Understanding Purim
Written by Alisa Davis
Purim is the Jewish festival that happens in the early spring before the Holy Days of Passover, First Fruits, and the Feast of Weeks. Sometimes called the “Jewish Halloween” it is easy to think that there is not much more to the holiday that centers around the book of Esther than costumes, sweets, and noisy revelry. Like Hannukah, Purim is a holiday that was added to the Holy Days commanded by God as a result of identity defining events in Jewish history. But while Hannukah can be linked to well documented historical events it is not so with the book of Esther.
One of my personal favorite books of the Bible growing up I would read the story of Esther over and over, like a good novel. I read fictional adaptations of the book and even did a report in my High School history class on which historical figures may be the ones referenced in the story. I loved the high drama and girl power; I could relate to Esther as a God-fearing woman in a way I couldn’t relate to all the countless men in scriptures. The book of Esther did what all good stories should do, it inspired me and gave me a hero in scripture that I could look up to.
But there is a great deal of doubt about the historicity of the book of Esther. It cannot be definitively linked to any known King of Persia and there is no evidence for the events or people outside of the book itself. “The Book of Esther does not feature among the Dead Sea Scrolls (spanning 150 BCE – 70 CE) and references to Purim do not feature in the Jewish literature before the 1st century CE [1].” However, the festival was well established by the 2nd century CE with defined customs for its observance. One theory is that the book is a Hellenistic era adaptation of a Persian folk festival and legend that had been adopted into the culture. Just as there are numerous versions of “Cinderella” that have been retold and adapted for different cultures, the book of Esther may be a Jewish adaptation of an ancient Persian story. It has been pointed out that there are similarities between the names of the Persian gods Marduk and Ishtar and their rival gods Uman and Mashti to the names of the central characters of the book of Esther. It is also suggested that the themes of persecution, genocide, and ultimate triumph over their persecutors may stem from the reigns of Xerxes and his grandson Artaxerxes where there was a great deal of prejudice against, and attempts to wipe out, the worshipers of Marduk and Ishtar [2]. The story of the persecution of a religious minority by the political powers of the world would have resonated deeply with the Jews of the 1st and 2nd centuries who were fighting tooth and nail to maintain their identity in the face of the unstoppable Roman Empire. The story of Esther formed a pattern of resistance and rescue that the Jewish people could cling to in their most desperate hour, and this is the entire point of the book and the festival of Purim.
Michael Austin compares the stories of Esther and Daniel to superhero stories where their strength comes not from assimilation, like Superman, but from clinging to their culture and heritage. Whereas Superman’s greatest weakness was the remnants of his home (and culture) Jewish superheroes are victorious over their enemies when they become more Jewish and embrace their identity [3]. Jewish teaching says “Haman’s edict catalyzed a spiritual revival among the Jews. In a sense, this was even more significant than the Covenant at Sinai—an overwhelming spiritual experience that compelled the Jews to accept the Torah—since it occurred of their own volition, even as they were scattered among the Persian people and immersed in their culture [4].” Chabad.org compares it to a Princess trapped in a tower, a Prince comes along, defeats the dragon and offers the Princess rescue. This is like Sinai where the events were so dramatic, the rescue so great, that Israel could do nothing but accept God’s offer of the covenant. Later, after the Princess has lived in freedom for a while with the Prince he asks to marry her, she now chooses of her own volition to stay with the Prince and be his bride. This is compared to the story of Purim where the Jewish people had the freedom to choose – assimilate and quietly blend in, or cling tighter to the things that make them visibly and obviously different. Just as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did. This is the struggle that Jews of the 1st and 2nd century faced, and the book of Esther provided them with the inspiration and hope that rescue would come to those who were faithful to God.
Romans 8:28 says “and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” and we can see this play out in real history in the case of Purim. Whether the book of Esther and the festival of Purim are of ancient historical origin or a more recent legend, God has provided very real rescue for the Jewish people that follows in the pattern established by the book of Esther, special scrolls have been created by various Jewish communities that recount their own “Purim” rescue. There have also been dramatic rescues on the day of Purim itself; Joseph Stalin, who had plans to deal with the “Jewish problem” with another holocaust died on Purim, saving the lives of all the Jews living in the USSR. When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait the Jewish communities were terrified but after U.S. troops attacked Iraq hostilities ended on the day of Purim [4].
Christ most likely never celebrated Purim on earth but our Heavenly Father clearly honors it. As Christ’s disciples we can learn from the holiday and celebrate it along side our Jewish siblings; “The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year; And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.” (Esther 9:27-28) When we take the name of Christ upon ourselves, we chose, like the Princess, to voluntarily align ourselves with the Prince of Heaven, this will draw the attention of the evil forces of this world who seek to destroy what is most precious to our Father. Will we try to blend in, or will we cling more stubbornly to what makes us a “peculiar people”, will we trust our God even in the face of certain failure, will we risk our lives to stand up against prejudice and hate, will we aid those in distress?
This Purim (evening of March 14 through March 15, 2025) take time to invite your friends over for food and hamantaschen (jelly filled cookies), read the “whole megillah” of the book of Esther together – cheer for Mordechai and drown out the name of Haman with noise, and wear costumes. Celebrate and love what makes us different from the rest of the world and rehearse what happens when we put our full trust in our God.
References
- Tahan, Ilana. “The Book of Esther and the Jewish Festival Purim.” British Library, 9 Mar. 2017, blogs.bl.uk/asian-and-african/2017/03/the-book-of-esther-and-the-jewish-festival-purim.html#:~:text=According%20to%20recent%20research%20the,consort%20created%20a%20new%20problem. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
- Preschel , Richard. “Purim and Its Origins.” Edu, www.academia.edu/104696618/Purim_and_its_origins.
- Austin, Michael. ““If I Perish, I Perish”–The Superheroes of Non-Assimilation.” By Common Consent, 27 Nov. 2018, bycommonconsent.com/2018/11/27/if-i-perish-i-perish-the-superheroes-of-non-assimilation-bccsundayschool2016/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
- “What Is Purim.” Chabad, www.chabad.org/holidays/purim/article_cdo/aid/645309/jewish/What-Is-Purim.htm. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
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