Biblical references
Text: World English Bible (public domain). The ESV and NKJV are the preferred study translations and are referenced, not reproduced.
1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. 2 All the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai didn’t bow down or pay him homage. 3 Then the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s commandment?” 4 Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily to him, and he didn’t listen to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 When Haman saw that Mordecai didn’t bow down nor pay him homage, Haman was full of wrath. 6 But he scorned the thought of laying hands on Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him Mordecai’s people. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even Mordecai’s people. 7 In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, and chose the twelfth month, which is the month Adar. 8 Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, and their laws are different from other people’s. They don’t keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not for the king’s profit to allow them to remain. 9 If it pleases the king, let it be written that they be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who are in charge of the king’s business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.” 10 The king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy. 11 The king said to Haman, “The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.” 12 Then the king’s scribes were called in on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman commanded was written to the king’s local governors, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus, and it was sealed with the king’s ring. 13 Letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their possessions. 14 A copy of the letter, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, that they should be ready against that day. 15 The couriers went out in haste by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given out in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Susa was perplexed.
Biblical account
Layer: Biblical text
Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite above all the princes; all at the king's gate bowed to him except Mordecai, who had told them he was a Jew. Haman resolved to destroy all the Jews in the kingdom. In Nisan of the twelfth year pur — the lot — was cast before him from day to day and month to month, falling on the twelfth month, Adar. Haman told the king of a scattered people with different laws who did not keep the king's laws, and offered ten thousand talents of silver; the king gave him his signet ring. On 13 Nisan the king's scribes wrote to satraps, governors and princes in every script and language to destroy, kill and annihilate all Jews on 13 Adar and plunder their goods; couriers went out, the king and Haman sat down to drink, and Susa was perplexed.
Historical overview
Layer: Historical reconstruction · Period: Nisan, Xerxes year 12 (April 474 BC) — target 13 Adar 473
Year 12 began 5 April 474 on Parker & Dubberstein's table and included a second Adar. Keil explains that lots were cast at once for all the days and months of the year to find a favourable day, and values the ten thousand talents at £3,750,000 by the Mosaic shekel.[1, 2]
Kingdoms: Achaemenid Persian Empire
Date and chronology derivation
Ranges are computed by the project's deterministic chronology engine from the biblical statements and each model's reign anchors. They are reconstructions, not independent dates.
474 BC
Model-independent (applies under every chronology model) · precision: month
How this range was derived
Earliest bound
- “In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus … on the thirteenth day of the first month” — Haman casts pur and the decree against the Jews (Esth 3; Nisan 474 BC) in regnal year reign of Xerxes I (year 12) [reckoned accession, nisan new year] (Esther 3:7–12)[1]Assumption: Nisan of Xerxes's year 12 began 5 April 474 (Parker & Dubberstein), so 13 Nisan was about 17 April 474. Year 12 had an intercalary second Adar (from 24 March 473); the first Adar's start is printed "2/28" in the OCR, which cannot follow a Shebat beginning 25 January and is probably 2/23. The target day, 13 Adar, therefore fell in March or early April 473.
Latest bound
- “in the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the month” — The Jews defend themselves on 13–14 Adar (Esth 9:1–19; 473 BC) in regnal year reign of Xerxes I (year 12) [reckoned accession, nisan new year] (Esther 9:1)[1]Assumption: Adar closing Xerxes's year 12 fell in early 473; year 12 had a second Adar (from 24 March 473) and the text does not say which is meant.
- “Sivan … Adar” — The Jews defend themselves on 13–14 Adar (Esth 9:1–19; 473 BC) months later Mordecai's counter-decree of 23 Sivan (Esth 8; June 474 BC) (Esther 9:1)
- “13 Nisan (3:12) … 23 Sivan (8:9)” — Mordecai's counter-decree of 23 Sivan (Esth 8; June 474 BC) months later Haman casts pur and the decree against the Jews (Esth 3; Nisan 474 BC) (Esther 8:9)
What else was happening? (model-independent)
- Daniel's refusal of the king's food and the ten-day test (Dan 1:8–16): 606 BC – ?
- Nebuchadnezzar's golden image on the plain of Dura (Dan 3:1–7): 603 BC – ?
- Nebuchadnezzar's decree honouring the God of the three Judeans (Dan 3:28–30): 603 BC – ?
- The refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and the fiery furnace (Dan 3:8–27): 603 BC – ?
- The thirty-day decree and Daniel in the lions' den (Dan 6:4–23): 539 BC – ?
- Darius appoints 120 satraps and three chief officials (Dan 6:1–3, 28): 539 BC – ?
- The accusers punished; Darius's decree honouring the God of Daniel (Dan 6:24–27): 539 BC – ?
- Gedaliah governs from Mizpah and is assassinated (2 Kgs 25:22–26): 589 BC – ?
- Accusations to Ahasuerus and the Rehum–Shimshai letter to Artaxerxes; the city's rebuilding stopped (Ezra 4:6–23): 537 BC – ?
- The first "burden" of Zechariah 9–11 (undated oracle collection): 518 BC – ?
- The second "burden" of Zechariah 12–14 (undated oracle collection): 518 BC – ?
