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72-542: In the narrative of the Book of Esther, Haman was a proud and ambitious man who demanded that everyone bow down to him as a sign of respect. However, a Jewish man named Mordecai refused to bow down to him, which enraged Haman. Seeking revenge, Haman convinced the king to issue a decree that all Jews in the Persian empire be killed. Haman's plot was foiled by Queen Esther , who was also Jewish and had concealed her identity from

144-475: A patibulum , used elsewhere to describe the cross-piece in crucifixion, when describing the fate of Haman: suspensus est itaque Aman in patibulo quod paraverat Mardocheo , 'therefore was Haman suspended on the patibulum he prepared for Mordechai'. In the corner of the Sistine Chapel ceiling is a depiction in fresco of the execution of Haman by Michelangelo ; Haman is shown crucified in

216-527: A prophet . Some talmudic scholars such as Nachman b. Yaakov have suggested that Mordecai is the Biblical prophet Malachi , but this argument is rejected by consensus and certain interpretations of the Talmud . Mordecai's genealogy in the second chapter of the Book of Esther is given as a descendant of a Benjaminite named Kish. As "Kish" was also the name of the father of King Saul , another Benjaminite,

288-508: A concubine of Eliphaz the son of Esau ". There are apparently several generations omitted between Agag , who was executed by Samuel the prophet in the time of King Saul , and Amalek, who lived several hundred years earlier. According to the Midrash Abba Gorion , Haman was also called Memucan , because he was "destined for punishment". In Rabbinic tradition , Haman is considered to be an archetype of evil and persecutor of

360-620: A descendant of ʿÔrebtî (also ʿÔrǝbtāʾ she-raven ), apparently patriarch of a major Nehardea n house. TgEsth1 and TgEsth3 call him "Haman the son of Hamedatha, descended from Agag the son of Amaleq." The Targum Sheni gives Haman's lineage as follows: "Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, son of Khada, son of Kuza, son of Alipilot, son of Dios, son of Diosos, son of Peros, son of Ma'dan, son of Bala'qan, son of Antimiros, son of Hadrus, son of Shegar, son of Negar, son of Parmashta, son of Vaizatha, son of Agag, son of Sumqar, son of Amalek , son of

432-497: A distinct literary genre. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica , "Midrash was initially a philological method of interpreting the literal meaning of biblical texts. In time it developed into a sophisticated interpretive system that reconciled apparent biblical contradictions, established the scriptural basis of new laws, and enriched biblical content with new meaning. Midrashic creativity reached its peak in

504-422: A gallows for Mordecai, assuring him that this was the only way in which he would be able to prevail over his enemy, for hitherto the just had always been rescued from every other kind of death. As God foresaw that Haman himself would be hanged on the gallows, he asked which tree would volunteer to serve as the instrument of death. Each tree, declaring that it was used for some holy purpose, objected to being soiled by

576-421: A handful of lines in the Biblical narrative may become a long philosophical discussion Jacob Neusner distinguishes three midrash processes: Numerous Jewish midrashim previously preserved in manuscript form have been published in print, including those denominated as smaller or minor midrashim. Bernard H. Mehlman and Seth M. Limmer deprecate this usage claiming that the term "minor" seems judgmental and "small"

648-540: A historicized Babylonian myth or ritual in which Mordecai and Esther represent the Babylonian gods Marduk and Ishtar , others trace the ritual to the Persian New Year , and scholars have surveyed other theories in their works. Some scholars have defended the story as real history, but others have said the attempt to find a historical kernel to the narrative "is likely to be futile". The name "Mordecai"

720-636: A liar, the Pharaoh rejected Moses' call to worship the God of Moses and refused to free the Israelite children. The Pharaoh commissioned Haman to build a tall tower using burnt bricks so that the Pharaoh could ascend and see the God of Moses. The Pharaoh, Haman, and their army in chariots pursuing Israel's fleeing children drowned in the Red Sea as the parted water closed on them. The Pharaoh's submission to God at

