, etched in white with an alkali through a heat process, imported to Susa in 26001700 BC. He ruled over the kingdoms of Persia, Media, and Babylonia, "from India to Ethiopia." 53, no. Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. According to Herodotus, the size of Xerxes' expeditionary force was over two million men and four thousand ships. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told () what he was to her. He had given his word, however, and Artaynte refused any other gift, and so he gave her the shawl. When King Ahasuerus had his wife, Queen Vashti, executed for failing to follow his orders, he arranged a beauty pageant to find a new queen.A Jewish girl, Esther, found favor in his eyes and became the new queen, though she refused to divulge her . [29] The Apadana was enclosed by 6 metre thick walls of rammed earth (this particular place is named Apadana because it also contains a late Achaemenid structure of this type). After taking most of the smaller fortified towns the army captured Tustar in 642 before proceeding to besiege Susa. Louvre Museum, reference Sb 2425. It is hard to think of any colonial system lasting that long. 4, pp. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS), Esther 9:20Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both near and far,(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS), Esther 10:1King Ahasuerus laid a tribute on the land, and on the islands of the sea. Found in the tell of the Susa acropolis. He is believed by 19th century commentators to be Xerxes I ofPersia. World History Encyclopedia, 14 Mar 2018. 74, no. The Persians were defeated by the Greek forces at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE, and Darius died in 486 BCE before he could mount another offensive. World History Encyclopedia is an Amazon Associate and earns a commission on qualifying book purchases. They don't keep the king's laws. They then broke open the silver coffin and carried off the mummified corpse, removing from the corpse a signet ring, which carried an image of a man between two lions. /hebrew/3752.htm - 5k, 2001b. ON A LIMESTONE relief in the Bible Lands Museum from Persepolis of that period, two courtiers are depicted carrying provisions for a banquet, each in different costumes, indicating their different place of origin. 9. For Such a Time as This The Story of Ahasuerus and Esther The Purim celebration is based on the biblical Book of Esther, which recounts the story of Queen Esther and how she saved the Jewish people from annihilation. [62] This type of bracelet was manufactured in Mohenjo-daro, Lothal and Balakot. Strabo stated that Cyrus made Susa an imperial capital though there was no new construction in that period so this is in dispute.[70]. 169176, 1978, SORAGHI, S., & ZEYNIVAND, M., "The Susa salvage project in 2019, southwestern Iran", Historia I wiat, 11, pp. The Louvre, Work in the granaries, Susa II, Louvre. Esther Saves the Jews. Besides, recent researches show that Hebrew word for Ahasuerus is readily formed from the Persian name of Xerxes, the name Xerxes being only a Greek corruption of the Persian. The Beginning of Prehistory in Iraq and Iran, Expedition, vol. End of a dynasty. This news made Xerxes furious. The man of the house was none other than the king of the greatest empire in the world of his day. Topical Bible: Ahasuerus Susiana was incorporated by Sargon the Great into his Akkadian Empire in approximately 2330BC. Jewelry with components from the Indus, Central Asia and Northern-eastern Iran found in Susa dated to 26001700 BC. The husband of Esther, most probably Xerxes. a eunuch of Ahasuerus. Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. Mardonius was killed and, with his death, the Persian forces scattered and Xerxes' ambitions for subjugating Greece were crushed. https://www.worldhistory.org/Xerxes_I/. Web. . 8 On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, () the enemy of the Jews. We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. How Could Esther Marry a Non-Jewish King? - Chabad.org In 324BC he met Nearchus here, who explored the Persian Gulf[citation needed] as he returned from the Indus River by sea. Therefore it is not for the king's profit to allow them to remain. 