Antiquities of the Jews — Book 11, Chapter 6

1. After the death of Xerxes, the kingdom came to be transferred to his
son Cyrus, whom the Greeks called Artaxerxes. When this man had obtained
the government over the Persians, the whole nation of the Jews, 15 with
their wives and children, were in danger of perishing; the occasion
whereof we shall declare in a little time; for it is proper, in the
first place, to explain somewhat relating to this king, and how he came
to marry a Jewish wife, who was herself of the royal family also, and
who is related to have saved our nation; for when Artaxerxes had taken
the kingdom, and had set governors over the hundred twenty and seven
provinces, from India even unto Ethiopia, in the third year of his
reign, he made a costly feast for his friends, and for the nations of
Persia, and for their governors, such a one as was proper for a king to
make, when he had a mind to make a public demonstration of his riches,
and this for a hundred and fourscore days; after which he made a feast
for other nations, and for their ambassadors, at Shushan, for seven
days. Now this feast was ordered after the manner following: He caused a
tent to be pitched, which was supported by pillars of gold and silver,
with curtains of linen and purple spread over them, that it might afford
room for many ten thousands to sit down. The cups with which the waiters
ministered were of gold, and adorned with precious stones, for pleasure
and for sight. He also gave order to the servants that they should not
force them to drink, by bringing them wine continually, as is the
practice of the Persians, but to permit every one of the guests to enjoy
himself according to his own inclination. Moreover, he sent messengers
through the country, and gave order that they should have a remission of
their labors, and should keep a festival many days, on account of his
kingdom. In like manner did Vashti the queen gather her guests together,
and made them a feast in the palace. Now the king was desirous to show
her, who exceeded all other women in beauty, to those that feasted with
him, and he sent some to command her to come to his feast. But she, out
of regard to the laws of the Persians, which forbid the wives to be seen
by strangers, did not go to the king 16 and though he oftentimes sent
the eunuchs to her, she did nevertheless stay away, and refused to come,
till the king was so much irritated, that he brake up the entertainment,
and rose up, and called for those seven who had the interpretation of
the laws committed to them, and accused his wife, and said that he had
been affronted by her, because that when she was frequently called by
him to his feast, she did not obey him once. He therefore gave order
that they should inform him what could be done by the law against her.
So one of them, whose name was Memucan, said that this affront was
offered not to him alone, but to all the Persians, who were in danger of
leading their lives very ill with their wives, if they must be thus
despised by them; for that none of their wives would have any reverence
for their husbands, if they, "had such an example of arrogance in the
queen towards thee, who rulest over all." Accordingly, he exhorted him
to punish her, who had been guilty of so great an affront to him, after
a severe manner; and when he had so done, to publish to the nations what
had been decreed about the queen. So the resolution was to put Vashti
away, and to give her dignity to another woman.

2. But the king having been fond of her, did not well bear a separation,
and yet by the law he could not admit of a reconciliation; so he was
under trouble, as not having it in his power to do what he desired to
do. But when his friends saw him so uneasy, they advised him to cast the
memory of his wife, and his love for her, out of his mind, but to send
abroad over all the habitable earth, and to search out for comely
virgins, and to take her whom he should best like for his wife, because
his passion for his former wife would be quenched by the introduction of
another, and the kindness he had for Vashti would be withdrawn from her,
and be placed on her that was with him. Accordingly, he was persuaded to
follow this advice, and gave order to certain persons to choose out of
the virgins that were in his kingdom those that were esteemed the most
comely. So when a great number of these virgins were gathered together,
there was found a damsel in Babylon, whose parents were both dead, and
she was brought up with her uncle Mordecai, for that was her uncle's
name. This uncle was of the tribe of Benjamin, and was one of the
principal persons among the Jews. Now it proved that this damsel, whose
name was Esther, was the most beautiful of all the rest, and that the
grace of her countenance drew the eyes of the spectators principally
upon her. So she was committed to one of the eunuchs to take the care of
her; and she was very exactly provided with sweet odors, in great
plenty, and with costly ointments, such as her body required to be
anointed withal; and this was used for six months by the virgins, who
were in number four hundred. And when the eunuch thought the virgins had
been sufficiently purified, in the fore-mentioned time, and were now fit
to go to the king's bed, he sent one to be with the king every day. So
when he had accompanied with her, he sent her back to the eunuch; and
when Esther had come to him, he was pleased with her, and fell in love
with the damsel, and married her, and made her his lawful wife, and kept
a wedding feast for her on the twelfth month of the seventh year of his
reign, which was called Adar. He also sent angari, as they are called,
or messengers, unto every nation, and gave orders that they should keep
a feast for his marriage, while he himself treated the Persians and the
Medes, and the principal men of the nations, for a whole month, on
account of this his marriage. Accordingly, Esther came to his royal
palace, and he set a diadem on her head. And thus was Esther married,
without making known to the king what nation she was derived from. Her
uncle also removed from Babylon to Shushan, and dwelt there, being every
day about the palace, and inquiring how the damsel did, for he loved her
as though she had been his own daughter.