792-502: A manner similar to typical Catholic depictions of the crucifixion of Jesus , though the legs are parted and the apparatus resembles a natural tree shorter than fifty cubits high. Translations of the Book of Esther' s description of Haman's execution have variously treated the subject. Wycliffe's Bible referred both to a tre (tree) and a iebat (gibbet), while Coverdale's preferred galowe (gallows). The Geneva Bible used tree but

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864-560: A manner which helped to refute claims that they were only human interpretations—the argument being that, by presenting the various collections of different schools of thought, each of which relied upon close study of the text, the growing difference between early biblical law and its later rabbinic interpretation could be reconciled. Midrashim that seek to explain the non-legal portions of the Hebrew Bible are sometimes referred to as aggadah or Haggadah . Aggadic discussions of

936-513: A means of rewriting it in a way that both makes it more acceptable to later ethical standards and conforms more to later notions of plausibility. James L. Kugel , in The Bible as It Was (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1997), examines a number of early Jewish and Christian texts that comment on, expand, or re-interpret passages from the first five books of the Tanakh between

1008-574: A running commentary on specific passages in the Hebrew Scripture ( Tanakh ). The word Midrash , especially if capitalized, can refer to a specific compilation of these rabbinic writings composed between 400 and 1200 CE . According to Gary Porton and Jacob Neusner , midrash has three technical meanings: The Hebrew word midrash is derived from the root of the verb darash ( דָּרַשׁ ), which means "resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require", forms of which appear frequently in

1080-498: A sexual advance. On the king's orders, Haman was hanged from the 50- cubit -high gallows that had originally been built by Haman himself, on the advice of his wife Zeresh , in order to hang Mordecai. The bodies of Haman's 10 sons were also hanged, after they died in battle against the Jews. The Jews also killed about 75,000 of their enemies in self-defense . The apparent purpose of these unusually high gallows can be understood from

1152-412: A short snippet of Mordecai's genealogical history, generally translated as, "Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei , the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jeconiah king of Judah". The wording of the passage lends to two conclusions: either that Mordecai (the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish)

1224-523: A text. This is not limited to the traditional thirteen textual tools attributed to the Tanna Rabbi Ishmael , which are used in the interpretation of halakha (Jewish law). The presence of words or letters which are seen to be apparently superfluous, and the chronology of events, parallel narratives or what are seen as other textual "anomalies" are often used as a springboard for interpretation of segments of Biblical text. In many cases,

1296-479: Is a man's rivalry with his neighbour." (Kohelet IV, 4) . The term Midrash is also used of a rabbinic work that interprets Scripture in that manner. Such works contain early interpretations and commentaries on the Written Torah and Oral Torah (spoken law and sermons), as well as non-legalistic rabbinic literature ( aggadah ) and occasionally Jewish religious laws ( halakha ), which usually form

1368-639: Is a person mentioned and associated with pharaoh of the Exodus. Islam started up in 610 CE. McAuliffe's Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān among other sources relates "Haman" to be the Arabized form of "Ha-Amana" in Egyptian. Muhammad Asad contended that Haman is Ha-Amen as shortcut of the first few letters of title of High Priest of Amun hm.ntr in his book " The Message of The Qur'an ". However, some scholars disagree with

1440-456: Is based on pre-set assumptions about the sacred and divine nature of the text, and the belief in the legitimacy that accords with rabbinic interpretation. Although this material treats the biblical texts as the authoritative word of God, it is clear that not all of the Hebrew Bible was fixed in its wording at this time, as some verses that are cited differ from the Masoretic , and accord with

1512-546: Is characterised as evil vizier to a sultan in the " Aliyah-Din " segment of the 1994 made-for-television film Scooby-Doo! in Arabian Nights . He is featured as the primary antagonist in the 1999 South Park episode " Jewbilee ", in which he is portrayed as attempting to re-enter the mortal world in order to rule once more over the Jews. The character was depicted in the American feature film One Night with

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1584-501: Is inappropriate for midrashim some of which are lengthy. They propose instead the term "medieval midrashim", since the period of their production extended from the twilight of the rabbinic age to the dawn of the Age of Enlightenment . Generally speaking, rabbinic midrashim either focus on religious law and practice ( halakha ) or interpret biblical narrative in relation to non-legal ethics or theology, creating homilies and parables based on