1, pp. He had the eldest son removed from the ranks, cut him in half, placed the two sections of the corpse on either side of the road, and marched his troops away between them. Help us and translate this definition into another language! (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS), Esther 9:2the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus, to lay hands on those who wanted to harm them. [citation needed], Another important settlement in the area is Chogha Bonut, which was discovered in 1976. But what about Ahasuerus? Persian King Xerxes thought to be Biblical Ahasuerus 'famous example of arrogance' The story of Esther would have taken place in the third year of Xerxes' reign in 483 BCE, noted Dr. Yigal. Bizzetha. See ESTHER. He is identified as the Ahasuerus of Persia in the biblical Book of Esther (although his son, Artaxerxes I, is also a possibility as is Artaxerxes II) and is referenced at length in the works of Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, Quintus Curtius Rufus, and, to a lesser extent, in Plutarch. Xerxes I ( Old Persian: Xayr also Khshayrsha; [3] Greek: Xrxs; c. 518 - August 465 BC) was a Persian ruler who served as the fourth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 486 BC until his assassination in 465 BC. He is believed by 19th century commentators to be Xerxes I of Persia. Archeologists found it in 1901. Even so, Xerxes put the thoughts of the brevity of life from his mind and ordered the crossing and the invasion of Greece. This time he accepted her counsel and left the country with Mardonius remaining behind to continue the war effort. The exorbitant cost of these projects, coupled with the expense of the expedition to Greece, put a tremendous strain on Xerxes' subjects through heavy taxation. [88] A mosque was built, but also Nestorian bishops are still testifie. Abagtha. version of the Book of Esther the name Artaxerxes occurs for Ahasuerus. Laurianne Martinez-Sve, "Les figurines de Suse", Runion des Muses Nationaux, Paris 2002, de Mecquenem, R., "LES DERNIERS RSULTATS DES FOUILLES DE SUSE", Revue Des Arts Asiatiques, vol. Once they had reached the other side, Herodotus writes, a really extraordinary thing happened: a horse gave birth to a hare. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. The battles of Artemisium and Thermopylae, fought more or less concurrently, provided the Persians with victories (either complete or strategic) which enabled them access to Greece, and they marched on Athens as soon as they were able. [45], Susa III/ Proto-Elamite cylinder seal, 31502800 BC. leader serving under Ahasuerus a Pers. Copper metallurgy is also attested during this period, which was contemporary with metalwork at some highland Iranian sites such as Tepe Sialk. [12], In two treaties in 1894 and 1899, the French gained a monopoly on all archaeological excavations in Iran indefinitely. 303315, 1981, Epigraphy of Later Parthia, Voprosy Epigrafiki: Sbornik statei, 7, 2013, pp. By: Gerson B. Levi, Kaufmann Kohler, George A. Barton Table of Contents Biblical Data: In Rabbinical Literature: Critical View: Biblical Data: 1. Before his death, Nebuchadnezzar had placed all the treasures of the world he had looted in a ship, and sunk it in the Euphrates to prevent anyone finding them. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. The city however retained a considerable amount of independence and retained its Greek city-state organization well into the ensuing Parthian period. The Story of the Jewish Holiday of Purim - Learn Religions Cite This Work The Battle of Salamis, which followed, was a disaster for the Persian fleet and cost Xerxes dearly. Achashverosh, as his name transliterates from Hebrew, was also mentioned in the books ofEzra,Daniel and Tobit. The young woman, Hadassah, known as Esther, was a Jewish orphan raised by her Uncle Mordecai. The Lord foresaw the troublous times that were to follow during the reign of Xerxes,"the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther,"and He not only wrought a change //white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 49 in the days.htm, The Net Broken 7. An imitation of the entire state apparatus of Uruk, proto-writing, cylinder seals with Sumerian motifs, and monumental architecture is found at Susa. According to Herodotus, Xerxes' fondness for. This doesnt mean the story is real, but it gives a chronological anchor for when it should have taken place, he said. According to some scholars, Susa may have been a colony of Uruk. 4, pp. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Marie-Joseph Steve, Hermann Gasche, "L'Acropole de Suse. 11 Short answer: "Jewish sources" do not come right out and specifically state which exact religion Ahasuerus and Haman followed. Mark, Joshua J.. "Xerxes I." Mardonius was defeated the following year at the Battle of Plataea which was fought on the same day as the equally decisive Battle of Mycale, 27 August 479 BCE. The omens, from the start, were not favorable to Xerxes' cause. 2151, 1971. Before the other sentries had time to react, Siyah and a small group of Muslim soldiers hidden nearby charged through the open gate. "Babylonia from Cyrus to Xerxes", in, Waters, Matt, "CYRUS AND SUSA", Revue d'Assyriologie et d'archologie Orientale, vol.102, pp.11518, 2008, Unvala, J. M., "The Palace of Darius the Great and the Apadna of Artaxerxes II in Susa", Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London, vol.5, no.2, pp.22932, 1929, Kent, Roland G., "The Record of Darius's Palace at Susa", Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol.
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