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Esther's Revenge at Susa

From Sennacherib to Ahasuerus

Stephanie Dalley author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Oxford University Press

Published:29th Nov '07

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Esther's Revenge at Susa cover

Why are the names of the chief characters in the biblical Book of Esther those of Mesopotamian deities? Stephanie Dalley argues that the narrative reflects real happenings in seventh-century Assyria, where the widespread belief that revenge belongs to the gods explains why Assyrian kings described punitive campaigns as divine acts, leading to the mythologizing of certain historical events. Ashurbanipal's sack of Susa, led by the deities Ishtar and Marduk, underlies the Hebrew story of Esther, and that story contains traces of the cultic calendar of Ishtar-of-Nineveh. Dalley traces the way in which the long-term settlement of `lost tribes' in Assyria, revealed by the fruits of excavation in Iraq and Syria, inspired a blend of pagan and Jewish traditions.

...a convincing contribution to biblical studies. * International Review of Biblical Studies *
This is a delightful book...one is likely to find much of interest in this study * L.L Grabbe, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, *
fluently written * Jonathan Stokl, Journal of Jewish Studies *
This intriguing and impeccably researched book provides the biblical scholar with much food for thought. * Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer, Svensk Exegetisk Årsbok *
Dalley has produced an intriguing and thought-provoking book that will be read with pleasure by cuneiformists, biblicists, and classicists alike. * Gary Beckman, Bryn Mawr Classical Review31/10/2012 *

ISBN: 9780199216635

Dimensions: 223mm x 147mm x 17mm

Weight: 506g

280 pages