Shy jewish girl who became queen of persia
Esther The Jewish Queen
Esther was written to explain the origin of the Feast of Purim and to ensure that it would be observed by all future generations of the Jewish people (). Like many OT books, Esther is an anonymous work. It is possible that the author was someone like Mordecai, who had access to historical documents ; and an interest in Jewish affairs. Esther belongs to the period after the Babylonian exile, when Persia had replaced Babylon as the ruling power. Some Jews had returned to Jerusalem, where they enjoyed a reasonable amount of control over their own affairs. Others, like Esther and Mordecai, were still in exile. As a minority group, the Jews were viewed with suspicion and sometimes faced threats to their existence. Queen Esther helped me
A fitting occurrence since Queen Esther is the ultimate feminist hero. Esther was a beautiful Jewish orphan who became Queen of Persia and risked her own life to save her people from genocide. After losing both her parents at a young age, Esther was raised by her older relative Mordechai. A beautiful young virgin, she was selected for the harem of King Achashverosh. Esther was forced to leave her home and community and move into the palace. Mordechai warned her not to reveal her Jewish identity. Even in a non-Jewish environment, Esther found a way to live as an observant Jew. Queen Esther arranged to have seven maids, each one working on a different day, so she could keep track of the days and observe Shabbat. Who Was Esther Heroine
This year, International Women’s Day falls within the same week as the Jewish holiday of Shushan Purim, when Jews recall how Queen Esther enabled our Jewish ancestors to escape from genocide in ancient Persia. Image Source: Wikimedia. Esther , a young Jewish woman who becomes a Persian queen, is an unusual biblical heroine. When Mordecai informs her of a genodical plot against the Jews by Haman, the king's evil vizier, at first she refuses to intervene, demurring that she is forbidden from approaching the king without invitation. This crisis transforms Esther from a docile girl into a courageous leader. Taking charge of Mordecai's effort to stop Haman, she devises a risky plan that uses her beauty, charm, and political astuteness to save her people. In doing so, she reveals her true identity as both a Jew and a woman of action, and shows us how even people on the margins can marshall their talent, strength, and wit to change the course of history. Many other historical and modern Esthers carry on the queen's legacy of courage, resourcefulness, and activism. 
Introduction to Esther ESV
Esther, a young Jewish woman who becomes a Persian queen, is an unusual biblical heroine. Of course, no celebration is complete without the traditional reading of the Megillah. Instead, we often pit good vs. Haman, and treat Esther like the obedient Jewish queen they brought along for eye candy. But to minimize Esther—one of the few, true heroines of the Tanakh—and the fullness of her character and story only serves to dim the power of the story itself. Esther and a significant number of the Jewish people lived scattered throughout Persia after the Babylonian exile. Although they had been granted freedom to return to their homeland, many of the Jewish people stayed where they had settled rather than return to a war-torn Jerusalem.