June 18 Lecture (Esther)

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Hey, welcome back.

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

In this video,

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we are talking about the Book of Esther.

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So the Book of Esther is in the Hebrew Bible,

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but in different sections,

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depending upon if you're looking at a Tanakh or an Old Testament.

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And the Tanakh is in the Ketuvim section,

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the sort of miscellaneous writings section.

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It's often also referred to in the Jewish world

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as a Megillah,

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which means scroll.

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And in the Old Testament,

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it is in the historical section.

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So both canons have it within the Bible.

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Both traditions have it within their canon,

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but with different section heading and in a

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different order when thinking about the whole of the Bible as

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an of world.

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If we're just going to read a story,

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read as literature,

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for example,

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Esther would show up.

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in a different place within that of world,

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depending upon the canon.

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And that placement too might shift how one reads

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the overarching of the Hebrew

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Bible.

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So Esther also is often thought to be

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one of the most humorous texts in the Bible

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and also one of the most violent texts in

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the Bible.

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And some readers think of the humor and violence as being

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enmeshed,

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as being very much in tandem together.

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You can't have one without the other.

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Some even think part of the humor is the violence.

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It's just so hyperbolic that it exceeds the bounds

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of anything,

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you know, quote unquote normal.

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You can think,

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for example, in this regard of the video

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game Mortal Kombat.

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Sometimes when I'm teaching this text in person,

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I will even bring Mortal Kombat to class and have

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us, you know,

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as a class play.

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and it's a profoundly violent game,

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and it is so over -the -top violent that sometimes

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it elicits laughter from

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those playing it.

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It can feel humorous because it's just so absurd,

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so outrageous.

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So some readers of Esther think along those lines,

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that the violence is so absurd and so outrageous that it too can be

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seen as part of the humor.

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Others,

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you know,

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have a harder time seeing the humor and instead very much

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focus on the violence and indeed trauma within

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the story.

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So as always,

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it is up to you to come to your own conclusions so long as

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you are thinking with the material,

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thinking with the approaches to the text and,

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you know, the world behind the text with the world of the text paired with

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the hermeneutical lenses we're taking on.

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If you're thinking with all that material,

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so you are more than welcome

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to come to your own conclusions with them.

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So I am going to

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pull up the whiteboard.

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I have a normal mouse again,

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so I hope that it will make

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creating this timeline easier than

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it was for the last couple classes.

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Already feeling better,

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but it's doing that weird thing where it

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kind of vibrates or comes and goes.

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We'll see how this goes.

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So we are kind

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of far along in our timeline here.

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We started around 1250 BCE with

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the first evidence of an Israelite people.

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And I'm just going to jump all the way to 597

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to 538,

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which was the exilic period.

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This is where we've been for the past few

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lessons, knowing,

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of course, that many of the texts we've read,

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even if they are talking

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about exile and very much taking on the affects

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of exile,

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or even,

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you know, the Assyrian invasion,

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a lot of times there'll be additions that are,

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you know,

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added in after the fact,

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even, you know.

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The exilic texts may have some additions

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later.

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We've,

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you know, we've focused,

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we've been sort of in this exile period.

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Exile becomes such a profound

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moment for Israelites in the way in which they

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shared their stories and spoke of

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their relationship with and understanding of their God that scholars...

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see sort of periods within the timeline.

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There's the exilic period as we've discussed,

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and then there's the pre -exilic period,

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and then there's the post -exilic period.

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We are going into the post -exilic period.

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So in 538 BCE,

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the Persians outruled

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the Babylonians.

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They defeated the Babylonians and Cyrus the Great.

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It's called the Great for what I'm about to tell you.

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Cyrus,

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king of Persia,

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granted Israelites the right of return,

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the right to return back to.

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Their homeland and rebuild.

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A major focus of that rebuilding happened

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to be in the southern kingdom of Judah.

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And there was a rebuilding of the temple.

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And in 515 BCE,

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we get the rededication of that temple to

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the God of Israel.

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So it's called the second temple because it's the second temple.

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And it is also in Jerusalem.

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It is at this point in the timeline that we get a shift in terminology.

