Page 308 - Bible History

THE JEWS IN BAB ON AND PERSIA UNDER CYRUS 281
cattle to promote the worship of the Jews. In the year 515 B.c., twenty years after the corner stone had been laid, the Temple was completed.
2. ESTHER SAVES HER CAPTIVE PEOPLE rn PERSIA After the death of Darius, his son, Assuerus, became
king of Persia. Wishing to choose a queen, he sent messengers into all the provinces to bring to the palace the most beautiful women in his empire.
Among those brought to the king was a Jewish orphan maiden whose name was Esther. She was ac­ companied by her uncle, a devout Jew, whose name was Mardochai. He thought that if Esther were made queen, she would be in a position to help her people. The moment Assuerus saw her, he chose her for his queen, not knowing that she was a Jew. Mardochai was given a position in the palace. His duty was to stand at the gates and to see that only those entered who had permission from the king.
The king's chief adviser, a proud and haughty man named Aman, entered into a conspiracy with two of­ cers in the king's army, for the purpose of dethroning Assuerus. Mardochai discovered the plot, though he did not know that Aman had part in it. He reported the matter to the king, and the two o cers were put to death. Aman was not suspected. But Aman hated Mardochai for defeating his plans. When Mardochai refused to bend his knee to him in reverence, he hated him all the more.
In order to revenge himself upon Mardochai, Aman went to the king and told him that the Jews of his
Esther cho n queen
A plot against the king