V.V. Esther

[Doug Millison]

Pynchon's choice of Esther as his stereotypical Jewish "Material" girl is
interesting. A Jewish heroine of 
the Old Testament, a heroine of the Babylonian Captivity, she was a wife of
Xerxes I (Achashverout in Hebrew).  She and her relative, Mordechai, came to
know of a plan by which Xerxes' Vizier (administrator) Haman by name, was
going to conduct a progrom to steal the wealth the Jews had accumulated in
their captive frugality.  Esther got Xerxes to see Haman's evil intent and
prevented a pogrom.  So the name Esther comes freighted with all this to 
anyone who knows their Old Testament: she was a Holocaust preventer, which
got her a book of the Bible and an annual holiday.  

http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?passage=Esther&version=NIV&showfn=yes&showx
ref=yes&language=english

for the Holocaust parallel, see especially Chapter 3,
 
http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?passage=ESTH+3&language=english&version=NIV
&showfn=on

5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was
enraged. 
6 Yet having learned who Mordecai's people were, he scorned the idea of
killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all
Mordecai's people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes. 
7 In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of
Nisan, they cast the pur (that is, the lot) in the presence of Haman to
select a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of
Adar. 
8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, "There is a certain people dispersed and
scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose
customs are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the
king's laws; it is not in the king's best interest to tolerate them. 
9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will
put ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury for the men who
carry out this business." 
10 So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son
of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 
11 "Keep the money," the king said to Haman, "and do with the people as you
please."
12 Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were
summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language
of each people all Haman's orders to the king's satraps, the governors of
the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were
written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring.
13 Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with the
order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews--young and old, women and
little children--on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month,
the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.

and for all you alternative 20th century history fans, see Chapter 8
http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?passage=ESTH+8&language=english&version=NIV
&showfn=on

5 "If it pleases the king," she said, "and if he regards me with favor and
thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order
be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the
Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces.
6  For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to
see the destruction of my family?"
7 King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Because
Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have
hanged him on the gallows.
8 Now write another decree in the king's name in behalf of the Jews as seems
best to you, and seal it with the king's signet ring--for no document
written in the king's name and sealed with his ring can be revoked."
9 At once the royal secretaries were summoned--on the twenty-third day of
the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai's orders to
the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces
stretching from India to Cush. These orders were written in the script of
each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their
own script and language.
10 Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the
king's signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses
especially bred for the king.
11 The king's edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and
protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate any armed force of any
nationality or province that might attack them and their women and children;
and to plunder the property of their enemies.
12 The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King
Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
13 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province
and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be
ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
14 The couriers, riding the royal horses, raced out, spurred on by the
king's command. And the edict was also issued in the citadel of Susa.
15 Mordecai left the king's presence wearing royal garments of blue and
white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city
of Susa held a joyous celebration.
16 For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor.
17 In every province and in every city, wherever the edict of the king went,
there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating.
And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews
had seized them.