SURPRISE OF THE DAY ~ October 18

Things in the Bible not really in the Bible...and a few surprises

Surprise of the Day

Nehemiah served as cup bearer to King Artaxerxes, probable son of Queen Esther. History tells us Xerxes’ son, Artaxerxes, became king after Xerxes died.

Nehemiah 1:1-3  –  Nehemiah 2:1-10  –  Esther 1-2 – Timeline of 2 days ago

Fact of the Day 

Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal forest, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

They were in the palace at Susa (remember from yesterday’s post?) in Persia (today’s Iran near today’s Iraq).  Notice, the queen is sitting next to the king when the king granted everything Nehemiah needed to re-build the walls and gates of  Jerusalem that had been left in rubble 70 years earlier by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.    

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SURPRISE OF THE DAY ~ October 17

Things in the Bible not really in the Bible...and a few surprises

Surprise of the Day

A former slave in the Bible saved the Jews from extermination

Esther 9:1-32 – Esther chap. 1

Fact of the Day 

Jewish Esther arrived in Babylon as a little slave girl. A while later, Xerxes, king of Persia conquered Babylon, Egypt and many other smaller kingdoms.  When he marched to conquer Greece, he had such a temper that, when a storm stopped his advance he ordered the sea beaten with 300 lashes.

Later, he made this little slave girl his bride.  But she did not tell him she was a Jew,  So, when Esther asked King Xerxes to spare her people from extinction, she was taking a big chance.  She had to admit she was a former Jewish slave. With all that against her, Xerxes honored her wish and saved the Jews.

To this day, every March, Jews keep a festival to remember how a former slave turned queen in the Bible, saved the Jews from extermination around 450 BC. 

Oh, and the remains of her magnificent palace in Susa still reign in Iran.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Darius_in_Susa

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