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The Book of Esther,

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for example,

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you'll notice,

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is one that does not have the writers

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refer to their culture as

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Israelite,

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but instead as Jewish.

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So the word Jew comes from Judah.

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In Hebrew,

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it's the same.

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Yehud is Judah.

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Yehud is Jew.

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Yehudim means Jews.

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So that's where the term comes from,

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from this rebuilding focusing on Yehud,

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focusing on Judah.

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However,

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there were many Israelites,

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and at this period now Jews,

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who decided not to return and to sort of stay in diaspora,

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stay outside of the homeland,

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to stay dispersed.

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They too took on the word Jew.

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So even though it comes from a geographical location

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and sense of...

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connection to this geographical place,

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which includes Jerusalem and includes the temple within Jerusalem,

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even those who stayed in diaspora and

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built a life in diaspora took on the word Jew.

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I guess you could say as a way to connect themselves and show

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the import of the homeland and the

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import of rebuilding in Yehud,

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all while staying.

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outside of that homeland so a way to kind of maintain connection

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the book of esther takes place in

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the of world in this persian period in

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this post -exilic persian period

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It is unclear if the book itself was written

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in the Persian period or if it was written,

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so we're talking about the behind world now,

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or if it was written in the Greek period.

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The Greek period for our purposes begins in and around 333

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BCE when Alexander the Great overthrows

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the Persian Empire.

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So some scholars place Esther

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Esther's world behind in the sort of maybe late Persian period.

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Others place it in the early Greek period.

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Do I have an opinion?

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My opinion is I don't know if we can know.

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I don't know.

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And yeah, I don't know if we can prove one way or the other.

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I find arguments

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for each to be almost equally persuasive,

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you know, so I don't,

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I don't know,

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really.

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For our purposes,

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just know the story world is the Persian period,

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post -exilic,

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and it takes place in diaspora.

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It takes place in Persia.

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It does not take place in Judah.

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It takes place in diaspora.

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And we see the word Jew instead of Israelite.

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It could have been written in the Persian period.

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It could have also been written in the early Greek period.

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Another change in terminology that I'm going to take

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up for the...

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remainder of this class,

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so long as we are talking about a behind world of post

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exile is instead of referring to the God of Israel as

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Yahweh.

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I'm going to switch to God.

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Why?

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Because it's in this post -exilic time period,

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especially as we get to the Greek period,

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that we are seeing the text no longer.

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say Yahweh,

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but instead God.

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Why,

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especially in the Greek period?

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Because the Greeks were so great at spreading Greekness,

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otherwise known as Hellenizing,

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that Jews started

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to speak Greek themselves.

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So much so that they translated their

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texts into Greek,

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their sacred texts into Greek.

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and eventually created a compilation of this text

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known as the Septuagint,

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which we brought up with regards to Lamentations and Lamentations'

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relations to Jeremiah.

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For some,

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from a Septuagint perspective,

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at least an Old Testament perspective,

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not a Tanakh perspective.

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When Jews are speaking Greek,

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they're translating their texts and also writing texts anew,

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not necessarily in Hebrew,

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but sometimes in Greek.

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And Yahweh,

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there's no...

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translation really clearly of Yahweh in

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this Hebrew to Greek.

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Instead,

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the Lord kind of more so

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has the translation.

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So in Greek,

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so in Hebrew,

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Yahweh,

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I'm sorry,

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yes, in Hebrew,

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we see Yahweh,

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which translates in our English to Lord.

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And in the Hebrew writings,

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it seems to be that Yahweh is this personal name for the Israelite

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God. We also see in Hebrew Elohim,

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which in our English Bibles gets translated to God,

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which is a more general word for this God.

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In Greek,

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there is or

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there are two.

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words used to talk about this israelite god which is now the

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jewish god um one is kurios and one is theos

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and kurios also in your

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english translates as lord and theos uh translates

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as god but

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lord in this sense doesn't quite take on yahweh

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it means master

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So it's just,

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it's a different way of naming,

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describing this god.

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So rather than taking on

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the word master,

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I will,

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I'm just going to say god,

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this more general understanding.

