Esther is the only book of the bible not found in the Essene caves at Wadi Qumran. Is it because it is an account of a biblical heroine, and they were an elite male sect? And it was in the day of Ahasuerus-he is King Ahasuerus who reigned from India as far as Cush, 127 provinces. In those days when King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, the palace was in Shushan. In the third year of his reign he made a banquet for all his princes and his servants who served him; from Persia to Media, the grandest princes of the provinces were before him. He allowed them to see all the wealth and glory of his kingdom, and all the honor and majesty of his greatness for 180 days. And when these days were fulfilled, the king called all the people to come forth to the palace in Shushan, from the greatest even to the least of them, for a banquet lasting seven days in the court gardens of the king’s house.
White linen and violet were fastened with fine white linen and purple cord upon rings of silver and white marble columns; couches of gold and silver were upon a mosaic pavement of shiny white marble, opalescent tile, and black marble border. And the drinks were in vessels of gold and all the vessels were the same, and royal wine was in abundance by the hand of the king. The drinking was not insisted upon by royal edict, for thus established the king to every officer of his house to do as each man delighted to do.
Vashti the queen also made a banquet for women in the royal house of King Ahasuerus.
On day seven when the heart of the king was good with wine he said to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs waiting upon King Ahasuerus…
To bring Vashti the queen to face the king with her crown of royalty so that the people and the princes could behold her beauty for she was good to look upon. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the word of the king by the hand of the eunuchs, and the king was very angry and his wrath burned within him. And the king asked those in that time who had wisdom and knowledge, for thus was the king’s word to those before him-those knowing all royal edict and judgment, and those near him were Carshena, Shethar, Admata, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who stood before the king and whom he consulted first the matters of the kingdom, By royal edict what should be done with Queen Vashti because she had not done according to the word of King Ahasuerus sent by the hand of the eunuchs?” And Memucan said before the king and the princes, “Queen Vashti has not only done wrong by the king, but upon all the princes and upon all the people who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, for this matter of the queen will spread to all the women to openly despise their masters because King Ahasuerus requested Queen Vashti to appear before him and she did not enter. And the day this is told, the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard the word of the queen will cause much contempt and strife to all the princes of the king.” “Lo! If it is good for the king, Let a royal command go out from him, by written royal edict to Persia and Media without fail that Vashti is not to come before King Ahasuerus anymore, and her royal estate is to be given by the king to another who is better than she. And the decree of the king shall be heard throughout all his kingdom for abundant it is! And all the wives will give exceeding honor to their husbands from great to small.” And the word of Memucan was good in the eyes of the king and the princes, so the king did according to the word of Memucan. And he sent scrolls to all the provinces of the king, province by province, in writing for the people, and each people according to their own language so that each man would have dominion in his house, and from the decree according to the language of his people.
~Song of Mary~ 