Josippon

Only in the days of Ahasuerus was the memory of Judah nearly lost from the entire realm of Persia through the hatred of one Amalekite named Haman, who stole the heart of King Ahasuerus. Ahasuerus gave Haman license to act as he wished throughout the kingdom, even to wipe out the memory of Judah from the entire Persian realm, because Mordecai, a Jew of the nobles of Benjamin, did not rise before him. These were the patricians, Benjaminite heroes, who accompanied their king, Saul, on the field of Amalek and delivered Amalek a mighty and powerful blow all the way from Havilah unto Shur, a land of many days' journey. They slew more than five hundred thousand dead of the Amalekite people, all destroyed in King Saul's war against the Amalekite people; verily he slaughtered souls throughout the land of Amalek: men, women, and children, more than a hundred myriads in all. This is why this man, Haman, preserved a hatred against the Jews and especially against the tribe of Benjamin.

In those days, while Mordecai was sitting within the king's gate, he heard two of the king's eunuchs, gatekeepers, whispering as they plotted against the king, to kill him in bed and cut off his head and to bring King Ahasuerus's head to the king of Makedon, for the nation of Makedon was stirred up against the kingdom of Persia. These are the names of the eunuchs: Bigthan and Teresh. When Mordecai told Esther and she told the king, the king ordered to record in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Persia Mordecai's faithfulness and the extent of his service that he had rendered to the king. After the eunuchs were beaten and hung on a tree, Haman became exceedingly angry that his aides were killed; so Haman sought to extirpate all the seed of Judah from under the heavens.

Mordecai understood Haman's intent, and he recalled the dream that he foresaw in the second year of King Ahasuerus's reign. He saw in the dream a loud and noisome din and a sound of thunder and the noise of terror throughout the entire land and fear and trembling among all its inhabitants. Two great dragons were calling each other to war, and all the nations of the earth ran to their sound. And behold, between them was a little people, and all those nations rose against this little nation to wipe out its memory from off the earth. That day was a day of darkness and gloom for the entire world; the little people was greatly anguished, and it cried out unto God. The dragons fought against each other with savage cruelty, and none could intervene or separate them. Mordecai saw a tiny spring of water passing between the two dragons, separating them from each other and from the fighting in which they were engaged. The spring grew and grew, and it became a gushing stream, like the great sea's stream that floods the entire land; he saw the sun shining upon the land, and there was light throughout the world; and that little people was exalted while the haughty were brought low, and peace and truth were established throughout the world.

From that day hence, Mordecai kept secret the dream that he saw. But when Haman oppressed him, Mordecai said to Queen Esther, his cousin: "Behold the dream that I told to you in your youth has arrived. Arise now and ask for mercy from the Lord of mercy, go to Ahasuerus and present your beauty before him, and stand up for your people and your family."

Mordecai the Jew prayed and said: "Let it be well known to the throne of Your glory, Lord of the entire universe, that it was not because my heart is haughty or my eyes proud that I did not bow down to this Amalekite, Haman, rather due to my fear of You that I challenged him by not bowing down to him, for I feared You, Lord of the Universe, and I could not give the honor due You to flesh and blood, and I did not want to bow down to anyone but You. For who am I that I should not bow down to Haman? For the salvation of Israel, I would have licked the shoe on his foot and the dust he treads. And now our God, save us from his hand, let him fall into the pit that he dug and be entrapped in the snare that he laid for the feet of Your pious, and let all know that You did not forget the vow that You swore to our fathers. For You did not send us into exile because of weakness, because You could not deliver us, but rather because of our sins we were sold and for our transgressions we were exiled, for we sinned against You. And now our God, powerful to deliver, deliver us from his hand, for we are greatly oppressed, and our eyes are upon You; to You we will flee to shield us and to stand in battle to fight for us against those who rise against us, and pray remember that we are Your inheritance, for ever since You divided the inheritance to the nations and separated the sons of man, we became Your lot, for the lot that You have cast fell upon us and we became Your chosen. And now our God, why should our enemies say that they have no God, and they should open their mouths to swallow Your portion and praise their idols and vanities. Please, our God, deliver us and let them be ashamed of their idols and vanities; let them cover their mouth when they see Your salvation, God, and have mercy upon Your people and upon Your portion; do not close the mouths of those who praise You and who profess the unity of Your Name evening and morning forever. Turn our mourning into gladness and joy; let us live and give praise for the good deliverance that You deliver us." And all the people of Israel cried out together to God on account of the oppression and trouble that Haman, son of Hamdatha the Amalekite, tormented them.

