Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
and his followers during the long period of their wanderings. (1 Samuel 30:28) comp. 1Sam 30:31
Its site is at Semu’a, a village seven miles south of Hebron.
Eshton
(effeminate), a name which occurs in the genealogies of Judah. (1 Chronicles 4:11,12)
Esli
son of Nagge or Naggai, in the genealogy of Christ. (Luke 3:25)
Esril
1 Esd. 9:34. [Azareel, Or Azareel, or Sharai]
Esrom
(enclosed). (Matthew 1:3; Luke 3:33) [Hesron, Hezron, Hezron]
Essenes
a Jewish sect, who, according to the description of Josephus, combined the ascetic virtues of
the Pythagoreans and Stoics with a spiritual knowledge of the divine law. It seems probable that
the name signifies seer, or the silent, the mysterious. As a sect the Essenes were distinguished by
an aspiration after ideal purity rather than by any special code of doctrines. There were isolated
communities of Essenes, which were regulated by strict rules, analogous to those of the monastic
institutions of a later date. All things were held in common, without distinction of property; and
special provision was made for the relief of the poor. Self-denial, temperance and labor—especially
agriculture— were the marks of the outward life of the Essenes; purity and divine communion the
objects of their aspiration. Slavery, war and commmerce were alike forbidden. Their best-known
settlements were on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea.
Esther
(a star), the Persian name of Hadassah (myrtle), daughter of Abihail, the son of Shimei, the son
of Kish, a Benjamite. Esther was a beautiful Jewish maiden. She was an orphan, and had been
brought up by her cousin Mordecai, who had an office in the household of Ahasuerus king of
Persia—supposed to be the Xerxes of history— and dwelt at “Shushan the palace.” When Vashti
was dismissed from being queen, the king chose Esther to the place on account of her beauty, not
knowing her race or parentage; and on the representation of Haman the Agagite that the Jews
scattered through his empire were pernicious race, he gave him full power and authority to kill
them all. The means taken by Esther to avert this great calamity from her people and her kindred
are fully related in the book of Esther. The Jews still commemorate this deliverance in the yearly
festival Purim, on the 14th and 15th of Adar (February, March). History is wholly silent about both
Vashti and Esther.
Esther, Book Of
one of the latest of the canonical books of Scripture, having been written late in the reign of
Xerxes, or early in that of his son Artaxerxes Longimanus (B.C. 444, 434). The author is not known.
The book of Esther is placed among the hagiographa by the Jews, and in that first portion of them
which they call “the five rolls.” It is written on a single roll, sin a dramatic style, and is read through
by the Jews in their synagogues at the feast of Purim, when it is said that the names of Haman’s
sons are read rapidly all in one breath, to signify that they were all hanged at the same time; while
at every mention of Haman the audience stamp and shout and hiss, and the children spring rattles.
It has often been remarked as a peculiarity of this book that the name of God does not once occur
in it. Schaff gives as the reason for this that it was to permit the reading of the book at the hilarious
and noisy festival of Purim, without irreverence. The style of writing is remarkably chaste and
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William Smith