Xerxes Archives - Bible Authenticity

IS MORDECAI IN ESTHER HISTORICALLY ACCURATE?

August 5, 2023 BibleAuthenticity Comments 4 comments

Is the Bible reliable? — Is Mordecai in Esther historically accurate?

Can we trust the Bible’s historical accuracy when it mentions a Jew named Mordecai in Esther?

“The book is a free composition, not a historical document”—Catholic Commentary

“The only character known to history is Ashasuerus”—Catholic Commentary

“Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, when Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled”—Esther 2:5,6 NASB read more

The Book of Esther – History or Fiction?

July 12, 2015 BibleAuthenticity Comments 0 Comment

The book of Esther is viewed today by a majority of scholars as non-historical. Yet the story itself is recounted candidly, and there is nothing within it to suggest that it is fictional. Miracles or other “impossible” occurrences are totally absent. Critical scholars are bothered, however, by seeming exaggerations, perceived inaccuracies, and certain omissions, such as:

The length of the 180-day feast (Esther 1:1-4) seems excessive.

The six months of perfuming with oil, and the additional six months of beautifying with spices (Esther 2:12) seem extreme.

The book claims that there were 127 Persian provinces (Esther 1:1), while the historian Herodotus speaks of only 20.

The notion of a Persian decree being irrevocable (Esther 1:19; Esther 8:8) is regarded as doubtful—but see Daniel 6.

Planning for a massacre of Jews almost a year in advance (Esther 3:8-15) strikes critical scholars as unlikely.

It seems too coincidental that Haman would turn out to be a descendant of Agag the Amalekite, the enemy of Israel, whom Saul failed to execute in obedience to Yahweh’s direction through Samuel (Esther 3:1; see 1 Samuel 15).

Contrary to the Biblical account, Herodotus identified Xerxes’ queen as Amestris, not Vashti.

Although the names Mordecai and that of Haman’s son Parshandatha (Esther 9:7) are attested elsewhere during the Persian period, Xerxes is the only indisputable historical figure in the book.

Archaeological data from the Persian period has not specifically confirmed the story’s historicity.

It is the only Old Testament book: (1) in which neither “God,” nor his name “Yahweh,” are specifically mentioned; (2) no manuscript copies have been found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Another factor is that the book is not quoted in the New Testament.

Things important to the ancient Jews, such as the Law, sacrifice, and the Temple in Jerusalem are not mentioned.

Esther is often read as a satire addressing the needs of Jews outside of the Holy Land. Yet these challenges, though not insignificant, are not, in fact, as overwhelming as they might first appear: