Beauty crowned; or, The story of Esther, the Jewish maiden

Front matter

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Preface

THE story of Esther possesses a charm peculiarly its own. The style is perfect and the Hebrew pure. There are only enough Persian words to giveit an Oriental flavor, and only enough later Hebrew to suit the date of its composition. There is no affectation, and the only art is the unconscious " art of artlessness." There is no attempt at the sublime, yet the book is not lacking in sublimity. The characters stand out in clear light and speak for themselves. There is no waste of words, yet the whole story is told. Each part fills its own proper place, and the skillfully -planned denouement is most dramatic. It is altogether a magnificent piece of writing which never fails to fascinate the reader.

The Book of Esther is an important chapter in the history of the world, and its story moves in the midst of stirring events. The impartial student cannot well afford to neglect this priceless contribution. The deliverance of the people of God from the fury of Hainan the Agagite should be mentioned with the earlier deliverance from Egyptian bondage.

6 Preface.

This story furnishes glimpses of the court of a Persian king, his harem, and his palace ; it refers to many customs connected with social and domestic life ; it portrays the character of an Oriental despot and outlines the organization of his government ; and it proclaims the queenliness of a beautiful woman when possessed of corresponding graces of mind and heart. The story touches history at so many points, and the references to laws and customs — many of them undesigned — are so numerous, that it were easy to detect a mistake, if the writer were not true to facts.

In the present work the author has so woven classical and Oriental illustrations into the story that the minute truthfulness of the account may be considered demonstrated beyond successful controversy. The reader will feel confident that it is not mere romance but veritable history, while the charm of the story is greatly heightened by this consideration.

The questions of temperance and home, brought prominently forward, have received a fair share of consideration, while other lesser but important subjects have not been forgotten.

It is believed that this new dress in which the story of Esther appears will insure new interest in its study.

Contents

Chapter page

I. The Vast Kingdom and the Mighty King 9

II. The Magnificent Palace 24

II. The Magnificent Palace

"Shushan the palace. 1 ' — Esther i, 2.

Susa, "the city of lilies," " ornate with the gold of Cissia," was the capital of the biblical Elam, the Elyraais of the geographers, the Cissia of the Greeks, the Susis or Susiana of the later Greeks. u This territory comprised a portion of the mountain country which separates Mesopotamia from Persia ; but is chiefly composed of the broad and rich flats intervening between the mountains and the Tigris, alone; the courses of the Kerkhah, Knran, and Jerahi rivers. It w r as a rich and fertile tract, resembling Chaldea in its general character," while " the vicinity of the mountains lent it freshness, giving it cooler streams, more frequent rains, and pleasanter breezes." *

The mountains of Luristan furnish prominent features in the appearance of the country. " The great range attains an elevation of eight or ten thousand feet above the sea, and bears in a general direction toward' the north-west. Its rocky masses belong entirely to the cetaceous and lower tertiary series, rising in huge, elongated saddles of compact altered

* Rawlinson, Ancient Monarchies, vol. i, p. 26.

limestone parallel to each other. At intervals, where the elevating force which produced the present configuration of this region has acted with extreme intensity, the continuity of the beds became broken, and masses of rock were left standing isolated, with precipitous escarpments, presenting retreats accessible only to the savage inhabitants. ' Diz ' is the name applied to natural fortresses of this kind, which frequently bear on their summits acres of rich grass and springs of delicious water, whither a native chief with his adherents can retire in safety in times of need, and defend their difficult passes with a handful of men against the whole power of the Persian government itself.

