Esther, Book of, is a book of the Bible. It tells the story of Esther, a young Jewish woman, during the reign of the Persian King Ahasuerus. The king selects the attractive Esther as his queen. Haman, the wicked prime minister, persuades the king to issue an order condemning all Jews to death. With the advice of her guardian, Mordecai, Esther convinces Ahasuerus to issue another order permitting the Jews to defend themselves on the day Haman’s plan is to take place. Thus, Esther saves her people.
The Book of Esther was written between 400 and 200 B.C. and deals with the theme of Jewish survival in the face of hardship. Each February or March, Jews celebrate their deliverance from Haman in a joyous festival called Purim.
About 100 B.C., 107 additional verses were composed and inserted into the story of Esther. They are called the Additions to the Book of Esther. In some Bibles, the Additions are part of the canon (officially accepted writings). In others, they are part of noncanonical writings called the Apocrypha. Unlike the Book of Esther, which omits any reference to God and religious practices, the newer verses are filled with a sense of devotion and prayer.