1656-642: Is of uncertain origin but is considered identical to the name Marduka or Marduku ( Elamite : 𒈥𒁺𒋡 ), attested as the name of up to four Persian court officials in thirty texts (the Persepolis Administrative Archives ) from the period of Xerxes I and his father Darius. The Talmud ( Menachot 64b and 65a) relates that his full name was " Mordechai Bilshan " (which occurs in Ezra 2:2 and Nehemiah 7:7, albeit likely as two separate names in sequence). Hoschander interpreted this as

1728-488: Is referred to as an "Agagite" (Amalekite), "Gogite" (from the cursed city of Gog), "Ebugaios" (an unexplained term), and "Bugaean". These labels serve to further mark Haman as a foreigner and enemy. 4. The text suggests that Haman represents the Biblical Amalekites, the epitome of evil that God commands to be destroyed. Haman thus symbolizes the evil that the Jews must struggle against in every generation until

1800-449: Is such that the midrash is a simple lesson to the uninitiated, and a direct allusion, or analogy, to a mystical teaching for those educated in this area. A wealth of literature and artwork has been created in the 20th and 21st centuries by people aspiring to create "contemporary midrash". Forms include poetry, prose, Bibliodrama (the acting out of Bible stories), murals, masks, and music, among others. The Institute for Contemporary Midrash

1872-501: Is traditionally eaten on this day. Since the 1890s, several academics have "agreed in seeing [The Book of] Esther as a historicized myth or ritual " and generally concluded that Purim has its origin in a Babylonian or Persian myth or festival (though which one is a subject of discussion). Haman at the moment of his execution appears at the beginning of Canto 17 of Purgatorio in Dante's Divina Commedia . The image occurs in

1944-639: The King James Version established gallows and hang as the most common rendering; the Douay–Rheims Bible later used gibbet . Young's Literal Translation used tree and hang . The New International Version , Common English Bible , and New Living Translation all use impale for Hebrew : ויתלו and pole for Hebrew : העץ . Jacob Hoschander has argued that the name of Haman and that of his father Hamedatha are mentioned by Strabo as Omanus and Anadatus , worshipped with Anahita in

2016-417: The metropolis of Persia (now Iran ). He adopted his orphaned cousin (Esther 2:7), Hadassah ( Esther ), whom he brought up as if she were his own daughter. When "young virgins " were sought, she was taken into the presence of King Ahasuerus and was made queen in the place of the exiled queen Vashti . Subsequently, Mordecai discovered a plot of the king's chamberlains Bigthan and Teresh to assassinate

2088-625: The Babylonian "Marduk-belshunu" (𒀭𒀫𒌓𒂗𒋗𒉡, AMAR.UTU-EN- šu - nu , meaning " Marduk is their lord") "Mordecai" being thus a hypocorism . In the King James Version of the deuterocanonical Greek additions to Esther , his name is spelled as Mardocheus , which may better preserve the original vowels, though the Masoretic Text versions of the Persian names in the Bible are known to be the most reliable. Esther 2:5-6 contains

2160-543: The Bible. The word midrash occurs twice in the Hebrew Bible: 2 Chronicles 13:22 "in the midrash of the prophet Iddo ", and 24:27 "in the midrash of the book of the kings". Both the King James Version (KJV) and English Standard Version (ESV) translate the word as "story" in both instances; the Septuagint translates it as βιβλίον (book) in the first, as γραφή (writing) in the second. The meaning of

2232-587: The Girl who Became Queen". Mordecai Mordecai ( / ˈ m ɔːr d ɪ k aɪ , m ɔːr d ɪ ˈ k eɪ aɪ / ; also Mordechai ; Hebrew : מָרְדֳּכַי , Modern :   Mordochai , Tiberian :   Mārdoḵay , IPA: [moʁdeˈχaj] ) is one of the main personalities in the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible . He is described in Tanna Devei Eliyahu as being

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2304-457: The Hebrew word in these contexts is uncertain: it has been interpreted as referring to "a body of authoritative narratives, or interpretations thereof, concerning historically important figures" and seems to refer to a "book", perhaps even a "book of interpretation", which might make its use a foreshadowing of the technical sense that the rabbis later gave to the word. Since the early Middle Ages

