ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the sociocultural background and rhetorical strategies of the Book of Esther in the Tanakh, or the Hebrew Bible. The only book of the Tanakh without any reference to God, the text tells the story of Esther, a young Jewish woman who becomes Queen of Persia and saves the Jewish people from a genocidal plot. By placing Esther as a cultural artifact within the larger context of Jewish history, I argue that the text’s inclusion in the canon speaks to the lived experiences of a conquered and exiled people. As the centerpiece of the Purim holiday, the Book of Esther has played (and continues to play) an important role in shaping discourse around Jewish peoplehood as defined by Diasporic community. Rather than focusing on a metaphorical return to Jerusalem through spirituality or religious observance, Esther addresses the practical realities of survival in the Diaspora. As both a woman and a Jew, the eponymous Queen Esther’s access to power is limited and indirect; as a rhetor, she develops strategies of delaying and trust-building, thus anticipating the Renaissance rhetoric of the courtier by almost two millennia. Ultimately, the Book of Esther seeks to address the question of how Jewish people in the Diaspora can be successful members of larger society while maintaining their unique identity.
