Esther Through the Centuries

This interdisciplinary commentary ranges from early midrashic interpretation to contemporary rewritings introducing interpretations of the only biblical book not to mention God. Unearths a wealth of neglected rewritings inspired by the story’s relevance to themes of nationhood, rebellion, providence, revenge, female heroism, Jewish identity, exile, genocide and ‘multiculturalism’Reveals the various struggles and strategies used by religious commentators to make sense of this only biblical book that does not mention GodAsks why Esther is underestimated by contemporary feminist scholars despite a long history of subversive rewritingsCompares the most influential Jewish and Christian interpretations and interpretersIncludes an introduction to the book’s myriad representations in literature, music, and artPublished in the reception-history series, Blackwell Bible CommentariesContent: Chapter 1 Esther 1:1–9 (pages 52–67): Chapter 2 Esther 1:10–22 (pages 68–92): Chapter 3 Esther 2:1–7 (pages 93–108): Chapter 4 Esther 2:8–23 (pages 109–132): Chapter 5 Esther 3 (pages 133–159): Chapter 6 Esther 4:1–14 (pages 160–175): Chapter 7 Esther 4:15–17 (pages 176–191): Chapter 8 Esther 5 (pages 192–220): Chapter 9 Esther 6 (pages 221–232): Chapter 10 Esther 7 and 8 (pages 233–253): Chapter 11 Esther 9 and 10 (pages 254–279):