Esther, the queen, fled to God for she feared the coming evil. She removed her royal clothing and the ornaments of her splendor; she donned sackcloth and disheveled the hairs of her head, covering them with ashes and dust, and she tormented herself with fasting; she fell upon her face and prayed and said: "Lord God of Israel, who has reigned since the beginning of time and is the creator and maker of the world and ruler over it, help Your servant who is alone, who has none to help her except You. Alone have I lived here, and alone am I in the king's house, without father or mother. As a poor orphan seeks charity from house to house, so I have sought Your mercy from window to window in the house of King Ahasuerus from the day I was taken here unto this very day. Now, Lord, here is my soul, take it if it pleases You, and if you do not wish to take it, save Your flock from these lions that have risen against them. For my father taught me and told me how You took our fathers from Egypt and killed all the firstborn of Egypt. You have led Your people away from them with a mighty hand; with outstretched arm you brought them across the sea as a horse in the wilderness. You gave them bread from heaven and water from the flint rock, and meat to satiety You gave them. You smote great and noble kings before them, and how You bequeathed them Your good land. When our fathers sinned against Your great Name, You gave them into captivity, and behold, we are in exile unto this day. My father also told me how You spoke through Your servant Moses: 'Yet for all that when they are in the land of their enemies I will not cast them away,' etc. And now it is not only do they make us work hard, but they also say that it was not You who delivered us into their hands but thank their idols, and unto them they bow down, saying: 'You have delivered the Jews into our hands.' Therefore I, your servant, have abhorred them and detested them with a great hate. Just as a man loathes the menstrual rag, so I loathe my regal clothes and the royal crown upon my head, and I have not known joy from the day they brought me here except in you. Now my Lord, Father of orphans, support this orphan who trusts in You and give me mercy when I come before this man Ahasuerus, for I fear him as a kid fears a lion; humble him along with all his advisers and let him be meek and submissive before me through the charm and beauty that You give me, my God; put it in his heart to hate our enemies and love Your servants, for the heart of kings is in Your hand. Lord, mighty and terrible and sublime, deliver us from the terror that I fear and that frightens me; let me come to him in Your name and leave him safely."

On the third day, Esther donned the clothes of her beauty and the ornaments of her splendor, and she took with her two of her servants. She placed her right hand upon one servant for support, as was the royal custom, and the other servant walked behind her mistress and supported her ornaments, lest the gold and the variety of precious jewels she wore touch the ground. She put on a joyful visage to cover the anxiety in her soul. She entered the inner court before the king and stood opposite him. The king was sitting upon his throne in royal garb, a gold vest shining bright upon him, with glittering emerald and turquoise and all the jewels of his splendor upon his garb. He raised his eyes and beheld Esther standing opposite him, and his anger burned against her that she had breached his law for coming before him without summons. When Esther raised her eyes, she saw the king's face, his eyes ablaze with the flame of the anger that filled his heart. The woman recognized the king's anger and his wrath; she was frightened, and her spirit grew faint, and she rested her head upon the servant who supported her right arm.

Our God saw this and took pity on the anguish of His people, and His soul was filled with compassion for the suffering of Israel and on the plight of the orphan girl who trusted in Him. He gave her grace in the king's eyes and added beauty to her beauty and magnificence to her fairness. The king rose with great haste from his throne and ran to Esther, embraced her, and kissed her and supported her with his arm. He said to her: "What is this fear of yours, Queen Esther, for this law of ours does not apply to you as queen, my companion, my wife." He took the gold scepter and placed it in her hand and said to her: "Why would you not speak to me?" And Esther said: "I beheld you, my lord, and my soul was frightened before your glory and before the grandeur of your splendor." As she spoke, she put her head once again upon the servant, for her soul was exhausted from the fast and her distress. The king was quite alarmed, and he wept before his wife, and all the servants of the king beseeched the queen, when they beheld the sorrow of their lord, to speak unto the king to gladden his spirit.

After these events, God worked great deliverance through the hands of Esther, the queen, and Mordecai the Benjaminite: they hanged Haman and his ten sons on a tree and slew by sword all those who sought evil against Israel. Mordecai was exalted from that day hence in the house of King Ahasuerus; and our fathers served in peace and quiet all the kings of Persia until Darius the second was king.