3. Now the king had made a law, 17 that none of his own people should
approach him unless he were called, when he sat upon his throne and men,
with axes in their hands, stood round about his throne, in order to
punish such as approached to him without being called. However, the king
sat with a golden scepter in his hand, which he held out when he had a
mind to save any one of those that approached to him without being
called, and he who touched it was free from danger. But of this matter
we have discoursed sufficiently.

4. Some time after this [two eunuchs], Bigthan and Teresh, plotted
against the king; and Barnabazus, the servant of one of the eunuchs,
being by birth a Jew, was acquainted with their conspiracy, and
discovered it to the queen's uncle; and Mordecai, by the means of
Esther, made the conspirators known to the king. This troubled the king;
but he discovered the truth, and hanged the eunuchs upon a cross, while
at that time he gave no reward to Mordecai, who had been the occasion of
his preservation. He only bid the scribes to set down his name in the
records, and bid him stay in the palace, as an intimate friend of the
king.

5. Now there was one Haman, the son of Amedatha, by birth an Amalekite,
that used to go in to the king; and the foreigners and Persians
worshipped him, as Artaxerxes had commanded that such honor should be
paid to him; but Mordecai was so wise, and so observant of his own
country's laws, that he would not worship the man 18 When Haman observed
this, he inquired whence he came; and when he understood that he was a
Jew, he had indignation at him, and said within himself, that whereas
the Persians, who were free men, worshipped him, this man, who was no
better than a slave, does not vouchsafe to do so. And when he desired to
punish Mordecai, he thought it too small a thing to request of the king
that he alone might be punished; he rather determined to abolish the
whole nation, for he was naturally an enemy to the Jews, because the
nation of the Amalekites, of which he was; had been destroyed by them.
Accordingly he came to the king, and accused them, saying, "There is a
certain wicked nation, and it is dispersed over all the habitable earth
that was under his dominion; a nation separate from others, unsociable,
neither admitting the same sort of Divine worship that others do, nor
using laws like to the laws of others, at enmity with thy people, and
with all men, both in their manners and practices. Now, if thou wilt be
a benefactor to thy subjects, thou wilt give order to destroy them
utterly, and not leave the least remains of them, nor preserve any of
them, either for slaves or for captives." But that the king might not be
damnified by the loss of the tributes which the Jews paid him, Haman
promised to give him out of his own estate forty thousand talents
whensoever he pleased; and he said he would pay this money very
willingly, that the kingdom might be freed from such a misfortune.

