Reading for September 7th

 Read Esther 2.1-11. In 2.1-11: Esther and Mordecai. In verses 2-4: While according to Herodotus the Persian king could only marry from seven noble families, this  account explains how a commoner, a Jewish one at that, could marry into royalty. In verses 5-6: The name Mordecai is similar to that of the Babylonian god Marduk. Shimei, Kish, and Benjaminite provide verbal links to King Saul (1 Sam 9.1; 2 Sam 16.5-8). The Hebrew reads that Mordecai was carried away by the Babylonians, making him over  100 years old. The NRSV suggests, instead, that Kish was carried into exile. In verse 7: Hadassah, the Jewish name, means "myrtle." Esther sounds similar to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. In verses 8-11: Like Joseph (Gen 39.3) and Daniel (Dan 1.9), Esther wins favor in the royal court and is aided by a royal servant. Apparently Jewish identity was not obvious, and there is no mention of Esther's attempts at religious observances like kosher food regulations. Comments or Questions..