Esther

book of the Hebrew Bible

Esther (; ), originally Hadassah (; ), is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible.

Mordecai (; also Mordechai; , IPA: ) is one of the main personalities in the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. He is the cousin and guardian of Esther, who became queen of Persia under the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). The king's grand vizier Haman is offended by Mordecai because of his refusal to bow before him, and when confronted, Mordecai's excuse was simply that he was a Jew. Consequently, Haman plots to have all of Persia's Jews killed, and eventually convinces Ahasuerus to permit him to do so. Mordecai's loyalty and bravery are highlighted throughout the story as he convinces Esther

thumb|Esther Denouncing Haman (1888) by Ernest Normand Haman ( ; also known as Haman the Agagite) is the main antagonist in the Book of Esther, who according to the Hebrew Bible was an official in the court of the Persian empire under King Ahasuerus, commonly identified as Xerxes I (died 465 BCE) but traditionally equated with Artaxerxes I or Artaxerxes II. His epithet, Agagite, indicates that Haman was a descendant of Agag, the king of the Amalekites. Some commentators interpret this descent to be symbolic, due to his similar personality.

piece in the biblical Book of Psalms

mausoleum in Hamadan, Iran

fast in Judaism

female given name