by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon The account of Esther commences with an emperor and his empire. This emperor's original-Persian-name was Xsayarsa. The Babylonians called him Achshiyarshu, which gave rise to the Hebrew version in the Massoretic text, Akhashverosh. Jerome, in his Latin … [Read more...]
The Might of Moral Obligation
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon The invisible and extremely mysterious activity of the hidden God in the Book of Esther is profitably contrasted to His clear, open, and miraculous intrusions into history in the Book of Daniel. When, for instance, the Lord intervenes to save His servants in the fiery … [Read more...]
A Look At The Jewish Diaspora
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon The story told in the Book of Esther is set during the Persian period, the interval of two centuries between the fall of Babylon to Cyrus in 539 B.C. and Alexander's defeat of Darius III in several battles, notably at Issus in 333 and Gaugamela in 331. During this … [Read more...]