6. When Haman had made this petition, the king both forgave him the
money, and granted him the men, to do what he would with them. So Haman,
having gained what he desired, sent out immediately a decree, as from
the king, to all nations, the contents whereof were these: "Artaxerxes,
the great king, to the rulers of the hundred twenty and seven provinces,
from India to Ethiopia, sends this writing. Whereas I have governed many
nations, and obtained the dominions of all the habitable earth,
according to my desire, and have not been obliged to do any thing that
is insolent or cruel to my subjects by such my power, but have showed
myself mild and gentle, by taking care of their peace and good order,
and have sought how they might enjoy those blessings for all time to
come. And whereas I have been kindly informed by Haman, who, on account
of his prudence and justice, is the first in my esteem, and in dignity,
and only second to myself, for his fidelity and constant good-will to
me, that there is an ill-natured nation intermixed with all mankind,
that is averse to our laws, and not subject to kings, and of a different
conduct of life from others, that hateth monarchy, and of a disposition
that is pernicious to our affairs, I give order that all these men, of
whom Haman our second father hath informed us, be destroyed, with their
wives and children, and that none of them be spared, and that none
prefer pity to them before obedience to this decree. And this I will to
be executed on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month of this present
year, that so when all that have enmity to us are destroyed, and this in
one day, we may be allowed to lead the rest of our lives in peace
hereafter." Now when this decree was brought to the cities, and to the
country, all were ready for the destruction and entire abolishment of
the Jews, against the day before mentioned; and they were very hasty
about it at Shushan, in particular. Accordingly, the king and Haman
spent their time in feasting together with good cheer and wine, but the
city was in disorder.

7. Now when Mordecai was informed of what was done, he rent his clothes,
and put on sackcloth, and sprinkled ashes upon his head, and went about
the city, crying out, that "a nation that had been injurious to no man
was to be destroyed." And he went on saying thus as far as to the king's
palace, and there he stood, for it was not lawful for him to go into it
in that habit. The same thing was done by all the Jews that were in the
several cities wherein this decree was published, with lamentation and
mourning, on account of the calamities denounced against them. But as
soon as certain persons had told the queen that Mordecai stood before
the court in a mourning habit, she was disturbed at this report, and
sent out such as should change his garments; but when he could not be
induced to put off his sackcloth, because the sad occasion that forced
him to put it on was not yet ceased, she called the eunuch Acratheus,
for he was then present, and sent him to Mordecai, in order to know of
him what sad accident had befallen him, for which he was in mourning,
and would not put off the habit he had put on at her desire. Then did
Mordecai inform the eunuch of the occasion of his mourning, and of the
decree which was sent by the king into all the country, and of the
promise of money whereby Haman brought the destruction of their nation.
He also gave him a copy of what was proclaimed at Shushan, to be carried
to Esther; and he charged her to petition the king about this matter,
and not to think it a dishonorable thing in her to put on a humble
habit, for the safety of her nation, wherein she might deprecate the
ruin of the Jews, who were in danger of it; for that Haman, whose
dignity was only inferior to that of the king, had accused the Jews, and
had irritated the king against them. When she was informed of this, she
sent to Mordecai again, and told him that she was not called by the
king, and that he who goes in to him without being called, is to be
slain, unless when he is willing to save any one, he holds out his
golden scepter to him; but that to whomsoever he does so, although he go
in without being called, that person is so far from being slain, that he
obtains pardon, and is entirely preserved. Now when the eunuch carried
this message from Esther to Mordecai, he bade him also tell her that she
must not only provide for her own preservation, but for the common
preservation of her nation, for that if she now neglected this
opportunity, there would certainly arise help to them from God some
other way, but she and her father's house would be destroyed by those
whom she now despised. But Esther sent the very same eunuch back to
Mordecai [to desire him] to go to Shushan, and to gather the Jews that
were there together to a congregation, and to fast and abstain from all
sorts of food, on her account, and [to let him know that] she with her
maidens would do the same: and then she promised that she would go to
the king, though it were against the law, and that if she must die for
it, she would not refuse it.