- Mordecai uncovers the plot of Bigthan and Teresh (Esth 2:19–23): 479 BC – 464 BC
- Xerxes I (reign): 486 BC – 464 BC
- Mordecai mourns; Esther resolves to go to the king (Esth 4): 474 BC
- Esther before the king; the first banquet; Haman's gallows (Esth 5): 474 BC
- The sleepless king; Mordecai honoured by Haman (Esth 6): 474 BC
- The institution of Purim; Mordecai second to the king (Esth 9:20–10:3): 474 BC – ?
- The Jews defend themselves on 13–14 Adar (Esth 9:1–19; 473 BC): 474 BC – 473 BC
- Mordecai's counter-decree of 23 Sivan (Esth 8; June 474 BC): 474 BC
- The second banquet; Haman hanged (Esth 7): 474 BC
Ancient and modern geography
Location confidence assumes the event as described. Whether it occurred is assessed in the claims below.
| Place | Connection to this event | Location identification |
|---|---|---|
| Susa (Shushan)Shush | SusaLocation confidence: certain | Susa (Pleiades 912936): certain[3] |
Claims, evidence and classifications
Each claim is classified on its own. A classification describes the evidence for that specific claim, not for the event as a whole.
Haman's decree is dated 13 Nisan of Xerxes's twelfth year, about 17 April 474 BC.
Text gives day, month and regnal year; Parker and Dubberstein's table puts 1 Nisan of year 12 on 5 April 474. Depends on Ahasuerus = Xerxes and on the historicity of the account (disputed; see Esth 2).
Supporting
- Nisan began 5 April 474; a second Adar from 24 March 473.[1]Strength: direct·Xerxes year 12 row·Claim checked
Limitations of this classification: OCR of the first Adar of year 12 is inconsistent ("2/28").
Research date 2026-10-13
A decree to destroy the Jews of the Persian empire was issued under Xerxes.
Known only from Esther (and its Greek additions); no Persian or Greek source read mentions it.
Context
- Haman's proposal and the decree.[2]Strength: indirect·on 3:8–15·Claim checked
Research date 2026-10-13
Evidence by type
The same evidence regrouped by kind of source. Each item names the claims it bears on.
Archaeological evidence
None recorded for this event.
Scientific findings
None recorded for this event.
Ancient documents
None recorded for this event.
Modern news and announcements
None recorded for this event.
Reference works and summaries
- Nisan began 5 April 474; a second Adar from 24 March 473.[1]Bears on: supporting — “Haman's decree is dated 13 Nisan of Xerxes's twelfth year, about 17 Ap…”
- Haman's proposal and the decree.[2]Bears on: context — “A decree to destroy the Jews of the Persian empire was issued under Xe…”
Historical disputes and competing reconstructions
Haman a descendant of the Amalekite king Agag
Jewish and Christian expositors (as reported by Keil); D. Guzik
Sets the conflict in the line of Exod 17 and 1 Sam 15.[4]
Agagite as an unexplained gentilic
C. F. Keil (1873)
The name alone cannot prove descent; Agag may have been a dynastic title of Amalek's kings.[2]
Related passages and events
| From | Relationship | To | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| this event | Preceded byhigh · Biblical text | Mordecai uncovers the plot of Bigthan and Teresh (Esth 2:19–23) | "After these things" (3:1); Mordecai's unrewarded service. |
| this event | Followed byhigh · Biblical text | Mordecai mourns; Esther resolves to go to the king (Esth 4) | Mordecai's mourning on learning of the decree. |
| this event | Thematic parallelmedium · Biblical text | 1 Samuel 15:8–33 | Agag king of Amalek spared by Saul (son of Kish) — Mordecai is of the family of Kish (Esth 2:5). |
| this event | Thematic parallelmedium · Biblical text | Exodus 17:14–16 | War with Amalek from generation to generation. |
Prophetic relationships
No prophecy or proposed-fulfillment relationships have been recorded for this event.
Commentary references
Layer: Interpretation. This is commentary, not historical evidence.
Guzik calls Haman's charge a dangerous half-truth.[4]
Unanswered questions and research gaps
- The derivation of pur was not checked against Akkadian or Old Persian lexica.
Research process
3 logged searches
| Date | Query | Where | Useful |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-13 | Enduring Word Esther 3 | web fetch | 1 |
| 2026-10-13 | Keil 1873 on Esther 3 (local OCR) | local text | 1 |
| 2026-10-13 | P&D Xerxes year 12 (local OCR) | local text | 1 |
Sources
- 1.Parker, Richard A., Dubberstein, Waldo H.. Babylonian Chronology 626 B.C.–A.D. 45 (SAOC 24). University of Chicago Press (Oriental Institute). archive.orgClaim checkedAcademic monographRead through the Internet Archive OCR text of the Oriental Institute PDF; OCR has digit errors (e.g. "589" for 539) checked against context. The 1956 revised edition was not consulted.Verification log
- 2.Keil, C. F., Taylor, Sophia (trans.). Biblical Commentary on the Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther (Clark's Foreign Theological Library). T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1873. archive.orgClaim checkedScholarly commentaryRead through the Internet Archive OCR text.Verification log
- 3.Pleiades contributors. Susa/Seleucia ad Eulaeum — Pleiades place 912936. Pleiades (pleiades.stoa.org). pleiades.stoa.orgClaim checkedInstitutional databaseRepresentative point read from the Pleiades JSON record: lon 48.253537054323495, lat 32.189934471571.Verification log
- 4.Guzik, David. Esther 3 — Enduring Word Bible Commentary. Enduring Word. enduringword.comClaim checkedTheological commentaryInterpretive resource — not historical corroboration.Verification log