ABRAHAM

Hebrew Avraham, originally called Abram or, in Hebrew, Avram,

(flourished early 2nd millennium BCE), the first of the Hebrew patriarchs and
a figure revered by the three great monotheistic religions—
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. According to the biblical book of Genesis,
Abraham left Ur, in Mesopotamia, because God called him to found a new
nation in an undesignated land that he later learned was Canaan. He obeyed
unquestioningly the commands of God, from whom he received repeated
promises and a covenant that his “seed” would inherit the land. In Judaism
the promised offspring is understood to be the Jewish people descended from
Abraham’s son, Isaac, born of his wife Sarah. Similarly, in Christianity the
genealogy of Jesus is traced to Isaac, and Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac is
seen as a foreshadowing of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. In Islam it is Ishmael,
Abraham’s firstborn son, born of Hagar, who is viewed as the fulfillment of
God’s promise, and the Prophet Muhammad is his descendant.

SARAH

 also spelled Sarai, in the Old Testament, wife of Abraham and mother

of Isaac. Sarah was childless until she was 90 years old. God promised
Abraham that she would be “a mother of nations” (Genesis 17:16) and that she
would conceive and bear a son, but Sarah did not believe. Isaac, born to Sarah
and Abraham in their old age, was the fulfillment of God’s promise to them.
The barrenness of Sarah, cited in the preface (Genesis 11:30), stands in
tension with the central theme of the Abraham saga, the promise that God will
make him the founder of a mighty nation. With respect to the fulfillment of
the promise, Sarah embodies the themes of fear and doubt, Abraham those of
faith and hope. Her doubt drives Sarah to devise her own way of realizing the
promise—she gives Abraham her maidservant, Hagar, so that Hagar might
bear a child for them. When the promise is repeated, Sarah expresses her
doubt in sarcastic laughter (Genesis 18:12). And when the promise is kept,
Sarah, overcome by joy, still implies her doubt had been reasonable (Genesis
21:6–7). Her tomb at Hebron (Genesis 23) was a sign of Abraham’s faith that
God’s promise of the land would also be kept.
ISAAC

in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) book of Genesis, the second of the

patriarchs of Israel, the only son of Abraham and Sarah, and the father
of Esau and Jacob. AltAhough Sarah was past the age of childbearing, God
promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son, and Isaac was born.
Later, to test Abraham’s obedience, God commanded Abraham to sacrifice the
boy. Abraham made all the preparations for the ritual sacrifice, but God
spared Isaac at the last moment.

ESAU

also called Edom, in the Old Testament (Genesis 25:19–34; 27; 28:6–9;

32:3–21; 33:1–16; 36), son of Isaac and Rebekah, elder twin brother of Jacob,
and in Hebrew tradition the ancestor of the Edomites.

At birth, Esau was red and hairy, and he became a wandering hunter,
while Jacob was a shepherd. Although younger, Jacob dominated him
by deception. At one time, when Esau returned from an unsuccessful hunt and
was hungry, Jacob bought Esau’s birthright (i.e., the rights due him as the
eldest son) for some red pottage (soup). When Isaac was dying, Jacob, with
Rebekah’s help, cheated Esau out of his father’s blessing. Esau would have
killed Jacob, but Jacob fled; when he returned 20 years later, Esau forgave
him

JACOB

 Hebrew Yaʿaqov, Arabic Yaʿqūb, also
called Israel, Hebrew Yisraʾel, Arabic Isrāʾīl, Hebrew patriarch who was
the grandson of Abraham, the son of Isaac and Rebekah, and the traditional
ancestor of the people of Israel. Stories about Jacob in the Bible begin
at Genesis 25:19.

According to the Old Testament, Jacob was the younger twin brother of Esau,

who was the ancestor of Edom and the Edomites. The two are representatives
of two different grades of social order, Jacob being a pastoralist and Esau a
nomadic hunter. During her pregnancy, Rebekah was told by God that she
would give birth to twins; each of them would found a great nation, and Esau,
the elder, would serve his younger brother. As it turned out, Jacob, by means
of an elaborate double deception, managed to obtain his older brother’s
birthright from their father. Jacob then fled his brother’s wrath and went to
take refuge with the Aramaean tribe of his ancestors at Haran in
Mesopotamia.

