Purim may be my favorite Jewish holiday.
Purim, not Chanukah is the traditional Jewish holiday for gift giving. Purim is the Jewish holiday for parties in costumes like Halloween. Purim is a drinking holiday. The Book of Esther, the story of Purim, is my go to when some evangelical wants to ‘teach the Bible in public schools’. While Purim is a religious school favorite, the Book of Esther is not for children.
The events of Purim happened when the Jews were exiled to Persia in the 4th century BCE in the city of Shushan. Shushan still exists in Iran.
The full story is in the Book of Esther contains the full story. The short version is this:
King Ahasuerus of Shushan had his queen, Vashti for not following his commands. He then went searching for a new queen. Haman, the grand Vizier hated the Jews and set up a plan to kill all of the Jews.
Mordechai convinced his niece Esther to enter the beauty pageant to be the queen. She of course wins, becomes the queen. convinces the king that Haman is evil and saves the Jews. This would be the version you would tell a 2nd grader.
Josephus was a first century CE historian. He was a slave to the Romans who controlled Judea at the time. Large parts of Jewish history and custom are from Josephus’ records, including the story of Purim.
The Book of Esther is pretty R rated. Chapter 1 starts with a 180 drunken party Ahasuerus threw for his armies. Vashti, the queen had her own party for the women of the royal house.
After a week of drinking the king ordered Vashti to dance for his quests in ONLY her royal crown. She said no. He had her executed.
Chapter 2 starts with the king looking for virgins to be his new queen. Mordecai convinces Esther to enter the pageant, hiding that she is Jewish. Mordecai is called her uncle. Some scholars question his true relationship with Esther. The options range from father to pimp.
Haman’s plans are discovered, the king is convinced that Haman is actually the evil one and Haman is hung from the gallows he built for Mordecai.
Sometimes the story ends there. But if you read to the end you discover that, “And the other Jews that were in the king’s provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of them that hated them seventy and five thousand–but on the spoil they laid not their hand-…” In retribution, the Jews killed 75,000 people.