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But know that those who are calling

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this god master,

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kurios,

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and also theos,

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god, are seeing this deity as the same one.

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as Yahweh,

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just using different language systems and

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terminology therein.

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Okay,

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so we are at the Book of Esther.

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I will stop sharing the screen.

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I'm just going to share basic,

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basic plot points.

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I have two videos linked for you that

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also summarize the plot.

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Of course,

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you are expected to also read this story yourselves.

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But the basic plot is one of

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absurdity and reversal upon reversal upon

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reversal.

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

So you have a Persian king named Achashverosh,

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

who is often

14:12

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

thought to represent Xerxes,

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

the real Persian king.

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And King

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Achashverosh is depicted

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

for the most part as incompetent.

14:30

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

and unable to control his own emotions,

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

and as just kind of a buffoonish

14:39

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

leader.

14:39

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And he also drinks a

14:43

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

lot, throws a lot of parties.

14:44

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And at the beginning of the tale,

14:47

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

at the beginning of the Megillah,

14:48

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

you are introduced to Achashverosh

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

and his,

14:53

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

you know,

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

various male buds,

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

and they are having a massive...

15:00

S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

drinking party um and uh he

15:04

S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

asks for his for queen vashti his wife um

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

and meanwhile you should know sure he has a wife there's a queen but

15:13

S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

he also has access to um you know all

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

the women of his of his pleasing um and he asks vashti

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

to show herself to um

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

uh him and his boys and it's often interpreted that

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

he's asking her to do this wearing only her crown nothing

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

else and she says no um and

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

he throws such a a fit about

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

it that he

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

throws her out and we don't ever get to know what happens

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

to her um that was part of the violence in this text we are

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

are asked to imagine uh what may have happened to her and

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

what he um how he disposed of her um

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

and in her place he

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

decides to have a beauty pageant to pick his next

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

queen um

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And he also sends out a decree to all

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

the people of Persia that

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

wives must obey their husbands.

16:27

S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

As if that patriarchal understanding was

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

not already in place,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

it was.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

He sort of in this frenzy wants to

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

remind everyone that this is

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

a patriarchal system and women need to obey men.

16:45

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

His feelings,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

you know, he got really hurt by being told no.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And so he

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

eventually chooses a

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

girl named Esther.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And Esther is Jewish.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And she has a cousin named Mordecai.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And Mordecai hangs

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

out a lot at the gates.

17:16

S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

You know, they're in Shushan,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

which is the capital

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

city of ancient Persia.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And Mordecai once at the gates overheard

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

two royals wanting to murder King Ahasuerus.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And that's sort of,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

you know, something to tuck away for now.

17:40

S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Mordecai heard something.

17:43

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Meanwhile,

17:44

S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

there's another character named Haman,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

and he is,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

you know,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

elevated in status to Ahasuerus' right -hand man.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And he is also depicted as absurd.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And he wants everyone in Persia to bow back down

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

to him.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And Mordechai says,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Mordechai,

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

cousin to Esther,

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

also Jewish.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

It says, I'm not bowing down to Haman.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

I will only bow down to God.

18:13

S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And so Haman also has a tantrum

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

about this.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And rather than disposing of solely Mordecai

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

for his refusal to do what Haman wants,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Haman decides he wants to kill all Jews.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

So super hyperbolic,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

super extreme,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

absurd.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And to add to the absurdity,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

he decides that there's going to be a day of genocide.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

There's gonna be a genocide day.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And the way to decide that day of genocide,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

he is going to roll dice.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And in Hebrew,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

that word is poor,

18:54

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

P -U -R.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

So tuck that away as well.

18:59

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

The king,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Ahasuerus,

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

says, okay,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

like I'll sign off on this day of genocide.

19:06

S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Sure, why not?

19:09

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Meanwhile,

19:10

S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Mordechai tells Esther,

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

you know,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

maybe this is why you were chosen

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

as queen.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Maybe you can help us.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

the story in ancient Persian ruling,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

you can't approach the king with a need unless you are asked.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

So Esther has to be cunning and

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

be asked to be around the king.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

So she was working on that.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And then one night the king cannot sleep

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

and he asks someone to read off,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

you know, what's the goings on,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

the going ons of the city.

