Esther

[Invicta]

I have been thinking about who was Ahaseurus who married Esther, and doing a bit of a search, I find there are many suggestions.

Starting with the latest, Josephus says his name was Cyrus but the Greeks called him Artaxexes and he was the son of Xerxes.

Modern bibles say he was Xerxes.

Some say he was Darius the son of Hystapes

Some even say he was the Ahaserusus in Dan 9:1 and that Darius in the same chapter was the son of him and Esther. We can write that one off straight away as that Darius was a Mede and by the time of Esther the law of the medes and Persians had passed to the law of the Persians and Medes, Est. 1:19

Artaxerxes, not a chance as Mordecai was one of the first Jews to return and he would have been too old. Ezra 2:2. The same argument would go for Artaxerxes Longimanus being that of Nehemiah as he would have been over 100 when working on the walls.

There seems to be no alternative but Ahaseurus and Artaxexes, was Darius,

Ezra lists a number of Kings of Persia. They are given in order below. with the order of recognized kings to the right.

Cyrus Ez. 4:5. Cyrus
Ahasuerus Ez. 4: 3-6 Cambyses
Artaxerxes, Ez 4:7. The Pseudo Smerdis.
Darius, Ez 4:5. Darius

It seems that some of these names were titles and that they would prOBably all have been called Xerxes,the modern equivalent is Shah.

I read today that Darius was a huckster, but he was also called Arta (great) Xerxes (Shah).

Herodotus who lived at the same time of some of these kings, gives the meaning of the names as: Xerxes = King. Artaxerxes = Great King, Darius = Merchant. It is said that he turned everything into a petit profit and was the first Persian who taxed his people, Cyrus and Cambyses only accepted donations.

So who was the king who married Esther? I think it was Darius.

Edited November 3, 2010 by Invicta

[irishman]

Your sources are questionable. Josephus has been proven to be a fraud as well as a traitor; His writings ought not to be considered when discussing scriptural text. (I had "the complete works of Josephus" ans read some really crazy things from him. I gave the books to my son-in-law, who seems to read anything!) Modern Bibles? Who cares what they say? They are no more authoritative than Josephus!

I do not wish however to dispute about it--I have no interest in it.

[JerryNumbers]

Ahaseurus married Esther.

Es 2:15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther OBtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.
Es 2:16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Es 2:17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she OBtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Es 2:18 Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.

Of course the only thing I consulted was the Bible.

[Invicta]

Ahaseurus married Esther.

Es 2:15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther OBtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.
Es 2:16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Es 2:17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she OBtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Es 2:18 Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.

Of course the only thing I consulted was the Bible.

Of course, but that was the name the Hebrews called him.

[John81]

Of course, but that was the name the Hebrews called him.

With nothing more reliable to go by, I'll stand with Jerry and the Bible on this one.

[Invicta]

Your sources are questionable. Josephus has been proven to be a fraud as well as a traitor; His writings ought not to be considered when discussing scriptural text. (I had "the complete works of Josephus" ans read some really crazy things from him. I gave the books to my son-in-law, who seems to read anything!) Modern Bibles? Who cares what they say? They are no more authoritative than Josephus!

I do not wish however to dispute about it--I have no interest in it.

I hope you read his description of the fall of Jerusalem, as he was an eyewitness, and many false teachings come from not understanding history of which Josephus was considered one of the most reliable historians. When there were errors in his earlier writings, he corrected them in his later ones.

[JerryNumbers]

Some say it could be Xerxes, but can we be sure of that, don't believe so. Yet we can be sure of the name Ahasuerus.