2376-415: The Jews. Having attempted to exterminate the Jews of Persia, and rendering himself thereby their worst enemy, Haman naturally became the center of many Talmudic legends. Being at one time extremely poor, he sold himself as a slave to Mordecai. He was a barber at Kefar Karzum for the space of twenty-two years. Haman had an idolatrous image embroidered on his garments, so that those who bowed to him at command of

2448-465: The King (2006), played by James Callis . American children's television animations in which the biblical story of Haman is told include the "Queen Esther" episode of the series The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible (1985-1992), where he is voiced by Werner Klemperer , and the computer-generated series VeggieTales (2000), in which he is portrayed by "Mr. Lunt" during the episode "Esther,

2520-508: The King. Esther revealed Haman's plan to Ahasuerus and pleaded with him to spare her people. The King was outraged at Haman's treachery and ordered that he be executed instead. The name has been equated with the Persian name Omanes ( Old Persian : 𐎡𐎶𐎴𐎡𐏁 , Imāniš ) recorded by Greek historians. Several etymologies have been proposed for it: it has been associated with the Persian word Hamayun , meaning "illustrious" (naming dictionaries typically list it as meaning "magnificent"); with

2592-507: The Septuagint, or Samaritan Torah instead. With the growing canonization of the contents of the Hebrew Bible , both in terms of the books that it contained, and the version of the text in them, and an acceptance that new texts could not be added, there came a need to produce material that would clearly differentiate between that text, and rabbinic interpretation of it. By collecting and compiling these thoughts they could be presented in

2664-512: The Septuagint, portrays Haman in a distinct manner: 1. Haman is referred to as a "Macedonian" and described as "an alien" to Persia. This characterization presents him as an outsider and not a true Persian. 2. Haman is accused of plotting to transfer the sovereignty of Persia to the Macedonians, while the Jews are called "loyal Persians" by the king. This portrays Haman as disloyal and conspiring against Persia. 3. In various passages, Haman

2736-505: The Talmud accords Mordecai the status of a descendant of the first King of Israel . Midrash Midrash ( / ˈ m ɪ d r ɑː ʃ / ; Hebrew : מִדְרָשׁ ; pl. מִדְרָשִׁים midrashim or מִדְרָשׁוֹת ‎ midrashot ) is expansive Jewish Biblical exegesis using a rabbinic mode of interpretation prominent in the Talmud . The word itself means "textual interpretation", "study", or " exegesis ", derived from

2808-428: The authoritative and revealed word of God by the midrashist and his audience, and in which this canonical text is explicitly cited or clearly alluded to". Lieve M. Teugels, who would limit midrash to rabbinic literature, offered a definition of midrash as "rabbinic interpretation of Scripture that bears the lemmatic form", a definition that, unlike Porton's, has not been adopted by others. While some scholars agree with

2880-452: The city of Zela . Hoschander suggests that Haman may, if the connection is correct, be a priestly title and not a proper name. Strabo's names are unattested in Persian texts as gods; however the Talmud and Josephus interpret the description of courtiers bowing to Haman in Esther 3:2 as worship (other scholars assume "Omanus" refers to Vohu Mana ). The Jewish holiday of Purim commemorates

2952-971: The events described in the Book of Esther (assuming the biblical Ahasuerus is indeed Xerxes I ). However, the verse may be read as referring not to Mordecai's exile to Babylon, but to his great-grandfather Kish's exile — a reading which many accept. The Targum Sheni gives his genealogy in more detail, as follows: "Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Shemida, son of Ba'anah, son of Elah, son of Micah, son of Mephibosheth , son of Jonathan , son of Saul, son of Kish , son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Bechorath , son of Aphiah, son of Shecharim, son of Uzziah, son of Sason, son of Michael, son of Eliel, son of Amihud, son of Shephatiah, son of Penuel, son of Petakh, son of Melokh, son of Yerubaal, son of Yeruham, son of Hananiah, son of Zabdi, son of Elpa'al, son of Shimri, son of Zebadiah, son of Rimoth, son of Khashum, son of Shekhorah, son of Gazza, son of 'Uzza, son of Gera, son of Bela, son of Benjamin , son of Jacob

