Esther and Daniel

Abstract

The books of Esther and Daniel are diaspora tales, written from the point of view of those on the underside of dominance, who are threatened by persecution and genocide. The exaggerated and ironized telling of Persian history in Esther gives voice to the oppressed. Yet this volatile book has also been used as a warrant for violence, both by Jews and against Jews. The book of Daniel is another imaginative account of Jews living in foreign courts, and it has the overt theological dimension that Esther lacks. Both the court tales and the vision reports in the second half of the book exploit this setting to address two questions: How can Jews survive in Gentile power structures, which often threaten Jewish identity and Jewish lives? And, how long until God asserts sovereignty over all oppressive potentates?