The COMPLETE Story of Esther (With the Hidden Apocrypha Chapters!) Feast of Purim

This is a reading of the Book of Esther including the Deuterocanonical (Apocrypha) additions, arranged according to the traditional Septuagint (LXX) order rather than the standard Protestant order found in the King James Version.

Here’s a clear breakdown to help you understand what’s happening structurally and textually:

📖 What This Version Includes

The version in your transcript follows the Greek Septuagint structure (used in Orthodox and Catholic Bibles), which includes six additions not found in the Hebrew Masoretic Text.

These additions are usually labeled:

Addition A – Mordecai’s Dream (before Esther 1)

Addition B – The king’s edict to destroy the Jews

Addition C – Prayers of Mordecai and Esther

Addition D – Esther before the king (expanded dramatic scene)

Addition E – The king’s second edict defending the Jews

Addition F – Interpretation of Mordecai’s dream (at the end)

In Protestant Bibles like the King James Version, these sections are either:

Placed in a separate Apocrypha section (older KJV editions), or

Omitted entirely (most modern Protestant printings)

🏛 Historical Setting

The king referred to as Ahasuerus (Artexerxes in Greek form) is traditionally identified with:

Xerxes I

The empire stretching “from India unto Ethiopia” reflects the vast Persian Empire at its height.

The setting takes place in:

Susa (Shushan)

✨ Major Differences Between Hebrew & Greek Esther

The Hebrew version of Esther is unique in that:

God is never explicitly mentioned.

There are no formal prayers recorded.

Events appear more political and court-centered.

The Greek (Septuagint) version adds:

Explicit references to God (the Most High / Elohim)

Long prayers from both Mordecai and Esther

Theological interpretation of events

Prophetic framing through Mordecai’s dream

These additions make the story much more overtly religious and providential.

🔥 Theological Themes in the Additions

The Apocryphal sections emphasize:

Divine sovereignty over kings

Repentance and national fasting

Covenant identity of Israel

God reversing decrees

Judgment imagery (lots cast before God)

The dream of the “two dragons” (Mordecai and Haman) frames the entire story as spiritual warfare interpreted at the end.

📜 About the Final Chapter (Greek Ending)

The closing note referencing:

Ptolemy and Cleopatra

Dositheus the priest

Lysimachus of Jerusalem

Places the Greek version’s transmission in the Hellenistic period, likely under the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt.

This reflects how the book circulated in the Greek-speaking Jewish world centuries after the Persian period.

🎉 Purim

The feast established in the book is:

Purim

It commemorates:

The Jews’ deliverance

The reversal of Haman’s decree

The casting of “pur” (lot)

It is still celebrated annually in Jewish communities worldwide.