8. Accordingly, Mordecai did as Esther had enjoined him, and made the
people fast; and he besought God, together with them, not to overlook
his nation, particularly at this time, when it was going to be
destroyed; but that, as he had often before provided for them, and
forgiven, when they had sinned, so he would now deliver them from that
destruction which was denounced against them; for although it was not
all the nation that had offended, yet must they so ingloriously be
slain, and that he was himself the occasion of the wrath of Haman,
"Because," said he, "I did not worship him, nor could I endure to pay
that honor to him which I used to pay to thee, O Lord; for upon that his
anger hath he contrived this present mischief against those that have
not transgressed thy laws." The same supplications did the multitude put
up, and entreated that God would provide for their deliverance, and free
the Israelites that were in all the earth from this calamity which was
now coming upon them, for they had it before their eyes, and expected
its coming. Accordingly, Esther made supplication to God after the
manner of her country, by casting herself down upon the earth, and
putting on her mourning garments, and bidding farewell to meat and
drink, and all delicacies, for three days' time; and she entreated God
to have mercy upon her, and make her words appear persuasive to the
king, and render her countenance more beautiful than it was before, that
both by her words and beauty she might succeed, for the averting of the
king's anger, in case he were at all irritated against her, and for the
consolation of those of her own country, now they were in the utmost
danger of perishing; as also that he would excite a hatred in the king
against the enemies of the Jews, and those that had contrived their
future destruction, if they proved to be contemned by him.

9. When Esther had used this supplication for three days, she put off
those garments, and changed her habit, and adorned herself as became a
queen, and took two of her handmaids with her, the one of which
supported her, as she gently leaned upon her, and the other followed
after, and lifted up her large train [which swept along the ground] with
the extremities of her fingers. And thus she came to the king, having a
blushing redness in her countenance, with a pleasant agreeableness in
her behavior; yet did she go in to him with fear; and as soon as she was
come over against him, as he was sitting on his throne, in his royal
apparel, which was a garment interwoven with gold and precious stones,
which made him seem to her more terrible, especially when he looked at
her somewhat severely, and with a countenance on fire with anger, her
joints failed her immediately, out of the dread she was in, and she fell
down sideways in a swoon: but the king changed his mind, which happened,
as I suppose, by the will of God, and was concerned for his wife, lest
her fear should bring some very ill thing upon her, and he leaped from
his throne, and took her in his arms, and recovered her, by embracing
her, and speaking comfortably to her, and exhorting her to be of good
cheer, and not to suspect any thing that was sad on account of her
coming to him without being called, because that law was made for
subjects, but that she, who was a queen, as well as he a king, might be
entirely secure; and as he said this, he put the scepter into her hand,
and laid his rod upon her neck, on account of the law; and so freed her
from her fear. And after she had recovered herself by these
encouragements, she said, "My lord, it is not easy for me, on the
sudden, to say what hath happened, for as soon as I saw thee to be
great, and comely, and terrible, my spirit departed from me, and I had
no soul left in me." And while it was with difficulty, and in a low
voice, that she could say thus much, the king was in a great agony and
disorder, and encouraged Esther to be of good cheer, and to expect
better fortune, since he was ready, if occasion should require it, to
grant her the half of his kingdom. Accordingly, Esther desired that he
and his friend Haman would come to her to a banquet, for she said she
had prepared a supper for him. He consented to it; and when they were
there, as they were drinking, he bid Esther to let him know what she
desired; for that she should not be disappointed though she should
desire the half of his kingdom. But she put off the discovery of her
petition till the next day, if he would come again, together with Haman,
to her banquet.