Along his journey Jacob received a special revelation from God; God promised
Jacob lands and numerous offspring that would prove to be the blessing of the
entire Earth. Jacob named the place where he received his
vision Bethel (“House of God”). Arriving at his uncle Laban’s home in Haran,
Jacob fell in love with his cousin Rachel. He worked for her father, Laban, for
seven years to obtain Rachel’s hand in marriage, but then Laban substituted
his older daughter, Leah, for Rachel at the wedding ceremony. Unwittingly
married to Leah, Jacob was thus compelled to serve Laban for another seven
years so that he could take his beloved Rachel as his wife as well. Jacob then
served Laban for another six years, during which he amassed a large amount
of property; he then set out with his wives and children to return to Palestine.
On the way Jacob wrestled with a mysterious stranger, a divine being, who
changed Jacob’s name to Israel. Jacob then met and was reconciled with Esau
and settled in Canaan.

Jacob had 13 children, 10 of whom were founders of tribes of Israel. Leah bore
him his only daughter, Dinah, and six sons—Reuben, Simeon, Levi (who did
not found a tribe, but was the ancestor of the Levites), Judah (from whom a
tribe and the Davidic monarchy were descended), Issachar, and Zebulun.
Leah’s maidservant, Zilpah, bore him Gad and Asher, and Rachel’s
maidservant, Bilhah, bore him Dan and Naphtali. Rachel’s sons
were Benjamin and Joseph (who did not found a tribe, but whose sons
founded the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim).

LABAN

also known as Laban the Aramean, is a figure in the Book of Genesis of

the Hebrew Bible. He was the brother of Rebekah, who married Isaac and
bore Jacob. Laban welcomed his nephew, and set him the stipulation of seven
years' labour before he permitted him to marry his daughter Rachel. Laban
tricked Jacob into marrying his elder daughter Leah instead. Jacob then
took Rachel as his second wife, on condition of serving an additional seven
years' labour.

Laban and his family were described as dwelling in Paddan Aram,

in Mesopotamia.
RACHEL
in Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible, one of the two wives of the
patriarch Jacob. Forced to serve Rachel’s father, Laban, for seven years to win
her, Jacob was tricked at the end of that time into marrying her sister, Leah.
He was then allowed to marry Rachel as well, in return for seven more years of
labour. At first childless, Rachel eventually gave birth to Joseph and died
giving birth to Benjamin.

LEAH

also spelled Lia, in the Old Testament (primarily in Genesis), first wife

of Jacob (later Israel) and the traditional ancestor of five of the 12 tribes of
Israel. Leah was the mother of six of Jacob’s sons: Reuben, Simeon,
Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, and Judah; Judah was the ancestor of
King David and, according to the New Testament, of Jesus.

After Jacob had deprived his brother Esau of his birthright and blessing, he
fled from the wrath of Esau and took refuge in the household of his
uncle Laban. There he fell in love with Laban’s younger daughter, Rachel,
working for Laban seven years to win her hand. On the night of the nuptial
feast, however, Laban deceived him by sending in the “tender-eyed” Leah
(“tender-eyed” is an uncertain phrase, possibly denoting poor vision); thus,
Laban compelled Jacob to work another seven years for Rachel. Because of
this trickery, even after he married Rachel, Jacob did not love Leah, but
God consoled her with children before allowing Rachel to become pregnant.
Leah lived on after Rachel (though no details of this portion of her life are
recorded), and, according to some traditions, she was buried in Hebron on the
west bank of the Jordan River.

DINAH

also spelled Dina, in the Old Testament (Genesis 30:21; 34; 46:15), daughter

of Jacob by Leah; Dinah was abducted and raped near the city of Shechem,
by Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite (the Hivites were a Canaanitish people).
Because Shechem then wished to marry Dinah, Hamor suggested to Jacob that
their two peoples initiate a policy of commercial and social intercourse.
Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi pretended to agree to the marriage and
the covenant if Shechem and all the other males of the city of Shechem were
circumcised. After the operations, while the men were still weakened, Simeon
and Levi attacked the city, killed all the males, including Shechem and Hamor,
and freed Dinah. They then joined in plundering the city. Jacob rebuked
Simeon and Levi for arousing the enmity of neighbouring tribes and, on his
deathbed, gave his blessing to their younger brother Judah, reproving Simeon
and Levi for their cruelty.