u Superimposed on the harder limestone rocks are beds of a softer nature — marls, rivaling the colored sands of our own Isle of Wight in their brilliant and variegated aspect ; vast piles of amorphous gypsum dazzling the eye with its excessive whiteness, and successive layers of red sands alternating with gravel. These formations follow the contortions of the harder crystalline limestones, lie at extraordinary angles on the slopes of the saddles, and fill up the hot, feverish vallevs between them. Wherever the highlands of Persia are approached from the plains of Mesopotamia, the same formidable barrier of mountains presents itself. To attain the high level of that garden of roses, which the Persian poet loves to descant on, it is necessary to climb the successive ridges by roads scarcely better than goat tracks, which regular gradation of ascents is approximately described by the Greek historians as Mimahes or 4 ladders.' All the great rivers which flow from the east into the Tigris have their sources in these mountains, crossing diagonally through the intricacies of the chain. Instead of flowing in a south-east direction, along the trough which separates two parallel limestone saddles, and by this means working out its channel in the soft rocks of the gypsiferous and marly series, and rounding the extremity of the saddle where it dips under the overlying deposits, each of these rivers takes a direction at right angles to its former course, and passes directly through the limestone range by means of a ' tang,' or gorge, apparently formed for this express purpose. On reaching the next succeeding gypsum trough, it follows its original south-east course for a short distance, and again crosses the next chain in the same manner, until it attains the verdant plains of Assyria, or Susiana. Many of these tangs expose a perpendicular section of one thousand feet and upward, and were formed, not by the scooping process which attends river action, but by natural rents produced by the tension of the crystalline mass at the period of its elevation." *

From the mountains of Susiana the Accadians de-

* Loftus, Chaldea and Susiana, pp. 308, 309.

scended, and settled in the plains of Chaldea. Susa, the capital, was on " an open gravel plain about thirty miles from the mountains." Three hundred and fifty miles north-west of Susa is Nizir, the Chaldean Ararat. "Nowhere have I seen," says Mr. Loftus, " such rich vegetation as that which clothes the verdant plains of Shush, interspersed with numerous plants of a sweet-scented and delicate iris." * This flower is one of those called " lily " by the Orientals — it is the Iris sisyrynchium, L. The purple is the royal color of Persia, and it has been thought that the abundance of these flowers , gave the name of " Shushan " to this locality. The Hebrew Shoshan, Arabic Susan, means any large bright flower. There are others, however, who suppose that Shushan is a Pehlevi word and means " pleasant," and the neighboring city called Shuster means "more pleasant." This " city of lilies," or " pleasant city," occupied a most beautiful spot. The great mound which marks the site of its citadel rises one hundred and twenty feet above the Shapur. The "tomb of Daniel" is on the west, and the forsaken bed of the Eulseus, the " river Ulai " of the Bible, on the east.

"It is difficult to conceive a more imposing sight than Susa, as it stood in the days of its Kayanian splendor — its great citadel and columnar edifices raising their stately heads above groves of date,

* Loftus, Chaldea and Susiana, p. 346.

konar, and lemon-trees, surrounded by rich pastures and golden seas of corn, and backed by the distant snow-clad mountains. Neither Babylon nor Persepolis could compare with Susa in position — watered by her noble rivers, producing crops without irrigation, clothed with grass in spring, and within a moderate journey of a delightful summer clime. Susa vied with Babylon in the riches which the Euphrates conveyed to her stores, while Persepolis must have been inferior, both in point of commercial position and picturesque appearance." *

The heat of summer is very great at Susa. The Greek geographer relates that " lizards and serpents at midday in the summer, when the sun is at its greatest height, cannot cross the streets of the city quick enough to prevent their being burned to death midway by the heat."f The lizards of the country attract the attention of the traveler. Mr. Loftus says : " Clinging to the rocks, basking in the hot sun, or fleetly pursuing smaller reptiles, were numerous huge lizards (Psammosaurus scincus), lashing their long tails and opening their capacious black jaws. . . . They live chiefly on snakes, which they pounce on suddenly, shake as a terrier does a rat, and* cranch from tail to head ; then they suck the mangled body down their throats, somewhat after the manner of a

* Loftus, Chaldea and Susiana, p. 347. f Strabo, vol. iii, p. 134.

Neapolitan swallowing his national macaroni ! I once saw a lizard of this species attack, kill, and attempt to swallow a serpent six feet long. After gulping for a length of time to get down the tip end of its victim's tail, which hung out of its mouth, it disgorged its meal, repeated the process of mastication, and ultimately, after some hard gasping, succeeded in overcoming its difficulty." *

Ancient inscriptions are to be found among the ruins of Susa. In Genesis, Elam is the firstborn of Shem. Twice in the fourteenth chapter we find the title " king of Elam " given to Chedorlaomer. Ezra makes Elamites dependents of the Persian empire. Long afterward they appeared among the company which gathered in the upper room on the day of Pentecost.