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3024-443: The final eschatological triumph of God's kingdom. As in the Septuagint, Haman's execution is ambiguous, suggestive of both hanging and crucifixion . The fifty-cubit object, described as xylon in the Septuagint ( Ancient Greek : ξύλον , romanized :  xulon , lit.   'wood'), is similarly ambiguously referred to as "wood" ( Latin : lignum ). The Vulgate translation of Esther 7:10 furthermore refers to

3096-535: The firstborn, whose name is called Israel ." The same genealogy is inscribed on a massive metal tablet in the Tomb of Esther and Mordechai (pictured). This traditional genealogy implicates Kish as the name of an ancient ancestor and not simply Mordecai's great-grandfather, meaning that Esther 2:5—6 was interpreted as Mordecai being the one who was exiled to Babylon. The chronological inconsistencies of this assumption are detailed above. The Talmud lists Esther as

3168-453: The form of a spontaneous vision given to the character of Dante-as-pilgrim, the purpose of which is to envision Haman's accusers, Ahaseurus, Esther and Mordecai, as emblems of righteous anger. In this divinely inspired hallucination, the fictional Dante sees Haman as " un crucifisso ", a man who undergoes crucifixion . Margaret Mitchell's novel, Gone With the Wind (1936) references Haman in

3240-428: The function of much of midrashic interpretation has been distinguished from that of peshat , straight or direct interpretation aiming at the original literal meaning of a scriptural text. A definition of "midrash" repeatedly quoted by other scholars is that given by Gary G. Porton in 1981: "a type of literature, oral or written, which stands in direct relationship to a fixed, canonical text, considered to be

3312-410: The geography of Shushan : Haman's house (where the pole was located) was likely in the city of Susa (a flat area), while the royal citadel and palace were located on a mound about 15 meters higher than the city. Such a tall pole would have allowed Haman to observe Mordecai's corpse while dining in the royal palace, had his plans worked as intended. According to Ḥanan b. Rava , his mother was ʾĂmatlaʾy,

3384-463: The historical Xerxes's queen was Amestris . There is general agreement that the story was created to justify the Jewish appropriation of an originally non-Jewish feast. The festival which the book explains is purim , which is explained as meaning "lot", from the Babylonian word puru . There are wide-ranging theories regarding the origin of Purim: one popular theory says festival has its origins in

3456-452: The importance of these texts for finding insights into the rabbinic culture that created them. Midrash is increasingly seen as a literary and cultural construction, responsive to literary means of analysis. Frank Kermode has written that midrash is an imaginative way of "updating, enhancing, augmenting, explaining, and justifying the sacred text". Because the Tanakh came to be seen as unintelligible or even offensive, midrash could be used as

3528-402: The king bowed also to the image. Haman was also an astrologer , and when he was about to fix the time for the genocide of the Jews he first cast lots to ascertain which was the most auspicious day of the week for that purpose. Each day, however, proved to be under some influence favorable to the Jews. He then sought to fix the month, but found that the same was true of each month; thus, Nisan

3600-464: The king to reverse the scheme, leading the king to authorize Jews to kill their enemies, which they did. During all this, the king had happened to learn of Mordecai's service in foiling the assassination plot and had asked Haman how a person who did a great service to the king should be honored. Haman answered, thinking the question was about him; and the king followed this advice, and honored Mordecai, and eventually made Mordecai his chief advisor. Haman

3672-419: The king's recent wife, who was herself a Jew. Esther invited Haman and the king to two banquets. In the second banquet, she informed the king that Haman was plotting to kill her (and the other Jews). This enraged the king, who was further angered when (after leaving the room briefly and returning) he discovered Haman had fallen on Esther's couch, intending to beg mercy from Esther, but which the king interpreted as

