| A | B |
|---|
| Hadassah | Esther's Jewish name |
| Mordecai | Esther's kinsman and advisor. His refusal to bow is what precipitates Haman's hatred of the Jews |
| Ahasuerus | King; also called Xerxes and Ahaverosh. |
| Haman | advisor to the king; villain in the story. |
| Pur | "lot" or "chance"; the feast takes its name from the "lottery" in which Haman picked out the date of the Jews' expulsion. |
| 13 Adar | in the story, the date when the Jews will be banished or killed; today,date when the Feast of Purim is celebrated. Falls in late winter, early spring. |
| Vashti | wife who refuses to be shown off for the king's friends |
| 127 provinces, from India to Ethiopia | signs of the king's vast power |
| goldern goblets, purple linen, floors of marble and porphyry | signs of the king's enormous wealth |
| Esther | Hadassah's Persian name. means "star"--some see symbolism in that. |
| harem, eunuch, names like Haman and Esther | signs of Persian culture and customs |
| megillah | scroll |
| eunuch | castrated males, trusted servants to the king |
| harem | private areas of one's household where male visitors are not allowed |
| diaspora | name of the community of Jews living outside Israel |
| marranos | "secret "Jews; Jews who hid their faith in order to survive in times of persecution |
