How many books of the Tanach begin with a story made for the tabloids? The Book of Esther jumps right in with a dramatic breakup worthy of headlines. When Achashverosh banished Vashti and she ceased ...

RALEIGH, N.C. (RNS) — Since its inclusion in the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Esther has been embraced in different ways and in different times by Jews and Christians around the world. RALEIGH, N.C. (RNS ...

Purim is a joyous Jewish holiday celebrating the deliverance of the Jewish people from a genocide plot in ancient Persia. The holiday is often misunderstood as "Jewish Halloween" because observers ...

The timing of Israel’s strike, days before the holiday, prompted religious and political figures to invoke themes from the biblical story set in ancient Persia. In Jewish time, history often has a way ...