We are at chapter three, verse 2. It is about the the beginning of the twelfth year of Xerxes' reign, a little more than four years after he supposedly made Esther Queen. Haman has been exalted by the king, who has commanded that all the royal officials at the king's gate kneel down to Haman. Mordecai dies not kneel down or pay Haman honor. Why? Who knows. Maybe because he's supposed to be an Agagite, an hereditary enemy of the Israelites. However, though it makes for a good story, it's highly unlikely that was actually the case. Five hundred years had passed since the alleged enmity between the two tribes. Even if it actually happened, what are the chances that level of disdain would travel that far through the centuries, maintaining its fervor?
The royal officials wanted to know why Mordecai would not comply. He did not answer or change his behavior. The officials told Haman to see what he would do about it, as well as revealing to Haman that Mordecai was a Jew. Haman was hopping mad. When he found out who Mordecai's people were, he decided to kill the lot of them throughout the whole kingdom.
It was the first month (Nisan) of the twelfth year of Xerxes's reign. Haman cast lots to see when would be a good time to kill all the Jews. The lot fell on the twelfth month, the last month (Adar) of the year. Haman went to Xerxes and told him "there is a certain people dispersed and scattered among the peoples. In all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the king's laws. It is not in the king's interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will put ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury for the men who carry out this business.
Haman is offering to pay for the extermination of the Jews if the king will sign off on it. He doesn't appear to tell the king who he is going to exterminate, though. The king gives Haman his royal ring, which basically gives him the power to do almost anything. Xerxes also tells him to forget about the money, Haman is allowed to do whatever he wants to the people. If this story was true, Xerxes was an idiot. He gave Haman carte blanche to destroy a bunch of people in his kingdom, without even asking any questions?!!
On the thirteenth day of the first month, Haman had the royal scribed write out his orders in the various languages of the empire and had them sent out by couriers to all the king's provinces. The orders were written in the name of Xerxes and sealed with his ring. They said that "all the Jews, young and old, women and children," were to be killed on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month. Permission was also given to plunder the goods of the Jews. Extra copies of the edict were issued and sent out so that all the non-official peoples of every tribe would also be ready to attack the Jews.
It probably wasn't a coincidence that the day the author says this declaration was written, the thirteenth of Nisan, was the day before the Fast of the first born and two days before the Jewish Passover week. Another interesting coincidence is that in Persia/Iran, the thirteenth day of the first month was an annual celebration called Sizdeh Be-dar. This day is traditionally around the American date of April first or second and has been a day to play pranks, since before the time our story takes place! The Jews were also to be killed on the thirteen day of the last month. Thirteen certainly looked like an unlucky number for them.
Till next time.
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