Vashti: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive (2024)

FAQs

What kind of woman was Vashti in the Bible? ›

In the Midrash, Vashti is described as wicked and vain; she is viewed as an independent-minded heroine in feminist theological interpretations of the Purim story. Attempts to identify her as one of the Persian royal consorts mentioned in extra-biblical records remain speculative.

The wicked Vashti would bring Jewish women, strip them naked and order them to perform work on the Sabbath. Consequently, she was punished by being commanded to appear in the nude at the banquet of Ahasuerus, on a Sabbath day (BT Megillah loc.

The first wife of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I, reigned 485–465 B.C.E.), the king of Persia, Vashti is the featured character in the first episode of the Book of Esther, a Jewish novella composed in the late Persian/early Hellenistic period (fourth century B.C.E.).

Esther and Vashti emerge as clear foils to each other in the Purim story. Vashti is headstrong and assertive, which she is heavily punished for, while Esther is docile and submissive — the perfect queen.

EUNUCHS IN THE BIBLE. ABSTRACT. In the original texts of the Bible a “eunuch” is termed saris (Hebrew, Old Testament) or eunouchos (Greek, New Testament). However, both these words could apart from meaning a castrate, also refer to an official or a commander.

The talmudic sages had some curious traditions regarding the age of Esther when she succeeded to the throne, with suggestions as varied as 40, 80 and 74. The fact that the latter was based on the numerical value of the letters of her Hebrew name, Hadassah, demonstrates just how few facts have survived.

Once Queen Vashti made up her mind, she was ready to deal with the consequences. She teaches us about the role of integrity and courage; integrity takes courage. Although the women at her banquet overhear the conversation between the eunuchs and Vashti, she stands alone. She speaks up, and she speaks for herself.

She was an individual who simply said 'No' to society's expectation and evaluation of her. She was a strong-willed character with an independent mind whose courage is admirable. Vashti indeed refused to heed the king's request because she deemed it degrading.

According to the biblical narrative, which is set in the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus falls in love with Esther and marries her.

The name Vashti is a girl's name of Persian origin meaning "lovely". This Persian name with an Old Testament pedigree has a warm Sasha-like feel. The Biblical Vashti was a queen who refused her husband's orders to appear naked in front of his party guests and so was deposed in favor of Esther.

Who was the wife of the king before Esther? ›

Esther kneels before the throne as King Ahasuerus stretches out his sceptre towards her. After divorcing his wife, Vashti, for disobedience, King Ahasuerus, a Persian monarch, took the beautiful Esther, the adopted daughter of the Jew Mordecai, as his queen.

There is no reference to known historical events in the story; a general consensus, though this consensus has been challenged, has maintained that the narrative of Esther was invented in order to provide an etiology for Purim, and the name Ahasuerus is usually understood to refer to a fictionalized Xerxes I, who ruled ...

The Biblical Queen Esther depicted in a portrait by John Everett Millais. According to the Hebrew Bible, queen Esther was born with the name הֲדַסָּה‎ Hadassah ("Myrtle"). Her name was changed to Esther to hide her identity upon becoming queen of Persia.

Unlike the other women, who wanted to be chosen, Esther tried to evade the king, but she was the one picked to be queen. This shows that her selection was part of the divine plan; Esther was meant to rule in order to bring deliverance to all Israel (

Because Esther was promoted to become the queen, she was in a favored position to protect all the Jewish people in the kingdom from being killed. When the Lord promotes you, He gives you the influence to be a blessing to the people around you.

Who knows—perhaps it was for a time like this that you became queen?” After hearing this, Esther asked Mordecai and the Jews in Susa to fast for three days, and she and her maids did the same. She said, “I will go to the king, contrary to the law. If I perish, I perish!”