Modern research has revealed a great kingdom. In the providence of God this old kingdom has had its resurrection. Elam is thought to be a translation of the old Accadian name of Susiana, and means " highland." The Babylonians, according to traditions from the monuments, were oppressed by the Elamites under Khumbaba, but were delivered by the hero Izdubar, whom the late George Smith identifies with Nimrod. There are other traces of the early power of Elam. When Assurbanipal conquered the country, and took Susa, B. C. 645, he brought

* Loftus, Chdldea and, Susiana, p. 306.

back an image of the goddess Nana which Kudur Nakkhunti had carried away when he overran Babylonia, B. C. 2280. Again, Kudur-Mabug, king of Elam, carried his conquests as far as Phenicia, and assumed the titles "Lord of Phenicia" and " Lord of Elam." His son Eriaku, Arioch, was king of Larsa, Ellasar. The land of Shinar, or Sumir of the inscriptions, was under the Septuagint King Amarphal, a name which has been recovered in Amarpal. The Goim, Guti or Gutium of the inscriptions, at least a part of them, became the Assyrians of later times. Their king was Tidal, Septuagint Thargal, Accadian Tur-gal, or " great chief." Kudur-Mabug is probably Chedorlaomer. He was overlord of the allied kings, mentioned above, when he extended his conquests to Phenicia,- and was defeated by Abraham. Thus the names of old potentates rising from the mists of remote antiquity furnish a most powerful confirmation of the Bible records. Elam has demonstrated her right to an historic place among the nations of Oriental antiquity.

Susa was a rival of Nineveh at an early period, and under the Achsemenian dynasty usurped the greatness of both Nineveh and Babylon. Cleomenes, king of Sparta, wished to engage Aristagoras as an ally of the Ionians against Darius. The Spartan king, in a remarkable speech, said : " Susa, where the Persian monarch occasionally resides, and where his treasures are deposited — make yourself master of this city and you may vie in influence with Jupiter himself." Alexander the Great, after the battle of Arbela, made Susa the depository of the wealth which he had gathered from the conquered world. Upon entering Susa, Alexander found in the treasury immense sums of money, fifty thousand talents of silver in ore and ingots and five thousand quintals of Hermione purple. After this the city maintained its importance for more than nine hundred years, when it was finally deserted in favor of other rising cities.

The Kerkhah, orChoaspes, a noble stream near the ancient city, is noted for its pure and sparkling water. It is said that the Persian kings would drink no other, and when on warlike expeditions carried water from this royal stream.* Milton sings of its purity:

" There Susa by Choaspes' amber stream, The drink of none but kings."

The rivers, Kerkhah on the west, and the .Dizful on the east — the Choaspes and the Coprates of the ancients — approach within two and a quarter miles of a junction. At the point of their nearest approximation stand the mounds of Shush, three and a half miles in circumference, or, if various smaller mounds are included, covering the whole visible plain of Shaour. A branch of the Dizful is the Shapur, or * Herodotus, i, 188.

Eulaeus, tlie Ulaj of Daniel, where lie saw in vision the ram with two horns, and the goat which " came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground." This stream originally passed through Susa, and its ancient bed may still be traced. Here are the ruins of the mighty citadel where so many valiant heroes fought, and the magnificent palace where were displayed so much pride, wealth, luxury, cruelty, and sensuality. Now there are no inhabitants. Lions roar around its palaces ; wolves, lynxes, foxes, and jackals prowl amid its ruins ; wild boars and porcupines range the silentness of its approaches, and francolins and partridges find shelter in the deepness of its surrounding coverts.

The burial-place of the prophet Daniel is acknowledged by Jews, Sabgeans, and Mohammedans to be at Shushan. The consecrated spot is visited by many pious pilgrims, who come to offer up prayers and to bury their dead in the holy ground. Many traditions are current concerning the great prophet.

