TY - JOUR
T1 - 'Jewish Identity on Trial: The Case of Mordecai the Jew',
AU - Seidler, A.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - The book of Esther deals with issues of Jewish identity in exile. This article argues that early in the story (chapters 2 and 3) Mordecai is depicted as trying to assimilate into Persian culture before experiencing a reversal and returning to his Jewish identity, a development that occurs from chapter 4 onwards. This reading illuminates an important theme addressed in the book, namely, how the danger of assimilation threatens Jews in the Diaspora. The book portrays an ideal Jewish leader operating in a foreign court while adhering to his Jewish identity and serving his fellow Jews.
AB - The book of Esther deals with issues of Jewish identity in exile. This article argues that early in the story (chapters 2 and 3) Mordecai is depicted as trying to assimilate into Persian culture before experiencing a reversal and returning to his Jewish identity, a development that occurs from chapter 4 onwards. This reading illuminates an important theme addressed in the book, namely, how the danger of assimilation threatens Jews in the Diaspora. The book portrays an ideal Jewish leader operating in a foreign court while adhering to his Jewish identity and serving his fellow Jews.
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/e36f6263-8ba1-3bd5-9335-9698c9e6b336/
U2 - 10.5508/jhs.2017.v17.a8
DO - 10.5508/jhs.2017.v17.a8
M3 - Article
SN - 1203-1542
VL - 17
JO - Journal of Hebrew Scriptures
JF - Journal of Hebrew Scriptures
ER -