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is Ahasuerus Xerxes or Artaxerxes?

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    Posted: 04-Jan-2019 at 02:09

Is king Ahasuerus of the book of Esther in the Bible the same as Xerxes or Artaxerxes or other? The most commonly favoured one is Xerxes, but i do wonder if Artaxerxes is more likely.

Xerxes pros / Artaxerxes cons:

- Some versions of the name Xerxes are somewhat similar to Ahasuerus.*

- There was an official Marduka (and a Mardonius) during Xerxes' reign who may match Mordechai (often linked with Marduk/Merodach).

- Xerxes wife Amestris could be Esther or Vashti. Her burying alive 14 boy is similar to the slaying of Haman's 10 sons. Xerxes also had "unknown wives".

- Xerxes' "affinity for women & wine" and harem (Herodotus) could match Ahasuerus' harem etc.

- One can't deny that Xerxes date of the 10th month of the 7th year is too unusually coincidentally the same as Ahasuerus' same date.

- The Bible & Midrash & Vulgate mention both Ahasuerus (Ezra, Esther, Daniel) and Artaxerxes (Ezra, Nehemiah), and the bible doesn't mention Xerxes. Excluding Ahasuerus, there is no Hebrew equivalent for Xerxes?*
Ezra 4 seems to match Ahasuerus with Xerxes (both being between Darius and Artaxerxes).

- The sanctions of Ahasuerus "Xerxes" in Ezra could match with Haman & Ahasuerus of Esther?

- Achaemenes the uncle/brother/son/satrap of Xerxes is similar to Haman?

- Artaxerxes stopped temple building which may contrast with Ahasuerus?

Artaxerxes pros / Xerxes cons:

- Xerxes was mostly involved in the invasion of Greece, and was defeated.

- Amestris may not match Esther because what about the Am-?

- The name Artaxerxes (and/or Arses/Arsaces) may be a better match for Ahasuerus than Xerxes, because Ahasuerus begins with A- while Xerxes begins with X-/K-, and because the number of syllables of Ahasuerus match Artaxerxes better than Xerxes (in English at least).* Arta is also/alternatively Asha. (Also compare Asshur/Assyria/A(r)thura?)

Artaxerxes 1 Arses. Xerxes 2 Artaxerxes. Artaxerxes 2 Arshu/Oarses/Arsicas/Arsaces/Arsames (latter name said to derive from Achshiyarshu/Khshayarsha/Xerxes). Artaxerxes 3 Ochus/Uvasu/Umasu. Arses/Arsha/Arogus. Artexerxes 4 Arses.

They also had the title 'Xsayathiya Xsayathiyanam' "King of Kings".

- Artaxerxes 2's wife Stateira could be Esther "star".
He also had "another unknown wife", and "various wives", which could match Vashti or Esther. Artaxerxes 2 had "more than 350 wives", which recalls the harem and a concubine a day of Ahasuerus.
His mother Parysatis or his other wife Aspasia could be Vashti?
Artaxerxes 2 & 3's wife Atossa resembles Hadassah (Esther)?

- Artabanus/Hazarapat the Hyrcanian "the commander of the royal bodyguard and the most powerful official in the Persian court" during the last year of Xerxes and 1st year of Artaxerxes 1 could be Haman the Agagite. Artabanus means "commander of thousand". "Others consider him (Artabanus) to have named young Artaxerxes I as King and to have acted as Regent and power behind the throne. This state of affairs would not last more than a few months. Artaxerxes reportedly slew him with his own sword, either in battle or by surprise."
Or the satrap Achaemenes could be Haman? (Achaemenes "adopted a more repressive policy in order to discourage new rebellions, although the effect was actually the opposite". "The cruelty of the Persian satrap Achaemenes/Haxamanish/Hakhamanish (the son of Xerxes)".)
(The Mnemon name of Artaxerxes 2 is also maybe similar?)

- "11 other children" of Artaxerxes resembles the 10 sons of Haman?
100 citizens transfixed javelens Artaxerxes 3?

- Josephus calls Ahasuerus "Artaxerxes" (2 or 3) (as do the Septuagint, Midrash, Vulgate Josippon, the Ethiopic text, Hoschander, John of Ephesus & Bar-Hebraeus & Comestor), and he has "Xerxes" as another different king in preceeding chapter.
"Masudi recorded the Persian view of events which affirms the identification and al-Tabari similarly placed the events during the time of Artaxerxes II". "These sources ... [accord] with the contextual information from Pseudo-Hecataeus and Berossus as well as agreeing with Al-Tabari and Masudi's placement of events."

