Esther
Earlier this year, the Iranian president made some despicable remarks concerning Jewish people and the Holocaust. It made my blood boil even more because I am aware of the very long-standing tie between the Persian and Jewish cultures.
Back in 1977, when I was not much more than a young pup, I visited the city of Hamadan with my parents. It was a short vacation which we took while we were living for two years in Tehran, the capital of Iran. While we were in Hamadan (a really ancient city), we visited the popular tourist attractions. One stop was to the tomb of Esther, who I had only vaguely knew as some biblical character at the time. Later I learned that it was Esther’s plea to the Persian emperor, which had avoided an early genocide of the Jewish people.
The story of Esther shows that in the face of adversity powerful rhetoric can be effective as physical strength. When Ahasuerus, king of Persia, dismissed his queen after she refused to appear at a feasst in his sumptuous palace (which boasted marble pillars and beds of gold and silver), he chose Esther as his new wife. Esther had been brought up by her cousin, Mondecai, who told her to keep the secret of their Jewish faith. Mordecai soon discovered that the king's favorite attendant, Haman, had obtained permission to kill all the Jews, so he sat outside the king's gate until he could warn Esther of their impending fate. The penalty for entering the inner court for an unsolicited audience with the king was death, but Esther dared to do so. When the king lowered his scepter as a sign of acceptance, she invited him to a banquet where she made an impassioned speech on behalf of the Jews. As a result, Haman was hanged, Mordecai received high office and wealth, and the enemies of the Jews were put to death.
The above painting by Chasseriau, is entitled "The Toilet of Esther".