How Did the Jews of Persia in the Talmudic Period Interpret the Book of Esther?
The Tractate Megillah's interpretation of the Book of Esther is the only full length midrashic analysis of a Biblical book in the entire Talmud. How was this analysis influenced by the Jew's interaction with Persian society and culture? Did the Persian Jews interpret the Book of Esther in a special manner because it was a book about their ancestry in Persia? This lecture will study specific examples in the Talmud's interpretation of Esther and parallel sources in Persian and Christian literature.
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Posted February 14, 2011

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