498 Esther - Introduction

Anytime I start a study in a new book or letter found in the Bible, I always start with the Five Interrogatory Questions (the 5-Ws). This helps set the historical, cultural, political nd other contexts of the text being studied.
The Book of Esther is unique in that it never directly mentions God, nor does it make a prophetic predictions. The version of the Book of Esther in the Greek Septuagint (LXX) contains sections not found in the Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT), that also provide valuable insights into Jewish interpretation methods during the 2nd Temple Period.