Readers Reply

BR Keeps Him in Touch with Unregenerate Man

I look forward each issue to reading Bible Review, if only to find to what new depths unregenerate man will sink in order to discredit God, His Word and His people. Which brings to mind 2 Timothy 3:7: “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Was Esther Amestris?

Michael Heltzer states (“The Book of Esther,” BR 08:01) that “Greek historians…report the name of Xerxes’ great queen Amestris, not Vashti or Esther.” A quick glance at the name Amestris reveals very close similarities in its consonants to the name Esther. Except for the prefix of “Am” and the Greek suffix, the name is identical to Esther: (Am)ESTR(is) = EST(he)R.

Michael Heltzer replies:

The names are indeed similar, but only indicate that the author of Esther chose a likely sounding name for his story. A Jewess simply could not be the great queen; that position was reserved for a princess of the royal dynasty or for a daughter of one of the seven aristocratic families that had helped king Darius come to power.