10. Now when the king had promised so to do, Haman went away very glad,
because he alone had the honor of supping with the king at Esther's
banquet, and because no one else partook of the same honor with kings
but himself; yet when he saw Mordecai in the court, he was very much
displeased, for he paid him no manner of respect when he saw him. So he
went home and called for his wife Zeresh, and his friends, and when they
were come, he showed them what honor he enjoyed not only from the king,
but from the queen also, for as he alone had that day supped with her,
together with the king, so was he also invited again for the next day;
"yet," said he, "am I not pleased to see Mordecai the Jew in the court."
Hereupon his wife Zeresh advised him to give order that a gallows should
be made fifty cubits high, and that in the morning he should ask it of
the king that Mordecai might be hanged thereon. So he commended her
advice, and gave order to his servants to prepare the gallows, and to
place it in the court, for the punishment of Mordecai thereon, which was
accordingly prepared. But God laughed to scorn the wicked expectations
of Haman; and as he knew what the event would be, he was delighted at
it, for that night he took away the king's sleep; and as the king was
not willing to lose the time of his lying awake, but to spend it in
something that might be of advantage to his kingdom, he commanded the
scribe to bring him the chronicles of the former kings, and the records
of his own actions; and when he had brought them, and was reading them,
one was found to have received a country on account of his excellent
management on a certain occasion, and the name of the country was set
down; another was found to have had a present made him on account of his
fidelity: then the scribe came to Bigthan and Teresh, the eunuchs that
had made a conspiracy against the king, which Mordecai had discovered;
and when the scribe said no more but that, and was going on to another
history, the king stopped him, and inquired "whether it was not added
that Mordecai had a reward given him?" and when he said there was no
such addition, he bade him leave off; and he inquired of those that were
appointed for that purpose, what hour of the night it was; and when he
was informed that it was already day, he gave order, that if they found
any one of his friends already come, and standing before the court, they
should tell him. Now it happened that Haman was found there, for he was
come sooner than ordinary to petition the king to have Mordecai put to
death; and when the servants said that Haman was before the court, he
bid them call him in; and when he was come in, he said, "Because I know
that thou art my only fast friend, I desire thee to give me advice how I
may honor one that I greatly love, and that after a manner suitable to
my magnificence." Now Haman reasoned with himself, that what opinion he
should give it would be for himself, since it was he alone who was
beloved by the king: so he gave that advice which he thought of all
other the best; for he said, "If thou wouldst truly honor a man whom
thou sayest thou dost love, give order that he may ride on horseback,
with the same garment on which thou wearest, and with a gold chain about
his neck, and let one of thy intimate friends go before him, and
proclaim through the whole city, that whosoever the king honoreth
obtaineth this mark of his honor." This was the advice which Haman gave,
out of a supposal that such a reward would come to himself. Hereupon the
king was pleased with the advice, and said, "Go thou therefore, for thou
hast the horse, the garment, and the chain, ask for Mordecai the Jew,
and give him those things, and go before his horse and proclaim
accordingly; for thou art," said he, "my intimate friend, and hast given
me good advice; be thou then the minister of what thou hast advised me
to. This shall be his reward from us, for preserving my life." When he
heard this order, which was entirely unexpected, he was confounded in
his mind, and knew not what to do. However, he went out and led the
horse, and took the purple garment, and the golden chain for the neck,
and finding Mordecai before the court, clothed in sackcloth, he bid him
put that garment off, and put the purple garment on. But Mordecai, not
knowing the truth of the matter, but thinking that it was done in
mockery, said, "O thou wretch, the vilest of all mankind, dost thou thus
laugh at our calamities?" But when he was satisfied that the king
bestowed this honor upon him, for the deliverance he had procured him
when he convicted the eunuchs who had conspired against him, he put on
that purple garment which the king always wore, and put the chain about
his neck, and got on horseback, and went round the city, while Haman
went before and proclaimed, "This shall be the reward which the king
will bestow on every one whom he loves, and esteems worthy of honor."
And when they had gone round the city, Mordecai went in to the king; but
Haman went home, out of shame, and informed his wife and friends of what
had happened, and this with tears; who said, that he would never be able
to be revenged of Mordecai, for that God was with him.

