1. Opening the Scriptures! Three Year Study thru the Bible Daily Reading - Bookmark available in the back Weekly Study – on Wednesday nights at 6:30 This week: Esther Jesus expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself … And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures Luke 24:27,45

2. 16 yrs 580540500440420480460490470450430410590510520530550560570 Zedekiah Babylonian Captivity Judah taken captive 586bc 536 bc 1 st Return Under Zerubbabel 458 bc 2 nd Return Under Ezra 445 bc 3rd Return Under Nehemiah Ezra 1- 6 Ezra 7-10 Esther 42 yrs 142 yrs 92 yrs 14 yrs

4. Persian Empire INDEX Persian Empire PersianEmpire Israel Egypt Mediterranean Shushan

5. IRAN IRAQ SYRIA Jordan SHUSHAN Babylon Israel Modern Day Map Saudi Arabia

6. NAME Date B.C. Persian NameBible NameBible Background Cyrus539-530KoorushCyrusIsaiah 45, Daniel, Ezra 1-3 Cambysses530-521CambujiehAhasruerusEzra 4-6 Pseudo Smerdis521Berooyeh DoroughiArtaxerxesEzra 4:7-23 Darius the Great521-486DarryooshDariusEzra 5,6 Xerxes486-465KhashayarshahAhasurerusEsther 1-10 Artaxerxes I464-423Ardeshier Deraz DastArtaxerxesNehemiah 1 - 13, Ezra 7-10 Persian Rulers

8. The Feast of Esther!