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

and of Persia,

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S… Speaker 2 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

and eventually he's reminded of

20:00

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

what Mordechai did.

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

So remember I said pocket what Mordechai did and the overhearing to kill the king

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

and, you know,

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

made sure that didn't happen.

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Ahasuerus is all of a sudden like,

20:10

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

oh my God, we didn't,

20:11

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

we didn't think Mordechai.

20:12

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

So Ahasuerus talks

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

to Haman.

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And, you know,

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

like what would you do for it?

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Like, what do you think I should do for the one that I desire or that I'm admiring most?

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

I'm so thankful to most.

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And Haman thinks that the king is talking about him.

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And he says,

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

I think, you know,

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

the one that you are.

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

grateful to the most,

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

you should have like a big party for him in the city and have him

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

be paraded around on a horse and admired by all the onlookers.

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And Ahasuerus is like,

20:48

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

great, yeah, let's do that.

20:49

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And then he has Mordecai celebrated

20:53

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

throughout the kingdom and Haman has to walk the

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

horse that Mordecai rides.

21:00

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

So we see a reversal here.

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Haman thought he was going to be celebrated.

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

and is having to celebrate the very man

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

that caused him to want to kill all Jews.

21:12

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

We continue on.

21:15

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Esther hosts a few banquets.

21:20

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

is then with the king and everyone's drunk and

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

she finally reveals to the king that she is Jewish and reveals

21:28

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

the plot that Haman had to kill all Jews and the king thinks this is awful and

21:32

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

he enacts another reversal I should say Haman while wanting

21:37

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

to kill all Jews also had a massive

21:41

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

stake

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S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

built so that he could impale Mordecai on it.

21:46

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And the king,

21:50

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

you know, in finding out what Haman was going to do to all the Jews,

21:52

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

he,

21:54

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

you know,

21:55

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

for Esther,

21:57

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

he decides,

21:58

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

no, Haman,

21:59

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

you are going to be impaled on this very stake that you built for Mordecai.

22:03

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

So another reversal.

22:04

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

But a reversal plus,

22:06

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

because it's not just Haman who is impaled,

22:08

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

his sons are too.

22:10

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

His sons that had nothing to do with anything,

22:12

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

we don't even know they're around until this,

22:16

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

and they are also impaled.

22:17

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Then we learn that the king cannot just stop

22:22

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Haman's decree,

22:23

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

but he can create another decree.

22:26

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And so he says,

22:28

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

okay, well,

22:28

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

it's not the Persians who can kill the Jews,

22:32

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

it's the Jews who can kill...

22:34

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Persians.

22:35

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And there's a

22:39

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

reversal, another reversal of genocide.

22:42

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And Jews within the span of a couple

22:46

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

days kill 75 ,000,

22:49

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

around 75 ,000 Persians,

22:51

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

a little more.

22:54

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

profoundly hyperbolic,

22:56

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

extreme.

22:56

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

For ancient warfare,

22:59

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

this is completely impossible.

23:02

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

The tools do not exist to be able to

23:06

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

kill this many people.

23:08

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

This is a fictional story and one of

23:12

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

profound hyperbole.

23:14

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And it's also noted

23:18

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

that as Jews are going on this killing spree,

23:23

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

they don't take the spoils.

23:25

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

So another kind of against

23:29

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

the grain concept in the story.

23:32

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

It's just very ridiculous for the time period.

23:35

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

And then Mordecai is elevated to

23:39

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

grand status and Jews celebrate

23:44

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

this remarkable reversal of fortune

23:48

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

through a holiday called Purim,

23:52

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

meaning

23:53

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Lots or dice.

23:54

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Remember I said to pocket poor.

23:58

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

That's for this now.

24:01

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

So in the story world,

24:03

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Jews are said that they will celebrate

24:07

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

Purim every year,

24:08

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

kind of.

24:11

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

inviting the story of this grand reversal

24:16

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

of fortune and the time in which Jews who were

24:20

S… Speaker 1 (June 18 Lecture (Esther))

marginal other in Persia,

June 18 Lecture (Esther)

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