Benjamin of Tudela, A. D. 1160-1173, states that Shushan then contained " very large and handsome buildings of ancient date. It has seven thousand Jewish inhabitants, with fourteen synagogues, in front of one of which is the sepulcher of Daniel, who rests in peace. The river TJlai divides the city into two parts, which are connected by a bridge ; that portion of it which is inhabited by the Jews contains markets, to which all trade is confined, and there all the rich dwell ; on the other side of the river they are poor, because they are deprived of the above-mentioned advantages, and have even no gardens or orchards. These circumstances gave rise to jealousy, which was fostered by the belief that all honor and riches originated in the possession of the remains of the prophet Daniel, who rests in peace, and who was buried on the favored side of the river. A request was made by the poor for permission to remove the sepulcher to the other side, but it was rejected ; upon which a war arose, and w r as carried on between the two parties for a length of time. This strife lasted until ' their souls became loath,' and they came to a mutual agreement, by which it was arranged that the coffin which contained Daniel's bones should be deposited alternately every year on either side. Both parties faithfully adhered to this arrangement, until it was interrupted by the interference of San jar Shahben-Shah, who governs Persia, and holds supreme power over forty-nine of its kings. . . . When this great emperor San jar, king of Persia, came to Shushan, and saw that the coffin of Daniel was removed from one side to the other, he crossed the bridge with a very numerous retinue, accompanied by Jews and Mohammedans, and inquired into the reason of these proceedings. Upon being told what we have now related, he declared it to be derogatory to the honor of Daniel, and commanded that the distance between the two banks should be exactly measured, that Daniel's coffin should be deposited in another coffin made of glass, and that it should be suspended from the center of the bridge by chains of iron. A place of worship was erected on the spot, open to every one who desires to say his prayers, whether he be Jew or Gentile : and the coffin of Daniel is suspended from the bridge unto this very day. The king commanded that, in honor of Daniel, nobody should be allowed to fish in the river one mile on each side of the coffin."

Other similar traditions are current. The tomb of Daniel, in which, however, his remains do not, in all probability, rest, is a resort not only for pilgrims who lodge there at night, but also for robbers who make it the rendezvous for their plundering expeditions.*

The palace at Susa, at the summit of the great platform, fronting a little west of north, and commanding a magnificent view over the Susanian plains to the mountains of Luristan, was exhumed by Mr. Loftus and General Williams. It proved to have been almost an exact duplicate of the Chehl Minar of Persepolis. It consisted of several magnificent groups of columns having a frontage of three hundred arid forty-three feet nine inches, and a depth of two hundred and forty-four feet. The central phalanx * Loftus, Chaldea and Susiana, p. 317, et seq.

contained thirty-six columns in six rows. Sixty-four feet two inches from this phalanx, on the west, north, and east, were an equal number of columns arranged in double rows of six each. The capitals of the fluted pillars in the eastern colonnade were two half-griffins looking in opposite directions. Those of the western colonnade were two half-bulls, while those of the northern colonnade and central phalanx were lotus buds, with pendent leaves, volutes, and two half-bulls. The bases of the pillars of the porticoes were bell-shaped, and ornamented with double or triple rows of lotus, while the bases of the central pillar were square. The central pillar cluster and the three porches were separately roofed. Beams stretched from pillar to pillar supported roof and entablature. There were no walls, but the great palace was open to all the winds of heaven. Such appear to have been the main features of the palace.

"Nothing could be more appropriate than this method at Susa and Persepolis, the spring residences of the Persian monarchs. It must be considered that these columnar halls were the equivalents of the modern throne-rooms, that here all public business was dispatched, and that here the king might sit and enjoy the beauties of the landscape. With the rich plains of Susa and Persepolis before him, he could well, after his winter's residence at Babylon, dispense with massive walls, which would only check the warm, fragrant breeze from those verdant prairies adorned with the choicest flowers. A massive roof, covering the whole expanse of columns, would be too cold and dismal, whereas curtains around the central group would serve to admit both light and warmth. Nothing can be conceived better adapted to the climate or the season." *

" Such edifices as the Chehl Minar at Persepolis, and its duplicate at Susa — where long vistas of columns met the eye on every side, and the great central cluster was supported by lighter detached groups, combining similarity of form with some variety of ornament, where richly colored drapings contrasted with the cool gray stone of the building, and a golden roof overhung a pavement of many hues — must have been handsome, from whatever side they were con templated, and for general richness and harmony of effect may have compared favorably with any edifices which, up to the time of their construction, had been erected in any country or by any people." f

