2. ESTHER 17 th Book of the Bible 10 Chapters 167 Verses Name of God is never mentioned, Only book in the Bible that can claim this Author is not known– Likely candidates include Ezra, Mordecai Book takes place in Persia after captivity

3. ESTHER GENERAL OUTLINE-3 FEASTS FEAST OF AHASUERUS---CHAPTERS 1 AND 2 FEAST OF ESTHER---CHAPTERS 3- 7 FEAST OF PURIM---CHAPTERS 8-10

4. CHAPTER 1 INTRO TO AHASUERUS—PERSIAN KING HAS A FEAST LASTING 180 DAYS (6 MONTHS) FOLLOWS THIS FEAST WITH ANOTHER LASTING 7 DAYS INTRO TO VASHTI HIS QUEEN, SHE HAS HER OWN FEAST WITH THE LADIES KING CALLS FOR VASHTI WHO REFUSES ON 7 TH DAY MUST PUNISH VASHTI OR ALL WOMEN WILL DISOBEY VASHTI WILL BE REPLACED WITH ONE BETTER THAN SHE vs 19 LETTERS SENT THROUGHOUT INVITING PARTICIPANTS

5. CHAPTER 2 YOUNG VIRGINS ARE SOUGHT TO AUDITION AND BROUGHT TO THE KINGS CHAMBERLAIN INTRO TO MORDECAI—A BENJAMITE- WHO WAS BROUGHT OVER IN CAPTIVITY INTRO TO ESTHER—HIS COUSIN WHO HE RAISED ESTHER PLEASES THE KING, DOESN’T REVEAL HER KINDRED, IS PURIFIED FOR ONE YEAR ESTHER IS CHOSEN BY KING, HE MAKES HER A FEAST TO CELEBRATE MORDECAI WHO SAT AT THE GATE DAILY HEARS A PLOT AGAINST THE KING

6. CHAPTER 3 INTRO OF HAMAN, PROMOTION OF HAMAN MORDECAI REFUSES TO BOW/ HAMAN’S WRATH HAMAN’S PLOT TO GET EVEN, THE REWARD THE LAW WRITTEN TO DESTROY THE JEWS ON THE 13 TH DAY OF THE 12 TH MONTH

7. CHAPTER 4 MORDECAI AND THE PEOPLE MOURN FOR THE PASSING OF THE DECREE ESTHER HEARS OF THE WEEPING OF HER PEOPLE, SEEKS TO FIND OUT WHY MORDECAI’S INSTRUCTION TO ESTHER ESTHER’S FEAR AND MORDECAI’S ENCOURAGEMENT “FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS” THE 3 DAY FAST

8. CHAPTER 5 ON THE THIRD DAY ESTHER PRESENTS HERSELF ESTHER INVITES KING AND HAMAN TO BANQUET AGAIN HAMAN GLOWS GOING HOME BUT SEES MORDECAI HAMAN’S CELEBRATION ZERESH’S IDEA OF A 50 CUBIT GALLOW

9. CHAPTER 6 KING IS RESTLESS NIGHT BEFORE BANQUET, BRING THE BOOKS, READS OF MORDECAI’S DEED HAMAN CALLED IN BEFORE THE KING AND THINKS HE IS BEING REWARDED HAMAN’S PLAN TO REWARD HIMSELF HAMAN FOLLOWS THROUGH ON KINGS REQUEST HAMAN GOES HOME, WIFE PREDICTS HIS FALL HAMAN BROUGHT TO BANQUET

10. CHAPTER 7 THE BANQUET, THE KING ASK ESTHER HER REQUEST ESTHER’S REQUEST AND HER ACCUSATION KING LEAVES, HAMAN PLEAS FOR HIS LIFE KING RETURNS TO FIND HAMAN ON BED, SENTENCES HIM TO DEATH ON HIS OWN GALLOWS

11. CHAPTER 8 MORDECAI PRESENTED TO KING AND REPLACES HAMAN ESTHER’S PLEA FOR HER PEOPLE KING ALLOWS NEW LETTER TO GO OUT THE JEWS ROLE REVERSAL FROM PERSECUTED TO DELIGHT

12. CHAPTER 9+10 MORDECAI’S FAME SPREADS HAMAN’S TEN SONS KILLED AND MANY OTHER ENEMIES OF THE JEWS ESTHER’S NEW REQUEST FEAST OF PURIM INSTITUTED ON 14 TH and 15 th DAY OF 12 TH MONTH AND CELEBRATED YEARLY BOOK ENDS WITH MORDECAI PROMOTING PEACE FROM #2 POSITION IN THE KINGDOM AND JEWS BEING BLESSED

13. CHAPTER 10