Dictionary of all Scriptures & Myths

ESTHER, BOOK OF

A Divinely inspired story symbolical of the spiritual evolution of the human soul.

"(The goddess) Istar appears as Esther in the book of Esther, where Mordechai, it may be noted, is a derivative from Merodach (the god)." - A. H. SAYCE, Hibbert Lectures, p. 275.

"Merodach was the Divine Man, freed from the limitations of our mortal existence. . . When Nebuchadnezzar prays to Merodach, he calls him 'supreme in earth and heaven, omipotent and creator of all things.'" - A. H. SAYCE, Religions, etc., pp. 334-6.

The sacred symbols in the Book of Esther are to be understood as follows:-The king Ahasuerus signifies the Supreme or Unmanifest Self and Mordecai is the Higher or Manifest Self gradually evolving in the soul. The first queen Vashti is a symbol of the buddhic principle retiring into obscuration at the time of the "feast when the lower qualities (people) enter the mind or soul (Sushan). The second queen Esther represents the buddhic principle becoming manifest in human souls, and operating secretly on the lower nature. The "Jews" are the higher qualities. scattered in germ throughout the lower nature (kingdom). They are in “exile," and need to be restored or evolved. The grand vizier Haman symbolises the desire-mind, the adversary of the higher qualities (Jews); he is the ruler of the lower qualities by the will of the Supreme. The desire mind hates the Higher Self (Mordecai), who will not bow to it. Haman, like Herod, seeks to destroy the "innocents' from among his "people," the lower qualities. But the massacre of the "Jews" which he contemplates is frustrated, and eventually the higher qualities (Jews) become strong and destroy a multitude of the lower qualities. The choice and purification of the "virgins" signify the subjective development of the buddhic emotions which are in touch with the Divine Love within. But the Wisdom nature (Esther) is pre-eminent, and the fitting bride of Love. It is through the activities of buddhi (Esther) that the machinations of the lower principle (Haman) are defeated and brought to naught. "Hegai, keeper of the women is a symbol of the higher intellect, or spiritual mind, which discriminates the emotions and initiates order among them. Esther's banquets to the king and Haman emphasise the necessity of the opposites, good and evil, for the growth of the soul. But evil exists to be overcome, so the time arrives for each phase of evil to be exterminated. The glorifying of Mordecai by Haman shows how unwittingly evil makes prominent and admirable the splendid virtues which clothe the manifestation of the Divine nature in the soul. Haman can get no consolation from reason (wise men) for even the lower mind foretells the destruction of evil when the higher qualities (Jews) arise in the lower nature. Haman falls upon Esther's couch, for the desire-nature is the inverted reflection of the buddhic and could have no existence but for it. At the death of the ruling lower principle, the supreme power in the lower nature of the soul passes to the Higher Self (Mordecai), who begins his government by fostering all good qualities and setting restrictions on the bad. The feast of Purim refers to the satisfaction and joy experienced in the triumph of good over evil. (By no possibility could any lower mind have invented the symbolism in this wonderful story of old.)

"There is a true sense in which it may be maintained that the New Testament is even more unreservedly religious than the Old. Certainly a book such as Esther, where the Divine Name is not once mentioned, could not have found a place in the Apostolic writings. If the Song of Songs has commended itself to the Christian Church, it has found acceptance by the help of the mystical interpretation which has seen in it an allegory of the Divine Love." - H. B. SWETE, Cambridge Biblical Essays, p. 549.

See Also

AGAMEMNON
BUDDHI
EVIL
EXILE
FEAST
GARMENTS (Higher)
GOPIS
HEROD
HOURIES
INCENSE
ISTAR
JEWS
JOB
MAGI
MERODACH
PALACE
RETURN
SLAUGHTER
VIRGIN
WOMAN