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Iran / Persia: Queen Esther with Attendants, Edwin Long, 1878

Iran / Persia: Queen Esther with Attendants, Edwin Long, 1878

Esther (Hebrew: אֶסְתֵּרr), born Hadassah, is the eponymous heroine of the Biblical 'Book of Esther'.

According to the Bible, she was a Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus. Ahasuerus is traditionally identified with Xerxes I (r. 486-465 BCE) during the time of the Achaemenid empire. Her story is the basis for the celebration of Purim in Jewish tradition.

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