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3744-612: The king. Because of Mordecai's vigilance, the plot was foiled. Haman the Agagite had been raised to the highest position at court. In spite of the king's decree that all should prostrate themselves before Haman, Mordecai refused to do so. Haman, stung by Mordecai's refusal, resolved to kill not only Mordecai but all Jewish exiles throughout the Persian empire, and won the king's permission to carry out his plan. Mordecai communicated Haman's scheme to Queen Esther, who used her favor with

3816-569: The limitation of the term "midrash" to rabbinic writings, others apply it also to certain Qumran writings, to parts of the New Testament , and of the Hebrew Bible (in particular the superscriptions of the Psalms, Deuteronomy, and Chronicles), and even modern compositions are called midrashim. Midrash is now viewed more as method than genre, although the rabbinic midrashim do constitute

3888-402: The moment of death and total destruction was rejected, but his corpse was saved as a lesson for posterity and he was mummified. Josephus mentions Haman in his Antiquities of the Jews . Josephus's account of the story draws from the Septuagint translation of the Book of Esther and from other Greek and Jewish sources, some no longer extant. The Greek version of the Book of Esther, known as

3960-563: The non-legal parts of Scripture are characterized by a much greater freedom of exposition than the halakhic midrashim (midrashim on Jewish law). Aggadic expositors availed themselves of various techniques, including sayings of prominent rabbis. These aggadic explanations could be philosophical or mystical disquisitions concerning angels , demons , paradise , hell , the messiah , Satan , feasts and fasts, parables , legends, satirical assaults on those who practice idolatry , etc. Some of these midrashim entail mystical teachings. The presentation

4032-405: The root verb darash ( דָּרַשׁ‎ ), which means "resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require". Midrash and rabbinic readings "discern value in texts, words, and letters, as potential revelatory spaces", writes the Hebrew scholar Wilda Gafney . "They reimagine dominant narratival readings while crafting new ones to stand alongside—not replace—former readings. Midrash also asks questions of

4104-469: The sacred drink Haoma ; or with the Persian name Vohuman , meaning "good thoughts". The 19th-century Bible critic Jensen associated it with the Elamite god Humban , a view dismissed by later scholars. Ahriman , a Zoroastrian spirit of destruction, has also been proposed as an etymon . Hoschander suggests that Haman is a priestly title and not a proper name. As described in the Book of Esther , Haman

4176-560: The scene in which Rhett Butler , in jail, faces the prospect of hanging. The Agatha Christie novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles references Haman in a scene where Poirot , investigating a murder, says he will "hang him as high as Haman". In the Lord Peter Wimsey novel The Nine Tailors , Lord Peter, revealing that the victim, Geoffrey Deacon, was inadvertently killed by the ringing of bells, declares that his killers are already hanging "far higher than Haman". Haman

4248-436: The schools of Rabbi Ishmael and Akiba , where two different hermeneutic methods were applied. The first was primarily logically oriented, making inferences based upon similarity of content and analogy. The second rested largely upon textual scrutiny, assuming that words and letters that seem superfluous teach something not openly stated in the text." Many different exegetical methods are employed to derive deeper meaning from

4320-664: The son of Jair, of the tribe of Benjamin and member of the Sanhedrin . Mordecai was also the cousin and guardian of Esther , who became queen of Persia under the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). Mordecai's loyalty and bravery are highlighted in the story as he helps Esther foil the plot of Haman , the king's vizier , to exterminate the Jewish people . His story is celebrated in the Jewish holiday of Purim , which commemorates his victory. Mordecai resided in Susa (Shushan or Shoushan),

4392-443: The story of the Jews' deliverance and Haman's defeat. On that day, the Book of Esther is publicly read and much noise and tumult is raised at every mention of Haman's name. Various noisemakers ( graggers ) are used to express disdain for Haman by "blotting out" his name during the recitation of Megillah . Pastry known as hamentashen (Yiddish for 'Haman's pockets'; known in Hebrew as אזני המן , ozney Haman , 'Haman's ears')

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4464-516: The text. In the latter case they are described as aggadic . Midrash halakha is the name given to a group of tannaitic expositions on the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. These midrashim, written in Mishnaic Hebrew , clearly distinguish between the Biblical texts that they discuss, and the rabbinic interpretation of that text. They often go well beyond simple interpretation, and derive or provide support for halakha. This work

