Some Israelis See Esther's Story in the Attacks on Iran as Purim Coincides With Strikes Against Persia
As joint U.S.-Israeli strikes pounded Iran this week, Jews around the world celebrated Purim -- the ancient feast commemorating Queen Esther's rescue of the Jewish people from Haman of Persia -- and the haunting convergence of biblical narrative and modern warfare has captivated the Israeli public. Christianity Today spoke with Israeli scholars and citizens who see unmistakable echoes of the Book of Esther in the current campaign against the same Persian land that once plotted the annihilation of the Jewish people. The parallels are striking: a threat to Israel emanating from Persia, a ruler who must decide whether to act, and a moment of deliverance that arrives at the precise time it is needed. For believers who take seriously the idea that God works through history, the timing of military operations against Iran during Purim is either the most extraordinary coincidence imaginable or a sign that the God of Esther remains active in the affairs of nations. The theological implications are profound -- and contested -- but the emotional resonance among Israelis who grew up reading Esther's story and now watch their military strike the same geographic territory is undeniable.
Read Full Story at Christianity TodayAnd who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?
— Esther 4:14
Mordecai's question to Esther reverberates through the centuries and into this extraordinary week. The Jewish people have survived every empire that sought their destruction -- from Persia to Babylon to Rome to Nazi Germany -- and the convergence of Purim with strikes against modern Persia stirs something deep in the collective memory of a people who have learned to see God's hand in the turning points of history.