- Ahasuerus/"Xerxes" is missed out in Ezra 6:14 between Darius & Artaxerxes.

- The sanctions of Ahasuerus "Xerxes" in Ezra may conflict with Ahasuerus of Esther?

- Mordechai's name is similar to Marduka (Xerxes 1, and he could have also still been an official during his successor Artaxerxes 1's reign), Makrokheir "long hand" (Artaxerxes 1) or Amyrtaeus (Artaxerxes 2)?

- Artaxerxes "remarked/remarkable for gentile and noble spirit".

- Artaxerxes' name may mean "great king" or "brave warrior" & is considered a common name of kings of Iran, which is comparable to Ahasuerus said to mean "great prince" / "mighty man", and name of "several" kings in bible.

- Artaxerxes name may mean "whose rule is through truth, whose empire is well-fitted/perfected" or "honoured + a king" which may match Ahasuerus as a type of God/Jesus in 'Esther'?

- Artaxerxes' name Longimanus "long hand" because his right arm was longer than his left might match Ahasuerus (as type of God)?

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Candidates lists:

Darius the Mede ("Ahasuerus the father of Darius the Mede")  ~ Darius 1 Hystaspes "benignant and well-disposed ruler"?* "Babylon was captured for a 2nd time" (Herodotus)?

Ahasuerus ("great prince" / "mighty man", name of "several" kings in bible) ("the father of Darius the Mede") ~ Xerxes? Artaxerxes? 'Xsayathiya Xsayathiyanam' 'Shan-an-Shah' "King of Kings"? Arius (Darius)? Antherirutsha / Darius Xerxes? Ajatasatru (India)? Cyaxares/Uvakhshatra? Hystaspes? Uvasu/Umasu (Artaxerxes 3)? Artashata (Darius 3)? Ochus (Darius 2)? Arses (A1, A4)? Arshu/Oarses/Arsicas/Arsaces (A2)? Kshatriya "warrior caste"?

Vashti/Astin/"Vashtateira" (vaisti/vahista "best (of women), excellent (woman)" or "goodness" or "that drinks" or "thread" or "beautiful") ~ Mashti (Elam goddess)? Amestris?* Artaxerxes mother Parysatis or his other wife Aspasia?* Parysatis (D2's wife)? Damaspia (A1's wife)?* Atossa? Hystaspis? Masistes?

Hadassah "myrtle" (Esther) ~ Ishtar(-udda-sha)? Attosa (A2 & A3)?* "Kishtasp was the son of a Jewess of the tribe of Benjamin"? Atossa (D1's wife)?*

Esther (setareh "star", astra "myrtle", asthr "bright star") (Hadassah) ~ (ammi/ummi-)Ishtar / Ishtar(-udda-sha)? "Kishtasp was the son of a Jewess of the tribe of Benjamin"? Amestris?* Stat(e)ira (A2's wife)?* unknown wives (Xerxes)? unknown wife / various wives / 350 wives (Artaxerxes 2)? Ezra? Queen Homai? Stateira (D3's wife)?*

Mordechai/Mardocheus/Mordekhay/Mordekay/Morde'xaj "little (boy)" or "contrition" or "bitter" or "bruising" or mar "gentleman" + dochi/zoche "one who incurs merit" or mara dachia "pure myrrh" Bilshan/Belshunu "is lord" or baal lashon "master of languages" (centenarian?) ~ Marduk/Merodach? Mardus/Smerdis/Bardiya?* Mardonius? Marduka (Xerxes 1 official)?* Makrokheir "long hand" (Artaxerxes 1)?* Amyrtaeus (Artaxerxes 2)? Maraphus?* Mitrobates/Masabates (eunuch/saris, treated brutally)?* Democedes? "and i spent a long time [...] a man, a Jew, from the Benjaminites" (DSS)?