4536-440: The text; sometimes it provides answers, sometimes it leaves the reader to answer the questions". Vanessa Lovelace defines midrash as "a Jewish mode of interpretation that not only engages the words of the text, behind the text, and beyond the text, but also focuses on each letter, and the words left unsaid by each line". An example of a midrashic interpretation: "And God saw all that He had made, and found it very good. And there

4608-571: The theory of the Quranic Haman being an Egyptian title, instead of a name and the biblical figure himself. Haman appears six times throughout the Qur'an four times with Pharaoh and twice by himself, where God sent Moses to invite Pharaoh, Haman, and their people to monotheism , and to seek protection of the Israelites whom Haman and Pharaoh were tormenting. Referring to Moses as a sorcerer and

4680-472: The third century BCE and the second century CE. Kugel traces how and why biblical interpreters produced new meanings by the use of exegesis on ambiguities, syntactical details, unusual or awkward vocabulary, repetitions, etc. in the text. As an example, Kugel examines the different ways in which the biblical story that God's instructions are not to be found in heaven (Deuteronomy 30:12) has been interpreted. Baruch 3:29-4:1 states that this means that divine wisdom

4752-657: The unclean body of Haman. Only the thorn-tree could find no excuse, and therefore offered itself for a gallows (Esther Rabbah 9; Midrash Abba Gorion 7 (ed. Buber, Wilna, 1886); in Targum Sheni this is narrated somewhat differently). According to the Targum Sheni , he killed the prophet Daniel , who managed to live to Ahasuerus 's reign (Targum Sheini on Esther, 4, 11). In the Qur'an ( Islam 's primary scripture), Haman ( Arabic : هامان , romanized :  Hāmān )

4824-449: Was carried into exile by Nebuchadnezzar, or that his ancestor Kish was the one carried into exile. The Pentecostal minister Finis Dake interprets the Bible verses Esther 2:5–6 to mean that Mordecai himself was exiled by Nebuchadnezzar. Biblical scholar Michael D. Coogan discusses this as an inaccuracy regarding Mordecai's age. If "who had been carried into exile" refers to Mordecai, he would have had been more than 100 years old during

4896-669: Was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day." ( Genesis 1:31)—Midrash: Rabbi Nahman said in Rabbi Samuel's name: "Behold, it was very good" refers to the Good Desire; "AND behold, it was very good" refers to the Evil Desire. Can then the Evil Desire be very good? That would be extraordinary! But without the Evil Desire, however, no man would build a house, take a wife and beget children; and thus said Solomon: "Again, I considered all labour and all excelling in work, that it

4968-435: Was executed on gallows that he had set up for Mordecai. The feast of Purim celebrates these reversals of fortune. Although the details of the setting are entirely plausible and the story may even have some basis in actual events, the book of Esther is a novella rather than history. Persian kings did not marry outside of seven Persian noble families, making it unlikely that there was a Jewish queen Esther, and in any case

5040-474: Was favorable to the Jews because of the Passover sacrifice; Iyyar , because of the small Passover. But when he arrived at Adar he found that its zodiacal sign was Pisces , and he said, "Now I shall be able to swallow them as fish which swallow one another" (Esther Rabbah 7; Targum Sheni 3). Haman had 365 counselors, but the advice of none was so good as that of his wife, Zeresh. She induced Haman to build

5112-407: Was formed to facilitate these reinterpretations of sacred texts. The institute hosted several week-long intensives between 1995 and 2004, and published eight issues of Living Text: The Journal of Contemporary Midrash from 1997 to 2000. According to Carol Bakhos, recent studies that use literary-critical tools to concentrate on the cultural and literary aspects of midrash have led to a rediscovery of

5184-455: Was the son of Hammedatha the Agagite. After Haman was appointed the principal minister of the king Ahasuerus , all of the king's servants were required to bow down to Haman, but Mordecai refused to. Angered by this, and knowing of Mordecai's Jewish nationality, Haman convinced Ahasuerus to allow him to have all of the Jews in the Persian empire killed. The plot was foiled by Queen Esther ,

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