11. Now while these men were thus talking one to another, Esther's
eunuchs hastened Haman away to come to supper; but one of the eunuchs,
named Sabuchadas, saw the gallows that was fixed in Haman's house, and
inquired of one of his servants for what purpose they had prepared it.
So he knew that it was for the queen's uncle, because Haman was about to
petition the king that he might be punished; but at present he held his
peace. Now when the king, with Haman, were at the banquet, he desired
the queen to tell him what gifts she desired to obtain, and assured her
that she should have whatsoever she had a mind to. She then lamented the
danger her people were in; and said that "she and her nation were given
up to be destroyed, and that she, on that account, made this her
petition; that she would not have troubled him if he had only given
order that they should be sold into bitter servitude, for such a
misfortune would not have been intolerable; but she desired that they
might be delivered from such destruction." And when the king inquired of
her whom was the author of this misery to them, she then openly accused
Haman, and convicted him, that he had been the wicked instrument of
this, and had formed this plot against them. When the king was hereupon
in disorder, and was gone hastily out of the banquet into the gardens,
Haman began to intercede with Esther, and to beseech her to forgive him,
as to what he had offended, for he perceived that he was in a very bad
case. And as he had fallen upon the queen's bed, and was making
supplication to her, the king came in, and being still more provoked at
what he saw, "O thou wretch," said he, "thou vilest of mankind, dost
thou aim to force in wife?" And when Haman was astonished at this, and
not able to speak one word more, Sabuchadas the eunuch came in and
accused Haman, and said, He found a gallows at his house, prepared for
Mordecai; for that the servant told him so much upon his inquiry, when
he was sent to him to call him to supper. He said further, that the
gallows was fifty cubits high: which, when the king heard, he determined
that Haman should be punished after no other manner than that which had
been devised by him against Mordecai; so he gave order immediately that
he should be hung upon those gallows, and be put to death after that
manner. And from hence I cannot forbear to admire God, and to learn
hence his wisdom and his justice, not only in punishing the wickedness
of Haman, but in so disposing it, that he should undergo the very same
punishment which he had contrived for another; as also because thereby
he teaches others this lesson, that what mischiefs any one prepares
against another, he, without knowing of it, first contrives it against
himself.

12. Wherefore Haman, who had immoderately abused the honor he had from
the king, was destroyed after this manner, and the king granted his
estate to the queen. He also called for Mordecai, [for Esther had
informed him that she was akin to him,] and gave that ring to Mordecai
which he had before given to Haman. The queen also gave Haman's estate
to Mordecai; and prayed the king to deliver the nation of the Jews from
the fear of death, and showed him what had been written over all the
country by Haman the son of Ammedatha; for that if her country were
destroyed, and her countrymen were to perish, she could not bear to live
herself any longer. So the king promised her that he would not do any
thing that should be disagreeable to her, nor contradict what she
desired; but he bid her write what she pleased about the Jews, in the
king's name, and seal it with his seal, and send it to all his kingdom,
for that those who read epistles whose authority is secured by having
the king's seal to them, would no way contradict what was written
therein. So he commanded the king's scribes to be sent for, and to write
to the nations, on the Jews' behalf, and to his lieutenants and
governors, that were over his hundred twenty and seven provinces, from
India to Ethiopia. Now the contents of this epistle were these: "The
great king Artaxerxes to our rulers, and those that are our faithful
subjects, sendeth greeting. 19 Many men there are who, on account of the
greatness of the benefits bestowed on them, and because of the honor
which they have obtained from the wonderful kind treatment of those that
bestowed it, are not only injurious to their inferiors, but do not
scruple to do evil to those that have been their benefactors, as if they
would take away gratitude from among men, and by their insolent abuse of
such benefits as they never expected, they turn the abundance they have
against those that are the authors of it, and suppose they shall lie
concealed from God in that case, and avoid that vengeance which comes
from him. Some of these men, when they have had the management of
affairs committed to them by their friends, and bearing private malice
of their own against some others, by deceiving those that have the
power, persuade them to be angry at such as have done them no harm, till
they are in danger of perishing, and this by laying accusations and
calumnies: nor is this state of things to be discovered by ancient
examples, or such as we have learned by report only, but by some
examples of such impudent attempts under our own eyes; so that it is not
fit to attend any longer to calumnies and accusations, nor to the
persuasions of others, but to determine what any one knows of himself to
have been really done, and to punish what justly deserves it, and to
grant favors to such as are innocent. This hath been the case of Haman,
the son of Ammedatha, by birth an Amalekite, and alien from the blood of
the Persians, who, when he was hospitably entertained by us, and partook
of that kindness which we bear to all men to so great a degree, as to be
called my father, and to be all along worshipped, and to have honor paid
him by all in the second rank after the royal honor due to ourselves, he
could not bear his good fortune, nor govern the magnitude of his
prosperity with sound reason; nay, he made a conspiracy against me and
my life, who gave him his authority, by endeavoring to take away
Mordecai, my benefactor, and my savior, and by basely and treacherously
requiring to have Esther, the partner of my life, and of my dominion,
brought to destruction; for he contrived by this means to deprive me of
my faithful friends, and transfer the government to others: 20 but since
I perceived that these Jews, that were by this pernicious fellow devoted
to destruction, were not wicked men, but conducted their lives after the
best manner, and were men dedicated to the worship of that God who hath
preserved the kingdom to me and to my ancestors, I do not only free them
from the punishment which the former epistle, which was sent by Haman,
ordered to be inflicted on them, to which if you refuse obedience, you
shall do well; but I will that they have all honor paid to them.
Accordingly, I have hanged up the man that contrived such things against
them, with his family, before the gates of Shushan; that punishment
being sent upon him by God, who seeth all things. And I give you in
charge, that you publicly propose a copy of this epistle through all my
kingdom, that the Jews may be permitted peaceably to use their own laws,
and that you assist them, that at the same season whereto their
miserable estate did belong, they may defend themselves the very same
day from unjust violence, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which
is Adar; for God hath made that day a day of salvation instead of a day
of destruction to them; and may it be a good day to those that wish us
well, and a memorial of the punishment of the conspirators against us:
and I will that you take notice, that every city, and every nation, that
shall disobey any thing that is contained in this epistle, shall be
destroyed by fire and sword. However, let this epistle be published
through all the country that is under our obedience, and let all the
Jews, by all means, be ready against the day before mentioned, that they
may avenge themselves upon their enemies."

