Today we are starting our study on the book of Esther. The first chapter is basically setting the scene; it is the background as to how Esther came to be in a prominent position to deliver the Jewish people from annihilation.
Let us open our Bible to Esther 1:1-2 "Now it took place in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, in those days as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in Susa".
King Ahasuerus, who is better known to us in history as Xerxes which is the Greek form of the name. He ruled the Persian Empire for 21 years from 485 to 465 B.C. He inherited the great empire of Persia from his father, Darius I (520-486 B.C.) and his grandfather, Cyrus the Great (550-530 B.C.). Persia was the largest empire ever formed through military conquest. It says in scripture he reigned over 127 provinces, from India to Ethiopia. “India” corresponds to present-day West Pakistan; “Cush” was a term for the upper Nile region which included present-day southern Egypt, all of Sudan, and northern Ethiopia.
As we see here, King Ahasuerus/Xerxes is ruling from the fortress city of Susa, which was the winter palace of the kingdom. Susa was located in territory held by modern Iran, just across the border from modern Iraq. When you look at a map, you can see how vast this empire is. Enough about the history - but this is important to show the power and lifestyle of King Ahasuerus/Xerxes and to show the vastness of his empire and his wealth so that you get an idea of who he is and the power that he has. We will continue our study in our next post ~ thank you for joining me in this wonderful study of Esther. God bless
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