Aaron Koller is Associate Professor of Bible at Yeshiva University, New York and teaches talmud and biblical interpretation at the Drisha Institute. He studies the ancient world of the Bible and rabbinic literature, especially material culture, language, and intellectual history. He is the author of The Ancient Hebrew Semantic Field of Cutting Tools (2012).

'[Koller's] suggestions are intriguing and insightful, and his detailed research is impressive. I highly recommend this book for seriously interested students and scholars … If you are doing any kind of serious work on Esther, you must reckon with this fantastic book.' John Anthony Dunne, graduate student, University of St Andrews

• Introduction; Part I. The Provocation: Conventional Wisdom in Early Second Temple Judaism: 1. Setting the stage: the theological challenge of political stability; 2. The movement of Ezra and Nehemiah; 3. Authoring/editing: Joseph, Daniel, and God; 4. Identity of a hero: Mordecai the Yehudi, scion of the house of Saul; Part II. Entering the Fray: Esther as a Political Book: 5. Persian law and Persian king in the Book of Esther; 6. Modeling heroes: Daniel, Esther, and Mordecai; 7. Hero models: Joseph and Saul; 8. Diaspora revisions: rethinking the Exodus and rethinking God; Part III. Early Reactions: Rejection, Subversion, Correction: 9. A tense embrace: the reception of Esther in hellenistic Alexandria; 10. Subvert or ignore: canonical re-contextualization and outright rejection of Esther; 11. Criticism by adaptation: rewriting Esther in Hellenistic and Roman times; 12. Adoption: Esther in the eastern diaspora and in the canon; Part IV. Rabbinic Readings: Moving Esther from the Periphery to the Center: 13. Introduction to the rabbinic literature on Esther; 14. Biblicizing Esther; 15. Restoring God and Torah.

Aaron Koller is Associate Professor of Bible at Yeshiva University, New York and teaches talmud and biblical interpretation at the Drisha Institute. He studies the ancient world of the Bible and rabbinic literature, especially material culture, language, and intellectual history. He is the author of The Ancient Hebrew Semantic Field of Cutting Tools (2012).

'[Koller's] suggestions are intriguing and insightful, and his detailed research is impressive. I highly recommend this book for seriously interested students and scholars … If you are doing any kind of serious work on Esther, you must reckon with this fantastic book.' John Anthony Dunne, graduate student, University of St Andrews

• Introduction; Part I. The Provocation: Conventional Wisdom in Early Second Temple Judaism: 1. Setting the stage: the theological challenge of political stability; 2. The movement of Ezra and Nehemiah; 3. Authoring/editing: Joseph, Daniel, and God; 4. Identity of a hero: Mordecai the Yehudi, scion of the house of Saul; Part II. Entering the Fray: Esther as a Political Book: 5. Persian law and Persian king in the Book of Esther; 6. Modeling heroes: Daniel, Esther, and Mordecai; 7. Hero models: Joseph and Saul; 8. Diaspora revisions: rethinking the Exodus and rethinking God; Part III. Early Reactions: Rejection, Subversion, Correction: 9. A tense embrace: the reception of Esther in hellenistic Alexandria; 10. Subvert or ignore: canonical re-contextualization and outright rejection of Esther; 11. Criticism by adaptation: rewriting Esther in Hellenistic and Roman times; 12. Adoption: Esther in the eastern diaspora and in the canon; Part IV. Rabbinic Readings: Moving Esther from the Periphery to the Center: 13. Introduction to the rabbinic literature on Esther; 14. Biblicizing Esther; 15. Restoring God and Torah.

Aaron Koller is Associate Professor of Bible at Yeshiva University, New York and teaches talmud and biblical interpretation at the Drisha Institute. He studies the ancient world of the Bible and rabbinic literature, especially material culture, language, and intellectual history. He is the author of The Ancient Hebrew Semantic Field of Cutting Tools (2012).

'[Koller's] suggestions are intriguing and insightful, and his detailed research is impressive. I highly recommend this book for seriously interested students and scholars … If you are doing any kind of serious work on Esther, you must reckon with this fantastic book.' John Anthony Dunne, graduate student, University of St Andrews

• Introduction; Part I. The Provocation: Conventional Wisdom in Early Second Temple Judaism: 1. Setting the stage: the theological challenge of political stability; 2. The movement of Ezra and Nehemiah; 3. Authoring/editing: Joseph, Daniel, and God; 4. Identity of a hero: Mordecai the Yehudi, scion of the house of Saul; Part II. Entering the Fray: Esther as a Political Book: 5. Persian law and Persian king in the Book of Esther; 6. Modeling heroes: Daniel, Esther, and Mordecai; 7. Hero models: Joseph and Saul; 8. Diaspora revisions: rethinking the Exodus and rethinking God; Part III. Early Reactions: Rejection, Subversion, Correction: 9. A tense embrace: the reception of Esther in hellenistic Alexandria; 10. Subvert or ignore: canonical re-contextualization and outright rejection of Esther; 11. Criticism by adaptation: rewriting Esther in Hellenistic and Roman times; 12. Adoption: Esther in the eastern diaspora and in the canon; Part IV. Rabbinic Readings: Moving Esther from the Periphery to the Center: 13. Introduction to the rabbinic literature on Esther; 14. Biblicizing Esther; 15. Restoring God and Torah.