Yoram Hazony is President of the Herzl Institute in Jerusalem. He is founder and past president of the Shalem Center, now Shalem College. His books include The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture (Cambridge, 2012) and The Jewish State: The Struggle for Israel's Soul (2009). Hazony directs the John Templeton Foundation's project in Jewish Philosophical Theology and is a member of the Israel Council for Higher Education's committee on liberal studies in Israel's universities. He is a member of the Public Council of the Orthodox rabbinical organization Beit Hillel.

'Without fanfare, Hazony takes us step by step through the plot and personalities inherent in the megillah, and through his scholarship gives us a true, adult, sophisticated view of historical events that were to inspire and teach us the greatness of our faith and of our G-d.' Alan Jay Gerber, The Jewish Star

• Preface; Introduction; Esther One: 1. Submission and rule; Esther Two: 2. Political favor; Esther Three: 3. The enemy; 4. The king's men; 5. Idolatry; 6. Disobedience; 7. Joseph; 8. Amalek; 9. Anti-Semitism; Esther Four: 10. Pressure; 11. Court Jew; 12. The decision; Esther Five: 13. The plan; 14. Reaction; Esther Six: 15. Power shift; 16. Downfall; 17. Allies; Esther Seven: 18. The last appeal; 19. Political power; 20. The Jews' war; 21. The morality of war; Esther Nine: 22. The festival; 23. Politics and faith; Afterword: I. A missile over Tel Aviv; II. God and emergence; III. God casts no shadow; Notes; Index of names; Index of scriptural references; The Hebrew Esther text.

Yoram Hazony is President of the Herzl Institute in Jerusalem. He is founder and past president of the Shalem Center, now Shalem College. His books include The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture (Cambridge, 2012) and The Jewish State: The Struggle for Israel's Soul (2009). Hazony directs the John Templeton Foundation's project in Jewish Philosophical Theology and is a member of the Israel Council for Higher Education's committee on liberal studies in Israel's universities. He is a member of the Public Council of the Orthodox rabbinical organization Beit Hillel.

'Without fanfare, Hazony takes us step by step through the plot and personalities inherent in the megillah, and through his scholarship gives us a true, adult, sophisticated view of historical events that were to inspire and teach us the greatness of our faith and of our G-d.' Alan Jay Gerber, The Jewish Star

• Preface; Introduction; Esther One: 1. Submission and rule; Esther Two: 2. Political favor; Esther Three: 3. The enemy; 4. The king's men; 5. Idolatry; 6. Disobedience; 7. Joseph; 8. Amalek; 9. Anti-Semitism; Esther Four: 10. Pressure; 11. Court Jew; 12. The decision; Esther Five: 13. The plan; 14. Reaction; Esther Six: 15. Power shift; 16. Downfall; 17. Allies; Esther Seven: 18. The last appeal; 19. Political power; 20. The Jews' war; 21. The morality of war; Esther Nine: 22. The festival; 23. Politics and faith; Afterword: I. A missile over Tel Aviv; II. God and emergence; III. God casts no shadow; Notes; Index of names; Index of scriptural references; The Hebrew Esther text.

Yoram Hazony is President of the Herzl Institute in Jerusalem. He is founder and past president of the Shalem Center, now Shalem College. His books include The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture (Cambridge, 2012) and The Jewish State: The Struggle for Israel's Soul (2009). Hazony directs the John Templeton Foundation's project in Jewish Philosophical Theology and is a member of the Israel Council for Higher Education's committee on liberal studies in Israel's universities. He is a member of the Public Council of the Orthodox rabbinical organization Beit Hillel.

'Without fanfare, Hazony takes us step by step through the plot and personalities inherent in the megillah, and through his scholarship gives us a true, adult, sophisticated view of historical events that were to inspire and teach us the greatness of our faith and of our G-d.' Alan Jay Gerber, The Jewish Star

• Preface; Introduction; Esther One: 1. Submission and rule; Esther Two: 2. Political favor; Esther Three: 3. The enemy; 4. The king's men; 5. Idolatry; 6. Disobedience; 7. Joseph; 8. Amalek; 9. Anti-Semitism; Esther Four: 10. Pressure; 11. Court Jew; 12. The decision; Esther Five: 13. The plan; 14. Reaction; Esther Six: 15. Power shift; 16. Downfall; 17. Allies; Esther Seven: 18. The last appeal; 19. Political power; 20. The Jews' war; 21. The morality of war; Esther Nine: 22. The festival; 23. Politics and faith; Afterword: I. A missile over Tel Aviv; II. God and emergence; III. God casts no shadow; Notes; Index of names; Index of scriptural references; The Hebrew Esther text.