MARAH
The narrative concerning Marah in the Book of Exodus states that the
Israelites had been wandering in the desert for three days without water;
according to the narrative, Marah had water, but it was undrinkably
bitter, hence the name, which means bitterness.
THE TRIBE OF LEVI
The Tribe of Levi served particular religious duties for the Israelites and had
political responsibilities as well. In return, the landed tribes were expected to
give tithes to the Kohanim, the priests working in the Temple in Jerusalem,
particularly the tithe known as the Maaser Rishon. (it is where the preists who
ministered to the lord came from)
SUCCOTH OR THE FEAST OF TEBERNACLES OR BOOTHS
Sukkot[a] is a Torah-commanded holiday celebrated for seven days, beginning
on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. It is one of the Three Pilgrimage
Festivals (Hebrew: ‫שלוש רגלים‬, shalosh regalim) on which those Israelites who
could were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. In
addition to its harvest roots, the holiday also holds spiritual importance with
regard to its abandonment of materialism to focus on nationhood, spirituality,
and hospitality, this principle underlying the construction of a temporary,
almost nomadic, structure of a sukkah.[2]
CALEB
in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), one of the spies sent
by Moses from Kadesh-barnea in southern Palestine to reconnoitre the land
of Canaan. Only Caleb and Joshua advised the Hebrews to proceed
immediately to take the land. For his faith, Caleb was rewarded with the
promise that he and his descendants should possess it (Numbers 13–14).
Subsequently Caleb settled in Hebron (Kiriatharba), after driving out the three
sons of Anak. Caleb gave his daughter Achsah to Othniel, his nephew (or his
younger brother, according to some readings of Joshua 15:17), who took
nearby Debir (Joshua 15:13–19; cf. Joshua 14:6–15; Judges 1:10–20).

MOSES

 Prophet of Judaism. In the Judaic tradition, Moses is revered as the greatest

prophet and teacher. According to the book of Exodus, he was born in Egypt to
Hebrew parents, who set him afloat on the Nile in a reed basket to save him
from an edict calling for the death of all newborn Hebrew males. Found by the
pharaoh’s daughter, he was reared in the Egyptian court. After killing a brutal
Egyptian taskmaster, he fled to Midian, where Yahweh (God) revealed himself
in a burning bush and called Moses to deliver the Israelites from Egypt. With
the help of his brother Aaron, Moses pleaded with the pharaoh for the
Israelites’ release. The pharaoh let them go after Yahweh had visited a series of
plagues on Egypt, but then sent his army after them. Yahweh parted the
waters of the Red Sea to allow the Israelites to pass, then drowned the
pursuing Egyptians.

ARK OF THE COVENANT

also known as the Ark of the Testimony[b] or the Ark of God,[c][1][2] is an

alleged artifact believed to be the most sacred relic of the Israelites, which is
described as a wooden chest, covered in pure gold, with an elaborately
designed lid called the mercy seat. According to the Book of Exodus, the Ark
contained the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. According to
the New Testament Book of Hebrews, it also contained Aaron's rod and a pot
of manna.[3]

JUDAH

The biblical account relates that approximately one year after

the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, the Ark was created according to the pattern
given to Moses by God when the Israelites were encamped at the foot
of Mount Sinai. Thereafter, the gold-plated acacia chest was carried by its
staves by the Levites approximately 2,000 cubits (approximately 800 meters
or 2,600 feet) in advance of the people when on the march.[4] God spoke with
Moses "from between the two cherubim" on the Ark's cover.[5]

 one of the 12 tribes of Israel, descended from Judah, who was the fourth son

born to Jacob and his first wife, Leah. It is disputed whether the name Judah
was originally that of the tribe or the territory it occupied and which was
transposed from which.
After the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land, each was assigned a
section of land by Joshua, who had replaced Moses as leader after the latter’s
death. The tribe of Judah settled in the region south of Jerusalem and in time
became the most powerful and most important tribe. Not only did it produce
the great kings David and Solomon but also, it was prophesied, the Messiah
would come from among its members. Modern Jews, moreover, trace
their lineage to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (absorbed by Judah) or to
the tribe, or group, of clans of religious functionaries known as Levites. This
situation was brought about by the Assyrian conquest of the Kingdom of Israel
in 721 BC, which led to the partial dispersion of the 10 northern tribes and
their gradual assimilation by other peoples. (Legends thus refer to them as the
Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.)

JOSHUA

also spelled Josue, Hebrew Yehoshua (“Yahweh is deliverance”), the

leader of the Israelite tribes after the death of Moses, who
conquered Canaan and distributed its lands to the 12 tribes. His story is told in
the Old Testament Book of Joshua.

