Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones - Ancient Persia and the Book of Esther: Achaemenid Court Culture in the Hebrew Bible

Praise for Ancient Persia and the Book of Esther

In this accessible and well-illustrated volume, Llewellyn-Jones provides a detailed cultural and iconographic companion to the biblical book of Esther, one which helpfully illuminates for historians and biblical scholars alike the broader Achaemenid context of the narrative.

Matthew A. Collins, University of Chester, UK

Biblical scholars know that the Persian context is relevant and significant for understanding the rich narrative of Esther, but most are not trained in the art and archaeology of the Achaemenid world. Llewellyn-Jones, who is so well at home in the Persian cultural context, makes a major contribution to scholarship on Esther, and to the Persian period in biblical studies more generally, with this book. This is indispensable for anyone working on Esther.

Aaron Koller, Yeshiva University, USA

Lloyd Llewellyn Jones uses his profound knowledge of ancient Persian culture to shine new light on the book of Esther, highlighting the rich iconography of the Persian court that flavours the Judaeo-Christian text, and setting the Biblical story within the context of the region to provide deeper understanding of this fascinating book.

Lisa Maurice, Bar-Ilan University, Israel

Ancient Persia and the Book of Esther

Achaemenid Court Culture in the Hebrew Bible

Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

To Carol Thomas Mrs T my teacher.

Her price is far above rubies

Proverbs 31:10

Contents

My thanks go to Timur Khan for creating the following drawings: 1.86; 1.91; 1.101; 2.11; 2.12; 6.11. Sophie Rudland, Yasmin Garcha, and the team at I.B. Tauris have been exemplary colleagues and have my sincere gratitude. I want to thank the anonymous Reader of the draft manuscript for the encouraging words and for the thoughtful comments. As ever, huge thanks to David Pineau for keeping things real and making the tea.

Persian

Languages

Near Eastern sources

Classical authors

(i) The purpose of this book

I have been familiar with the Book of Esther ever since my childhood in Wales, where, from Sunday School lessons in chapel, I learned about the queen who saved her people. I started to write about Esther in 2002 when I used it to think about the function of eunuchs at the ancient Persian court. I have been writing about ancient Persia ever since, and Esther has appeared, in some shape or form, in almost all of my research on the Achaemenid period. I have found the biblical text to be a fruitful one, containing much of value on the life of the royal court of Persia as well as the bigger theme of outsider perceptions of the Persians and their vast empire. For me, Esther has been, and remains, good to think with; it raises questions, provides models for analysis, and always, always, fascinates. So, on one level, this study is the result of my high regard for the Book of Esther for its historical setting, its period flavour, and for what it means to the living faith of Jews and Christians today. I will not be assessing this latter aspect of Esthers appeal, however, and I leave that task to scholars far more qualified to approach that theme (although I will say that I am drawn especially to the theological readings provided by Kandy Queen-Sutherland 2016 and Marion Ann Taylor 2020).

This book takes the form of a commentary on the Hebrew book of Esther. I found it the best and most compact way to tackle the ancient text, but I write it from the point of view which I know best that of an ancient historian active in researching the world of ancient Persia. The commentary that follows is not a linguistic one (although philology lifts its head, certainly), nor is it a literary study (although some comment on the storytelling motifs is expressed). The commentary is certainly not theological in tone, nor is it written for a specifically Jewish readership nor for a Christian one for that matter. It is a commentary primarily aimed at two groups of people: bible students (of all sorts and at all levels) who want to put Esther secularly into its historical and cultural milieu, and ancient historians (again of all types and ranges) who want to know more about the hows and whys of approaching the Hebrew bible as resource for research. I hope that both groups will locate something in the commentary which they find useful.