Ahasuerus' erotic displays [I Admire Confidently Naked Women]
A casual reading portrays a queen who didn't want to appear at her husband's request and a girl selected in a beauty contest to take her place. An in depth look however reveals that there may be much more to this story.
According to the text King Ahasuerus requested that Queen Vashti attend a banquet the king was holding "wearing her royal crown" to display her beauty. This romanticised account by the author may not be entirely correct.
If we look closely at the text and what it does not say, as several Jewish scholars have noted from the writing employed at the time, the king was not referring to the queen's position but rather her attire. From the choice of words the king was not merely reminding the queen to remember her crown but rather informing her of her dress. In other words, he was requesting her to attend "wearing [only] her crown" and nothing else.
This view is supported by Jewish midrashes stating as much. If we look at the circumstances surrounding the incident:
- Ahasuerus was holding a banquet in the enclosed palace garden.
- There was a 7 day feast that his noblemen and officials attended.
- Every guest was to be given whatever and how much they wanted to drink.
- The party likely had other young women who were naked to near naked for entertainment.
Ahasuerus and his cohort was already in a drunken stupor which was unbecoming of a king. It isn't a stretch that he would then have little regard for customs and norms. It appears that he and his officials were discussing the women present and Ahasuerus remarked about the beauty of Queen Vashti. For whatever reason the men may not have believed it and wanted to see it firsthand.
The passage further remarks "...to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at."
This was more than just a king showing his queen to the people which Vashti would likely not have refused resulting in her eventual deposition as queen, or risking even worse. It appears that in his state of mind Ahasuerus did indeed want for Vashti to come to and enter the garden completely naked wearing only her crown to display her body and beauty to him and his men. Knowing this and that she would likely be subjected to more or have had to do more Vashti did not want to go along with this.
Esther's role wasn't much different and in fact may give credence to this view. Looking to replace the queen Ahasuerus decreed that all young women be brought to the palace. This isn't the romanticised tale the churches portray as a beauty contest.
On the contrary the young virgin girls, most 12-14 years or younger, would not have any say. They would be brought to the king being practically abducted. They would likely be stripped and appear in either next to nothing or naked in a parade for the king to choose. This was more like a sexual orgy, if a girl was chosen she would have to spend the night with the king.
Esther is never indicated to protest to any of this unlike Queen Vashti. Instead the text indicates that when coming to the king "she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested." This seems to indicate that not only was she to meet with the king in probably a near naked or even naked state, perhaps only wearing some jewellery or adornments, but that she was happy to do so as well and did without protest.
According to the text King Ahasuerus requested that Queen Vashti attend a banquet the king was holding "wearing her royal crown" to display her beauty. This romanticised account by the author may not be entirely correct.
If we look closely at the text and what it does not say, as several Jewish scholars have noted from the writing employed at the time, the king was not referring to the queen's position but rather her attire. From the choice of words the king was not merely reminding the queen to remember her crown but rather informing her of her dress. In other words, he was requesting her to attend "wearing [only] her crown" and nothing else.
This view is supported by Jewish midrashes stating as much. If we look at the circumstances surrounding the incident:
- Ahasuerus was holding a banquet in the enclosed palace garden.
- There was a 7 day feast that his noblemen and officials attended.
- Every guest was to be given whatever and how much they wanted to drink.
- The party likely had other young women who were naked to near naked for entertainment.
Ahasuerus and his cohort was already in a drunken stupor which was unbecoming of a king. It isn't a stretch that he would then have little regard for customs and norms. It appears that he and his officials were discussing the women present and Ahasuerus remarked about the beauty of Queen Vashti. For whatever reason the men may not have believed it and wanted to see it firsthand.
The passage further remarks "...to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at."
This was more than just a king showing his queen to the people which Vashti would likely not have refused resulting in her eventual deposition as queen, or risking even worse. It appears that in his state of mind Ahasuerus did indeed want for Vashti to come to and enter the garden completely naked wearing only her crown to display her body and beauty to him and his men. Knowing this and that she would likely be subjected to more or have had to do more Vashti did not want to go along with this.
Esther's role wasn't much different and in fact may give credence to this view. Looking to replace the queen Ahasuerus decreed that all young women be brought to the palace. This isn't the romanticised tale the churches portray as a beauty contest.
On the contrary the young virgin girls, most 12-14 years or younger, would not have any say. They would be brought to the king being practically abducted. They would likely be stripped and appear in either next to nothing or naked in a parade for the king to choose. This was more like a sexual orgy, if a girl was chosen she would have to spend the night with the king.
Esther is never indicated to protest to any of this unlike Queen Vashti. Instead the text indicates that when coming to the king "she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested." This seems to indicate that not only was she to meet with the king in probably a near naked or even naked state, perhaps only wearing some jewellery or adornments, but that she was happy to do so as well and did without protest.
41-45, M
