‘One Night with the King’ is a movie based on the story of Esther and the Biblical Jews who had been exiled and taken into bondage by the Persians. During this exile, there was a Jewish man named Mordecai who was raising his orphaned little cousin (some say niece) named Hadassah. To protect her from Persian persecution, Mordecai had the wisdom to change Hadassah’s name to the non-Jewish name, Esther, which means ‘hidden’ or ‘hiding’. He instructed her to never reveal to anyone her given name or that she was, in fact, a Jew.
The text says that the King of Persia held a banquet that lasted seven days. (Talk about a party!) On the last day of the banquet, he was full of wine, and I might add himself, when he sent for his wife, Queen Vashti. His instructions were for her to adorn herself with her crown and jewels and parade herself in front of his male guests, like some trophy wife. Queen Vashti said, “NOPE! I ain’t doing that crap!”
BUT here’s the kicker, per the attached map! Persia in ancient Biblical days is IRAN today! I do not doubt that many of those Iranian Jews are Queen Esther’s descendants.
Of course, her refusal was an embarrassment to the king in front of his guests. His counselors told him that Vashti’s refusal had set a bad example, leading their wives to believe they could refuse them, too. They encouraged him to set an example as to what would be done to any woman who refused their husband’s orders. Seething with anger and humiliation, he agreed with his advisors and had Vashti removed from the castle and exiled. Then he sent his advisors to search for another queen among his subjects (the Persians).
Thinking Hadassah/Esther was Persian, the king’s guards took her and others by force and brought them to the palace, possibly to make one of them the ‘replacement’ queen. There, the king’s attendants groomed them, properly dressed them, and taught them to carry themselves in a submissive but regal manner. The king was so enamored of Hadassah/Esther that he made her his Persian Queen! As a side note, seeing that they were able to pull this off is another telltale sign that the ancient Jews had the same rich ‘brown’ hue as the Persians. Anyway…
The king had a high-ranking official named Haman who had unbridled disdain for the Jews. By proclamation, all of the Jews were instructed to bow down whenever he passed by. Mordecai, the new Queen’s cousin/uncle, refused to bow to him or any other man. Haman, in his rage, convinces the king to kill the Jews, starting with Mordecai. He even erected a pole in the middle of the square that Mordecai was to hang from, for all of the Jews to witness. Mordecai sent word for Esther to meet with him.
When she arrived, he told her what was going on. He told her to use her feminine wiles and talk with her husband, the king, about their plight. Esther said she was afraid because, even as his wife, she needed permission to speak with the king. Mordecai told her that the deliverance of the Jews would come from somewhere else, but that she would be destroyed. She finally agreed to say something, but first sent a message that all of the Jews fast and pray for three days with her. Y’all already know what happened to Haman, after Esther whispered in her man’s ear!! If not, read the entire book of Esther, because there is much more to this story.
Although not recorded, the Persian King and Esther remained married and had a family. Some historians and even Jewish archives state that King Darius II was their son. Oh, and regarding Mordecai, the Jew, he became a high-ranking official in the Persian court. Here is another unbiblically recorded fact of the story. Many Jews remained in Persia after their exile ended. Today, between 17,000 and 25,000 Jews still reside there, thereby preserving their 2,500-year-old culture. BUT here’s the kicker, per the attached map! Persia in ancient Biblical days is IRAN today! I do not doubt that many of those Iranian Jews are Queen Esther’s descendants.
E.J. Brock has authored multiple articles for Port of Harlem, often focusing on biblical themes, spiritual insights, and paranormal sagas, such as "
Stories of God Using Women to Do What Men Were Afraid to Do" and "
30 Pieces of Silver."
