The Days of Ahasuerus
Esther 1:1-2
Important facts
Persia is today’s Iran
- East of Mesopotamia
- Located on a mountainous plateau
2 Capital cities
- Persepolis
- Susa – winter capital
Palace at the winter capital is Shushan
Persian Empire will last 200 years
Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes are titles not actual kings
Bible books dealing with the Persians
- Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai
Five Characters in Esther
Ahasuerus
Queen Vashti
Mordecai
Esther
Haman
Kings
Cyrus (r 558-528 B.C.)
What ever law the Persians pass, it cannot be changed, otherwise it would means the rulers could be fallible
Isaiah 44:28-45:3
Conquers Babylon in 538 B.C.
Ezra 4:1-2:2
Cambyses II (r 529-522 B.C.)
Conquered Egypt
Also called Ahasuerus
Ezra 4:1-5
Darius I “The Great” (r. 521-486 B.C.)
Authorized the rebuilding of the Temple
Behiston Stone
Extended Persian Empire as far as Indus River
Reorganized the empire into Satraps (provinces)
Conquered Ionia (Turkey) which was settled by the Greeks
Battle of Marathon – 490 B.C.
Ezra 5:1-5; Ezra 6:6-12
Xerxes (r. 486-475 B.C.)
Richest and most powerful of all Persian kings
He is the king of the book of Esther
Artaxerxes I (r. 465-425 B.C.)
Aka. Artaxerxes Longimanus
Ezra 7:11-26
Nehemiah 2
Darius III (r. 335-331 B.C.)
Last of the Persian kings
Alexander the Great defeats and conquers him at Battle of Arbela