13. Accordingly, the horsemen who carried the epistles proceeded on the
ways which they were to go with speed: but as for Mordecai, as soon as
he had assumed the royal garment, and the crown of gold, and had put the
chain about his neck, he went forth in a public procession; and when the
Jews who were at Shushan saw him in so great honor with the king, they
thought his good fortune was common to themselves also, and joy and a
beam of salvation encompassed the Jews, both those that were in the
cities, and those that were in the countries, upon the publication of
the king's letters, insomuch that many even of other nations circumcised
their foreskin for fear of the Jews, that they might procure safety to
themselves thereby; for on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month,
which according to the Hebrews is called Adar, but according to the
Macedonians, Dystrus, those that carried the king's epistle gave them
notice, that the same day wherein their danger was to have been, on that
very day should they destroy their enemies. But now the rulers of the
provinces, and the tyrants, and the kings, and the scribes, had the Jews
in esteem; for the fear they were in of Mordecai forced them to act with
discretion. Now when the royal decree was come to all the country that
was subject to the king, it fell out that the Jews at Shushan slew five
hundred of their enemies; and when the king had told Esther the number
of those that were slain in that city, but did not well know what had
been done in the provinces, he asked her whether she would have any
thing further done against them, for that it should be done accordingly:
upon which she desired that the Jews might be permitted to treat their
remaining enemies in the same manner the next day; as also that they
might hang the ten sons of Haman upon the gallows. So the king permitted
the Jews so to do, as desirous not to contradict Esther. So they
gathered themselves together again on the fourteenth day of the month
Dystrus, and slew about three hundred of their enemies, but touched
nothing of what riches they had. Now there were slain by the Jews that
were in the country, and in the other cities, seventy-five thousand of
their enemies, and these were slain on the thirteenth day of the month,
and the next day they kept as a festival. In like manner the Jews that
were in Shushan gathered themselves together, and feasted on the
fourteenth day, and that which followed it; whence it is that even now
all the Jews that are in the habitable earth keep these days festival,
and send portions to one another. Mordecai also wrote to the Jews that
lived in the kingdom of Artaxerxes to observe these days, and celebrate
them as festivals, and to deliver them down to posterity, that this
festival might continue for all time to come, and that it might never be
buried in oblivion; for since they were about to be destroyed on these
days by Haman, they would do a right thing, upon escaping the danger in
them, and on them inflicting punishment on their enemies, to observe
those days, and give thanks to God on them; for which cause the Jews
still keep the forementioned days, and call them days of Phurim (or
Purim.) 21 And Mordecai became a great and illustrious person with the
king, and assisted him in the government of the people. He also lived
with the queen; so that the affairs of the Jews were, by their means,
better than they could ever have hoped for. And this was the state of
the Jews under the reign of Artaxerxes.