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The Book Of Esther: How Does It Fit Into The Bible?

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The Book of Esther: How Does It Fit Into the Bible?

Shannon Bonilla

Research Paper
Submitted to Professor Armida Belmonte Stephens for the course of BTS 1850
Introduction to the Bible at North Park University

Chicago, Illinois
November 4, 2014 The Bible consists of many stories regarding the chosen people of God. In the past, there has been much debate on the books that should be included in the Bible. The Book of Esther is set during the time of King Xerxes, the Persian King. The Book of Esther is the story of a Jew who helps save her people from destruction. Esther marries the Persian King and her influence helps stop the unfortunate fate that was destined for the people of God. Many, however, have …show more content…

This is similar to the other festivals or celebrations that are a part of the Jewish culture, like Passover. The Feast of Purim became part of Jewish tradition because of the significance of Esther and her story. The celebration of this is important to the people of God because they were once again saved from destruction. The Feast of Purim continues to be celebrated by the Jews. During the Feast of Purim, the Jews say, “Blessed is Mordecai” and “Cursed is Haman”. Some have a theory that part of the reason why this book omits some religious elements is to not accidentally profane one of these. It may seem like an accurate theory, but it only explains why God is not in the book or why some of the traditional Jewish practices are not mentioned. Another part of the celebration is to read the book of Esther. Esther is part of the books read at five of the major festivals of the Jewish liturgical year. The other books that are read during the five major festivals are Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, and Ecclesiastes. It is surprising to notice that Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes are read at different festivals because these books joined Esther in the debate on whether or not the book should be included in the Bible. The Book of Esther is significant to the history of the Jews, since it provides a historical basis for this festival. Due to the start of the Festival of Purim, the Jewish community rarely questioned the inclusion of the Book of Esther in the Bible, and believes it is one of the most important books of the Jewish canon beside the books in the Pentateuch because Purim became such an important

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