To complete the picture of this palace, other ruins, especially those at Persepolis, must be studied. The great palace was situated on a terraced platform " composed of solid masses of hewn stone which were united by metal clamps, probably of iron or lead." This platform is ascended by broad stair-

* Loftus, Chaldea and Susiana, p. 315.

f Rawlinson, Ancient Monarchies, vol. iii, p. 328.

ways elaborately ornamented with mythologic figures of lions devouring bulls, guardsmen, rows of cypress-trees, rosettes, processions of the nations bringing tribute to the great king, attendants carrying articles for the table or the toilet, and inscriptions commemorating his own glorious deeds or those of his ancestors, and recognizing the gods to whom they owed their conquests and glory.

On this broad elevated platform were the palaces, for there were several at Persepolis, and probably at the other capitals. The massive walls, the spacious rooms, the reception halls, the throne-room, the guard rooms, the stair-ways, the pillars and colonnades, the bases and capitals, the porticoes and chambers, the entablatures and inscriptions, the sculptures and ornamentations, the furnishment and garnishment, the throne itself, the plating of gold, the beautiful hangings of purple, the display, and magnificence, and glory, and power, and wealth — in all this the palace of Susa far outdoes the palaces of modern times.

The royal palace was furnished with a magnificence commensurate with the wealth and pride of the king. The floors were paved with precious stones of blue, white, black, and red, so arranged as to form beautiful patterns. Richest carpeting was placed here and there so as to add to the appearance of comfort and luxury. Magnificent hangings of white, green, and violet, fastened with fine linen and purple cords to silver

Beauty Crowned.

rings, stretched from pillar of marble to pillar of marble, screening the guests, and at the same time ad-

TESSELLATED PAVEMENTS.

mitting the cool breezes of summer. The ceilings of the rooms were covered with plates of gold.

Four pillars of gold, inlaid with precious stones, supported an embroidered canopy with inwrought mythologic figures of bulls and lions and other objects, under which stood the golden throne of the king. Couches resplendent with silver and gold filled the rooms, on which guests reclined at ease. Over the royal bed in the private chamber of the monarch was the golden vine with the grapes imitated by stones of priceless value. It was the work of Theodore the Samian, and the gift of Pythius, a rich Lydian, to Darius. A golden plane-tree, also the gift of Pythius, was the companion of the vine. Here, too, was the celebrated bowl of solid gold.

All were rare works of the highest metallurgical art.

The throne was of silver and gold. It was an elevated chair, without arms, but with a high back, cushioned and ornamented with a fringe. Along the back and legs were carvings or moldings which exhibited little artistic skill. The legs terminated 1 in lions' feet resting on fluted hemispheres. The sides of the chair below the seat were paneled and plain.

The feet of the monarch rested on a footstool the legs of which terminated in bulls' feet. Perhaps originally a religions meaning attached to this symbolism. Winged human-headed bulls and lions of large size guarded the entrances to Assyrian palaces. On the portal was a figure strangling a lion. The winged bull symbolized Ninip, the Chaldean Hercules, perhaps also represented in the figure strangling the lion. He was "the crusher of opponents, he who rolls along the mass of heaven and earth, treader of the wide earth, head of nations, bestower of scepters. Lord of lords, the deity who changes not his purposes, the light of heaven and earth, the hero of the gods, lord over the face of the whirlwind, son of El, the Sublime."

Nergal was symbolized by the winged human-headed lion. He was " the god of arms and bows, the great hero, king of fight, master of battles, champion of the gods, god of the chase." These gigantic figures may have had a talis^nanic value. The Outhaeans, according to the Bible, worshiped tergal, The natural lion was more frequently used as a symbol of Nergal than the winged lion. These two, then, Ninip and Nergal, the gods of war and of the chase, were the foundation of the Persian throne ; or they remained as survivals of Chaldean and Assyrian symbolism.

