Wednesday Bible Study: Historical oddity

Sorry for missing regular posting recently. I was dealing with some extremely frustrating technical problems. Will get back to it. Chapter 8 departs in a few ways from what has been our understanding of the situation of the Jewish population in this historical era. Note again the complete lack of any mention of Jerusalem or Judah. The Jews appear to be dispersed throughout the Achaemenid empire, from " India to Ethiopia. " Furthermore it is possible for people to convert to Judaism everywhere in this diaspora, which is basically contrary to the law and custom in all of the previous literature, in which far from being proselytizing the cult of Yahweh has been exclusionary. Also, what exactly is there to convert to? Rabbinical Judaism does not yet exist, so there isn ' t any Judaism without the Temple, the Levite priesthood, and associated rituals, none of which are available in India or Ethiopia.  I might also ask how it is the Jews are supposed to know exactly who plotted against them, and why Mordecai finds it necessary to murder all the associated women and children. Apparently genocide is perfectly alright in and of itself, it ' s just a question of whose doing the genocide against whom. This is not a pretty story. 8 That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her.2 The king took off his signet ring, which he h...
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