According to the biblical book named after him, Joshua was the personally
appointed successor to Moses (Deuteronomy 31:1–8; 34:9) and
a charismatic warrior who led Israel in the conquest of Canaan after
the Exodus from Egypt. After sending spies into Canaan to report on the
enemy’s morale, Joshua led the Israelites in an invasion across the Jordan
River. He took the important city of Jericho and then captured other towns in
the north and south until most of Palestine was brought under Israelite
control. He divided the conquered lands among the 12 tribes of Israel and then
bade farewell to his people (Joshua 23), admonishing them to be loyal to the
God of the covenant.

JEPHTHAH

 a judge or regent (often a hero figure) of Israel who dominates a narrative in

the Book of Judges, where he is presented as an exemplar of faith for Israel in
its monotheistic commitment to Yahweh. Of the Israelite tribe
in Gilead (present northwest Jordan), he was banished from his home and
became the head of a powerful band of brigands. Oppressed by the rapacity of
the non-Israelite peoples of Hauran and Ammon, the Gileadites implored
Jephthah to avenge the injustice. He successfully overcame the enemy but at
the cost, according to the story, of having to sacrifice his daughter to Yahweh
in fulfillment of a vow setting the price of victory, a possible mythological basis
for dedicating certain Israelite women to virginity. An incident in which
Jephthah led the slaughter of the aggressor Israelite tribe of Ephraim (who
were detected by their inability to pronounce the sound sh in the Hebrew
word shibboleth) rests on weak historical grounds. Biblical scholars interpret
the story of Jephthah as an expression of the Book of Judges’ theological
significance; viz., Israel’s fortunes fluctuated depending on the degree of
their fidelity to Yahweh

SAMSON

Hebrew Shimshon, legendary Israelite warrior and judge, or divinely

inspired leader, renowned for the prodigious strength that he derived from his
uncut hair. 

Samson possessed extraordinary physical strength, and the moral of his saga

relates the disastrous loss of his power to his violation of the Nazirite vow, to
which he was bound by his mother’s promise to the angel. He first broke his
religious obligation by feasting with a woman from the neighbouring town of
Timnah, who was also a Philistine, one of Israel’s mortal enemies. Other
remarkable deeds follow. For example, he decimated the Philistines in a
private war. On another occasion he repulsed their assault on him at Gaza,
where he had gone to visit a harlot. He finally fell victim to his foes through
love of Delilah, who beguiled him into revealing the secret of his strength: his
long Nazirite hair. As he slept, Delilah had his hair cut and betrayed him. He
was captured, blinded, and enslaved by the Philistines, but in the end God
granted Samson his revenge; through the return of his old strength, he
demolished the great Philistine temple of the god Dagon, at Gaza, destroying
his captors and himself (Judges 16:4–30).

FAMILY OF NAOMI

The story of Naomi appears in the Bible in the book of Ruth. Naomi lived
during the time of the judges. She was the wife of a man named Elimelech, and
they lived in Bethlehem with their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. Naomi’s life
illustrates the power of God to bring something good out of bitter
circumstances.

 WITCH OR MEDIUM OF ENDOR

a female sorcerer who was visited by Saul, the first king of Israel. Although
Saul had banished all sorcerers and conjurers from his kingdom, his concern
about the final outcome of Israel’s battle against the Philistines caused him to
seek the services of someone with “a familiar spirit.” When his servants told
him of such a woman at Endor, he disguised himself and visited her that night.
He asked her to conjure up the spirit of the prophet Samuel to tell his
fortunes. When the woman reminded him of the law against practicing her art,
he assured her that she would be protected. The woman accordingly conjured
up a spirit identified by Saul as Samuel. The spirit informed Saul that he and
his three sons would die in battle the next day and that the Israelites would fall
to the Philistines.

URIAH

 an elite soldier in the army of David, king of Israel and Judah, and the
husband of Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam. While Uriah was serving in
David's army abroad, David himself, from the roof of his palace, looked down
on his city and spied upon Bathsheba bathing in the privacy of her courtyard.
Moved by lust at the sight of her, David called for Bathsheba to be brought to
him and slept with her, impregnating her. In an effort to hide his misdeeds,
David called Uriah home from war, hoping that he and Bathsheba would
have relations and that he would be able to pass the child off as belonging to
Uriah. But Uriah, being a disciplined soldier, refused to visit his wife. So
David murdered him by proxy by ordering all of Uriah's comrades to abandon
him in the midst of battle, so that he ended up getting killed by an opposing
army. Following Uriah's death, David took Bathsheba as his eighth wife.

