The Kingdom of Persia – The Book of Esther

Feb 7, 2016

וַיְהִי בִּימֵי אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ הוּא אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ הַמֹּלֵךְ מֵהֹדּוּ וְעַד־כּוּשׁ שֶׁבַע וְעֶשְׂרִים וּמֵאָה מְדִינָה׃

It happened in the days of Ahasuerus—that Ahasuerus who reigned over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia.

Esther 1:1

בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם כְּשֶׁבֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ עַל כִּסֵּא מַלְכוּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה׃

In those days, when King Ahasuerus occupied the royal throne in the fortress Shushan,

Esther 1:2

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This map highlights Achashveirosh’s vast empire as described in the Book of Esther 1:1-2.

 

1-2. Achashveirosh, king of Persia, ruled a vast empire from India (1) to Ethiopia (2) (Esther 1:1).  

 

3. Shushan, located in modern-day Iran, was the capitol of the Persian empire (Esther 1:2).  It is where the events of the Book of Esther took place.  It was also where Nechemiah lived before going to the Land of Israel (Nehemiah 1:1), and is mentioned in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 8:2).

 

4. The Land of Israel was part of Achashveirosh’s kingdom.

 

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