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3 Historicity
There is some debate as to whether Esther really lived. Some believe that she did and others believe that it is "historic fiction" with no basis in fact but intended as an allegory or "teaching story".
Skepticists point to the similarities between the Jewish festival of Purim, which marks the rescue of the Jews by Esther and Mordechai, and a Persian festival celebrating the god Marduk and his consort Ishtar, who were victorious over their rivals Uman (similar to Haman) and Mashti (similar to Vashti), suggesting that "Esther" and "Mordechai" are simply Hebrew forms of "Ishtar" and "Marduk".
Other scholars believe that Esther really did exist. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that the king sought his harem after being defeated in a war against the Greeks, but makes no reference to individual members of the Harem.
4 See also
Hebrew Bible/Tanakh people
Bible
Monarchs
Bible stories
