Mordecai

Mordecai (/ˈmɔːrdɪkaɪ, mɔːrdɪˈkeɪaɪ/; also Mordechai; Hebrew: מָרְדֳּכַי, Modern: Mŏrdoḵay, Tiberian: Mārdoḵay, IPA: [moʁdeˈχaj]) is one of the main personalities in the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. He is described as being the son of Jair, of the tribe of Benjamin. Mordecai was also the cousin and guardian of Esther, who became queen of Persia under the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). Mordecai's loyalty and bravery are highlighted in the story as he helps Esther foil the plot of Haman, the king's Vizier, to exterminate the Jewish people.

Mordecai's actions are rewarded by the King, and he is appointed as vizier. He becomes a respected figure among both the Jews and the Persians, and his influence in the court is used to promote the interests of his people. His story is celebrated in the Jewish holiday of Purim, which commemorates the victory of the Jews over their enemies. Since the 1890s, most academics have “agreed in seeing [The Book of] Esther as a historicized myth or ritual” and generally concluded that Purim has its origin in a Babylonian, Persian, or Palestinian myth or festival (though which one is the subject of discussion).