AHITHOPHEL
also spelled Achitophel, in the Old Testament, one of King David’s most
trusted advisers. He took a leading part in the revolt of David’s son Absalom,
and Ahithophel’s defection was a severe blow to David. Having consulted
Ahithophel about his plans to proceed against David, Absalom then sought
advice from Hushai, another of David’s counselors. Hushai, who remained
secretly loyal to the king, betrayed Absalom’s cause by opposing Ahithophel’s
plan and proposing in its place a scheme of his own, which actually gave the
advantage to David. This plan Absalom accepted. Ahithophel, recognizing that
Hushai had outwitted him, foresaw the disastrous defeat of Absalom’s forces
and took his own life (II Samuel 15:31–37; 16:20–17:23)
SAMARIA
is the historic and biblical name used for the central region of Palestine,
bordered by Judea to the south and Galilee to the north.[2][3] The first-century
historian Josephus set the Mediterranean Sea as its limit to the west, and
the Jordan River as its limit to the east.[3] Its territory largely corresponds to
the biblical allotments of the tribe of Ephraim and the western half
of Manasseh. It includes most of the region of the ancient Kingdom of Israel,
which was north of the Kingdom of Judah. The border between Samaria and
Judea is set at the latitude of Ramallah.[4]
The name "Samaria" is derived from the ancient city of Samaria, capital of the
northern Kingdom of Israel.[
NABOTH
Naboth owned a vineyard, in proximity to King Ahab's palace in the city of
Jezreel. Because of this, Ahab desired to acquire the vineyard so that he could
use it for a vegetable (or herb) garden. [2][3] Since he inherited the land from his
ancestors, Naboth refused to sell it to Ahab.[4] According to the Mosaic law, the
law forbade the permanent selling of land. [5]
Frustrated at not being able to procure the vineyard, Ahab returned to his
palace and went to bed without eating anything. His wife, Jezebel, after
learning the reason for his being upset, asked mockingly, "Are you not the
king?"[2] She then said that she would obtain the vineyard for him. To do so,
she sent a letter, under Ahab's name, to the elders and nobles of Naboth's city,
instructing them to entrap Naboth by inviting him to a religious feast, where
he would be 'exalted'. Two witnesses, referred to as "scoundrels" by Jezebel,
were then to be called forth to (falsely) accuse Naboth of cursing God and the
king. After that, they would take him outside the city and stone him to death.
The use of two witnesses in this conspiracy was most likely done to convince
the elders and nobles that they were participating in a legal entrapment
against a guilty person, instead of a criminal conspiracy as the testimonies of
two witnesses were enough to impose the death penalty on the accused.

MANASSEH

 was king of the southern kingdom of Judah and the son of the godly king
Hezekiah. Hezekiah had undertaken reforms in Judah to rid the land of
idolatry. Manasseh, a wicked king, reversed these reforms and did much
worse. The first five verses of 2 Kings 21 are a frank and stunning account of
Manasseh’s apostasy:

“Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in
Jerusalem fifty-five years. . . . He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the
detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the
Israelites. He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he
also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel
had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. He built
altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, ‘In Jerusalem I
will put my Name.’ In the two courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars
to all the starry hosts. He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced
divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists.

SANBALLAT

when he and his escort arrived in Jerusalem, their return aroused the enmity
of Sanballat and his allies. They were aggrieved[4] that the welfare of the Jews
should be fostered. When Nehemiah actually disclosed his intention of
building the walls of Jerusalem they laughed him to scorn, and said, "Will ye
rebel against the king?"[5] Nehemiah resented their insinuation, and told them
that they had no right in Jerusalem, nor any interest in its affairs. As soon as
Sanballat and his associates heard that Nehemiah and the Jews were actually
building the walls, they were angry; and Sanballat addressed the army of
Samaria with a contemptuous reference to "these feeble Jews.

NEHEMIAH

also spelled Nehemias, (flourished 5th century BC), Jewish leader who

supervised the rebuilding of Jerusalem in the mid-5th century BC after his
release from captivity by the Persian king Artaxerxes I. He also instituted
extensive moral and liturgical reforms in rededicating the Jews to Yahweh.

Nehemiah was the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I at a time when Judah in

Palestine had been partly repopulated by Jews released from their exile in
Babylonia. The Temple at Jerusalem had been rebuilt, but the
Jewish community there was dispirited and defenseless against its non-Jewish
neighbours. Distressed at news of the desolate condition of Jerusalem,
Nehemiah obtained permission from Artaxerxes to journey to Palestine to
help rebuild its ruined structures. He was provided with an escort and with
documents that guaranteed the assistance of Judah’s Persian officials. So
about 444 BC Nehemiah journeyed to Jerusalem and aroused the people there
to the necessity of repopulating the city and rebuilding its walls. Nehemiah
encountered hostility from the (non-Jewish) local officials in neighbouring
districts, but in the space of 52 days the Jews under his direction succeeded in
rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls.

