Since Haman plotted to kill the queen, regardless of the fact that he did not know, he was hanged.Kingly decrees could not be undone, so Esther and Mordechai wrote a second decree for the king (with permission of course), that the Jews could preemptively strike out against those they felt might want them dead. Xerxes and Haman were both upset, understandably. The second night, she begged them both to spare her and her people, stating that Haman sought to kill her (because she was a Jew). Esther invited Xerxes and Haman to dinner, with intent of telling them both she was a Jew. He informed Queen Esther, hoping that she would be able to do something about it. Mordechai, being the leader of the Jews, found out about this decree. Xerxes, not knowing that his beloved Queen was a Jew, allowed Haman to do as he wished, and made a decree that the Jews would be exterminated on the 13th of Adar (Feburary-March). Knowing that Mordechai was a Jew, Haman decides to attempt to talk King Xerxes into letting him make a decree that all Jews should be killed. Our friend Mordechai refuses to bow down to Haman, and Haman takes it personally, holding a grudge against Mordechai. One of his first decrees was that everyone in the streets must bow down to him. Haman was kind of jerk, and was well-known for not liking the Jews. Shortly after this, one of King Xerxes ministers, Haman, was elected to Prime Minister. Mordechai altered the proper people, and the traitors were hanged. There was a briefly mentioned incident where Uncle Mordechai learned of two men plotting to kill Xerxes. Mordechai told Esther to keep her nationality hidden, even from her new husband.

The story goes that Xerxes immediately liked Esther, and they wed at once. Esther’s parents had passed when she was young, and she had been raised by her Uncle Mordechai, who, at the time, was also the leader of the Jews. A young Jewess named Esther was one of the contestants. It was suggested to him that he hold a beauty contest, and that he wed the winner. Xerxes had her executed because of this (some stories say divorced, but let’s be realistic here).Īfter Xerxes sobered up, he realized he was “lonely”, and wanted a wife. Vashti, who apparently had not been drinking near as much, refused. He told his wife, Queen Vashti, to dance for all the men at his party so that he could show off how hot she was to all his buddies. On the last day, he we drunk on wine, as I could imagine anyone would be. He apparently had too much time on his hands, because he had been throwing a party for the last 180 days (yes, you read that right, 6 months of party time!) When he was done with his giant party, he decided to have a smaller, moderate, week-long party (you know, with just close friends). Way back in the day, sometime before 460 BC, King Xerxes I ruled in Persia (Xerxes the Great, known as King Ahasuerus to the Jews). She has an entire book in the Torah/Bible, but a quick survey of my co-workers told me that no one had any idea who Queen Esther was, which leads me to believe that most people do not. Since Purim (more on this in a bit) was on Sunday, I decided – why not start with Queen Esther? Additional qualifications exist and we urge you to inquire for more information.I decided that one of the reoccurring posts I would like to do is women in history and their influence on Freemasonry. If the Masonic relative is deceased, he must have been in good standing at the time of his death. Male petitioners must be Masons who are in good standing with their lodge.įemales must be 18 years of age or older, and related to Masons in good standing. As in Masonry, prospective members submit a petition to the Eastern Star chapter they wish to join. The Order of the Eastern Star is open to both men and women. Members find that wherever their jobs or circumstances take them, they can be assured of a warm welcome in an Easter Star Chapter. You will find fun and fellowship with people who also desire to give back to their community.Įastern Star is a unique organization with many qualities you won’t find anywhere else – beautiful ceremonies, meaningful lessons that focus on moral values, and the friendship of sisters and brothers around the world. If you are looking for a way to help others and have a great time in the process, you should consider membership in the Order of the Easter Star.

Eastern star for women