Haman (hamayun "illustrious, magnicificent" or "famed") the Agagite (Amalekite)/Bougaean/Macedonian/Mede ~ Akah_Manah ("bad mind")? Humban (Elamite god)? Ham/Hammon/Ammon/Amun/Amen? Haoma? Omanes/Imanis? Artabanus/Ardavan/Hazarapat the Hyrcanian (Artaxerxes 1)?* Achaemenes/Haxamanish/Hakhamanish the uncle/brother/son/satrap of Xerxes?* Mnemon (A2)? Homai? Ardshir Bahaman?* vizier Bagoas (A3-A4-D3)? Hamadan/Apadana/Ecbatana? Gobryas/Kam-bar-ma? Belshimmani (Babylonian pretender)? Gaumata/Gautama?

Agag(ite) ("violent" or "flame" or "Gog/Magog" or aga "lord"?) / Bougaean/Macedonian ~ vizier Bagoas (A3-A4-D3)?* Magi?* Boges (governor of Eion, Herodotus)? Bagaeus/[Bagoas]/Bogas/[Bagoshi/Bagasraw] (Herodotus)? Behistun/Bagistan? Mardonius? Bagratid (Armenian)?

10 sons Haman ~ 14 boys buried alove by Amestris (Xerxes 1)? "11 other children" of Artaxerxes resembles the 10 sons of Haman? 100 citizens transfixed javelens Artaxerxes 3?

Haman's mother Hammedatha/Amedatha "double" or "given by the moon", or "Amithlai/Amathlai bath Urbthi"? ~ Amestris?

120/127 provinces/princes India to Ethiopia (100 were land and 20 were isles?) ~ Darius set up 20? 20 tribute owe satraps?

 -----

* Versions of the kings names:

'Ahaseros/Ahasuerus/Ahasveros/Ahasweros/'Ahaseweros (Hebrew), Asoueros (Greek), Assuerus/Ahasuerus (Latin), Ahasuerus (Latin, English), Achashverosh (transliter), "great prince" / "mighty man", name of "several" kings in bible.

(The name Ahasuerus seems to be used similar to Pharaoh & Caesar.)

Xerxes/Kskerks/Kserkse:s (Greek), Khsherish/Khshiarsh/Khshaiarsha/Xasayarusa/Hasayarusa (Egyptian) Ahsiyarshu/Ahsiiaarsu (Babylonian), Aksiwarsu/Aksiiwaarsu? Khshayarsha/Khashayar/Xsayarsa (Persian), Axsores (Persian)? "great king" or "ruling over heroes".

Oarses/Arsicas/Arsaces (Greek), Arshu (inscription), Achshiyarshu (Babylonian), Khshayarsha (Persian), Xerxes (Greek).

Artaxerxes (Greek, Western), ,A:rte'ze:rksi:z (Phonetic), Artaserse (Italian), Artasyrus (Herodotus), Artakhshesesh/Artakhshashas (Egyptian), Arteksis (Ethiopian), Artaxsast/'Artahsas(e)ta (Hebrew), Artakshatsu (Babylonian), Artaxsac(r)a/Ardeshir (Persian), "(the) great king/warrior" or "whose rule is through truth, whose empire is well-fitted/perfected" or "honoured + a king" or "(the) great/brave warrior", is considered a common name of kings of Iran, from Rta/Arta/Asha "truth, righteousness".

Arses (Greek), Arsen/Arsan/Arsaka/Arsama (Iranian/Avestan/Persian).

Ahikar (Assyrian courtier, Elephantine), Ahikar/Achiachar (Tobit, Sinaiticus, Lxx, Greek), Ahasuerus & Nebuchadnezzar (Tobit).

Achiachar (Lxx, Greek), Cyaxares.

(Reference list of Elamite/Median/Persian/Iranian kings in the time period:
Perses Medus Arioch Arphaxad Merdas Kishtasp/Vishtaspa/Gustasp Bahaman Homai Deioces Arbaces Artaios/Artaeus/Artseus Cyaxares Kshathrita Aspadas Astyages/Arshtivaiga Mandane Phraortes/Fravartish Protothyes Partatua Mandauces/Maudaces Madyus/Madea Achaemenes Ariaramnes Arshama Teispes Hystaspes Cyrus/Kurush Cambyses Smerdis Bardiya Magus Gautama Darius Xerxes Artabanus Ahasuerus Artaxerxes Inaros Sogdianus Alexander Shah.)



Edited by Arthur-Robin - 04-Jan-2019 at 21:36
NZ's mandatory fluoridation is not fair because it only forces it on the disadvantaged/some and not on the advantaged/everyone.
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