American Presidents and Haman References to this ageless story of God’s divine intervention against evil have been made on several occasions by early American presidents. On December 17, 1778 (then General) George Washington wrote to Joseph Reed, newly-elected President of Pennsylvania: “I would to God that one of the most atrocious of each State […]
As we know from the Book of Esther, the casting of lots – known as ‘Pur’ – was used by Haman to establish the date on which he intended to attack and murder the Jews of Shushan. Purim is a plural of that term. Scholars note that the date of Purim falls during a Persian […]
The Festival of Purim is the celebration of God’s intervention to save the Jews of Persia from the evil Haman in the 5th Century BCE. Based on a document in the Vatican Archives we learn that the festival of Purim was celebrated in Jerusalem in the year 78 BCE. Similarly, from the Theodosian Code dated […]
Haman and Ahasuerus visit Esther, Rembrandt, Pushkin State Museum, Moscow “”So the king and Haman came to feast with Queen Esther. On the second day, the king again asked Esther at the wine feast, ‘What is your wish, Queen Esther? I shall be granted you…’” Esther 7:1-2 (JPS Tanakh) The Triumph of Mordecai, Rembrandt, Collection […]
The story of Purim is told in the biblical Book of Esther and is celebrated today much in the way that the book delineates. But what happened between now and then? Although not commonly known, there is textual, archaeological and artistic evidence of the celebration of Purim from ancient times until today. A document found in the […]