The ancient Lydians used the same symbolism. The molten sea of the Hebrews was supported by "twelve oxen," "and on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims.'' Solomon made a throne of ivory overlaid with " best gold ; " " two lions stood beside the stays. And twelve lions stood there on the one side and the other upon the six steps." The palace of the Parthian city llatra had upon its south side eight human-headed bulls. The north side is so much in ruins that the character of its ornamentation cannot be determined.

The kings of Parthia, probably, imitated the Persian kings in the magnificence of their palaces, though they must have fallen far behind in the wealth of display. Philostratus says of the royal palace of Babylon : " The palace is roofed with brass, and a bright light flashes from it. It has chambers for the women, and chambers for the men, and porticoes, partly glittering with silver, partly with cloth-of-gold embroideries, partly with solid slabs of gold, let into the walls, like pictures. The subjects of these embroideries are taken from the Greek mythology, and include representations of Andromeda, Amymone, and of Orpheus, who is frequently repeated. . . . Datis is, moreover, represented, destroying Naxos with his fleet, and Artaphernes besieging Eretria, and Xerxes gaining his famous victories. You behold the occupation of Athens, and the battle of Thermopylae, and other points still more characteristic of the great Persian war, rivers drunk up and disappearing from the face of the earth, and a bridge stretched across the sea, and a canal cut through Athos. . . . One chamber for the men has a roof fashioned into a vault like the heaven, composed entirely of sapphires, which are the bluest of stones, and resemble the sky in color. Golden images of the gods whom they worship are set up about the vault, and show like stars in the firmament. This is the chamber in which the king delivers his judgments. Four golden magic-wheels hang from its roof, and threaten the monarch with the Divine Nemesis, if he exalts himself above the condition of man. These wheels are called 'the tongues of the gods,' and are set in their places by the magi who frequent the palace."

Polybius says that the whole wood-work of the palace at Ecbatana was covered with plates of gold or silver, and that the building was roofed with silver tiles. The temple of Anaitis was in the same manner richly adorned.* After the successive plunderings of Darius, Alexander, and Seleucus Nicator, the tiles and plating of the palace at Ecbatana brought to Antiochus the Great nearly five millions of dollars. f

This capital city is called " Shushan" seven times, and " the city Shushan " twice, in the Book of Esther. The expression " Shushan the palace" occurs ten times. The latter was the royal quarter, and contained palaces, gardens, areas, residences of the officers of the court with their families and servants, temples, and various dependent buildings. The whole area was encompassed by a strong wall, and protected by towers and the lofty Acropolis at the western angle.

" This was Shushan the castle, the upper town, the royal quarter — 'Shushan the palace' of the A. Y. Here Daniel dwelt (Dan. viii, 2), and at the western foot of the Acropolis on the bank of the Shapur is his traditional grave. Here Nehemiah also found a temporary residence. Neh. i, 1. When 'the great king ' sojourned at Shushan, doubtless many thousand people dwelt within this space, just as during the feasts at Jerusalem prodigious multitudes, living as Orientals can, were able to find room in the holy city. Ctesias tells us ;£ that the king of Persia furnished provisions daily for twenty-five thousand men,

* Polybius, x; xxvii, 10-12. f Herodotus, i, 98, note.

X Barnes upon Dan. v, 1.

all of whom we presume were never at one time resident in the upper city." *

The site of " Shushan the palace " is probably the whole diamond-shaped area on the east of the Shapur, with its acute angles fronting north and south, and marked by three mounds. In the northern angle is the palace mound, some four thousand feet in circumference. Here was the palace which we have described. Trilingual inscriptions found upon pedestals ascribe its erection to Darius Hystaspis. Like the famous Hall of Xerxes at Persepolis, the Chehl Minar, this was doubtless a Hall of State as distinguished from the royal residence. It seems also to have been used for religious purposes, for it is called a temple in the inscriptions upon the pedestals, and contained effigies of the gods.f Darius is represented upon the sculptures at Persepolis as a pontiff king.

In the western angle of the diamond is the citadel mound, the loftiest of all, two thousand eight hundred and fifty feet in circuit at the summit. Occupying the whole south-eastern side of the diamond is " the great platform," reaching an elevation of from forty to seventy feet. Each side is about three thousand feet in length and the area about sixty acres. This diamond-shaped series of mounds includes above one hundred acres. This is " Shushan the palace "