Esther

Esther by Lisl Weil is a well-written Bible picture book. Published by Atheneum in 1980, the book straightforwardly presents the tale. The illustrations, also by Weil, remind me of some that I have seen in fairy tales. Esther is one of two books of the Bible named for women. (The other, also found in the Old Testament, is Ruth.) Scholars believe that Esther was written in the fourth century B.C.E. for the purpose of demonstrating "to Jews living in the exile that it is possible to achieve success in the country of one's exile without giving up one's identity as a Jew." (Women in Scripture, by Carole Meyers, p. 76.) The story is historical fiction, and it is set in Shushan (Susa), capital city of the Persian Empire. Although the book of Esther is not commonly taught to Christian children, it has value for several reasons. First, it has a young woman as the heroine. Most of the Bible features men in the key roles as kings, priests, and prophets, so the book of Esther provides some balance. Next, the plot exposes the workings of evil. It provides a vehicle for exploring vanity, evil intent, and vengeance. Finally, the narrative sheds light on the hatred and intolerance Hebrew people faced as a minority population in large empires. The account features four main characters: - King Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes I), king of Persia from 485 - 465 B.C.E.; - the beautiful young Esther; - Mordecai, the cousin and foster father of Esther; - and the villain, Haman. Esther was a Jewish virgin brought to the king's palace to become part of his harem. After twelve months in the "women's house," Esther "obtained grace and favour" in the king's sight and became queen. During this period, Mordecai advised Esther to be discreet about the fact that she was Jewish. (Esther 2:10) Esther was obedient, and suspense builds as Haman secretly plots "to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus." (Esther 3:6) Esther's courage and Mordecai's faithfulness are rewarded in the end when the king has Haman, the vain and hateful enemy, put to death. One of the book's messages is that the end result of doing evil (such as seeking revenge) is death. I recommend this book to children aged 6 to 12. Reading the story with illustrations makes the story more understandable and more memorable. Although this book is out of print, it is available from used book sources.