Nehemiah then apparently served as governor of the small district of Judea for
12 years, during which he undertook various religious and economic reforms
before returning to Persia. On a second visit to Jerusalem he strengthened his
fellow Jews’ observance of the Sabbath and ended the custom of Jewish men
marrying foreign-born wives. This latter act helped to keep the Judaeans
separate from their non-Jewish neighbours. Nehemiah’s reconstructive work
in Palestine was subsequently continued by the religious leader Ezra (q.v.).

EZRA

Hebrew ʿezraʾ, (flourished 4th century BC, Babylon and Jerusalem),

religious leader of the Jews who returned from exile in Babylon, reformer who
reconstituted the Jewish community on the basis of the Torah (Law, or the
regulations of the first five books of the Old Testament). His work helped
make Judaism a religion in which law was central, enabling the Jews to
survive as a community when they were dispersed all over the world. Since his
efforts did much to give Jewish religion the form that was to characterize it for
centuries after, Ezra has with some justice been called the father of
Judaism; i.e., the specific form the Jewish religion took after the Babylonian
Exile. So important was he in the eyes of his people that later tradition
regarded him as no less than a second Moses.

ZERUBBABEL

 also spelled Zorobabel, (flourished 6th century BC), governor

of Judaea under whom the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple at Jerusalem took
place. Of Davidic origin, Zerubbabel is thought to have originally been a
Babylonian Jew who returned to Jerusalem at the head of a band of
Jewish exiles and became governor of Judaea under the Persians. Influenced
by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, he rebuilt the Temple. As a descendant
of the House of David, Zerubbabel rekindled Jewish messianic hopes.

BOOK OF ESTHER

book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. It belongs to the

third section of the Judaic canon, known as the Ketuvim, or “Writings.” In the
Jewish Bible, Esther follows Ecclesiastes and Lamentations and is read on the
festival of Purim, which commemorates the rescue of the Jews
from Haman’s plottings. The Book of Esther is one of the Megillot, five scrolls
read on stated Jewish religious holidays.

 BELSHAZZAR

played a pivotal role in the coup d'état that overthrew the king Labashi-

Marduk (r. 556 BC) and brought Nabonidus to power in 556 BC. Since
Belshazzar was the main beneficiary of the coup, through confiscating and
inheriting Labashi-Marduk's estates and wealth, it is likely that he was the
chief orchestrator. Through proclaiming his father as the new king, Belshazzar
also made himself the first-in-line to the throne. As Nabonidus was relatively
old at the time, Belshazzar could expect to become king within a few years.

Belshazzar holds a great feast and drinks from the vessels that had been looted
in the destruction of the First Temple. A hand appears and writes on the wall.
The terrified Belshazzar calls for his wise men, but they are unable to read the
writing. The queen advises him to send for Daniel, renowned for his wisdom.
Daniel reminds Belshazzar that his father Nebuchadnezzar, when he became
arrogant, was thrown down until he learned that God has sovereignty over the
kingdom of men (see Daniel 4). Belshazzar had likewise blasphemed God, and
so God sent this hand. Daniel then reads the message and interprets it: God
has numbered Belshazzar's days, he has been weighed and found wanting, and
his kingdom will be given to the Medes and the Persians.

CEDAR

the tree that grows mostly in Lebanon and is compared to the righteous
person in the psalms.

PROPHET EZEKIEL

 Ezekiel is acknowledged as a Hebrew prophet. In Judaism and Christianity,

he is also viewed as the 6th-century BCE author of the Book of Ezekiel, which
reveals prophecies regarding the destruction of Jerusalem, and the restoration
to the land of Israel.
Ezekiel recorded the visions and revelations he received from the Lord. Ezekiel
was a priest who was among the Jewish captives carried away to Babylon by
King Nebuchadnezzar in approximately 597 B.C. (see Ezekiel 1:3).

 prophet Ezekiel, having preached God's command neither to weep nor mourn for the
dead, had to follow his own teachings when he discovered that his wife had died. The
grief-stricken gestures of the mourners are in sharp contrast to Ezekiel's stoic attitude.

Ezekiel was mute, not for years, but for months at most. His muteness fell upon him
about the time of Jerusalem's siege and capture.