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After the destruction
0f Jerusalem
nearly six centuries
before the birth of Christ,
the Jews were taken
into captivity in Babylon.
But 60 years later,
Babylon's territories
were conquered by the Persian Army,
and engulfed
in a new vast empire.
By edict of King Cyrus,
all captive peoples
were set free,
and allowed to return
to their own lands.
But not all the Jews
returned to Judea.
Many decided to remain
in the Persian empire,
the capital of which
was the magnificent city of Susa.
Stop! Stop!
Thief!
Come here, you!
Hold it!
Let me go!
-That's all!
- Let me go!
That wretched man
will have his hand cutoff.
It's the harsh law
of the Persians.
It's not the harshness, Ezra,
it's the absence of clemency.
We Jews should remember
when we write our own law...
People of Susa! Make way
for the counselor of your king!
Just look at him.
Ever since the kingdom of Saul,
every Jew has known...
As long as there's one Amalekite
on earth, we are in danger.
It's been so many years.
Will this feud never end?
Maybe, but I still refuse
to bow before him.
Come, Ezra,
we must try to do nothing
which can bring harm to our people.
Haman is just looking
for an excuse to strike us all.
Why can't we get through?
You stupid idiots!
Bow your heads
before Haman,
who brings gifts for the great
King of Persia and Media.
- How dare he?
- What is it, my lord?
Nothing.
His riches have opened
too many doors at court.
Soon he may even win
the king's favor.
Well, you know the king.
- He may have his indulgences, but...
- Well then,
it might not be as hard
as we thought
to rid ourselves
of that impostor.
(speaking Persian)
(speaking Persian)
You make me so proud,
Hadassah!
You've a true gift for languages,
and you learn so quickly.
Well, I do have the best
teacher in Susa, cousin.
She's so generous
and obedient.
That's because she has
the blood of King Saul,
from the tribe of Benjamin,
flowing in her veins.
- Thank you, Ezra.
- But heed my words...
Don't let her marry a foreigner.
- Has someone asked for my hand?
-No one!
Haven't you some--
some chores to do'?
Mordecai...
You shouldn't treat her
like the orphan
you took in many years ago.
She's a woman now.
- You have to accept that.
- I know, I know.
But she is a special girl.
She deserves a man
who is worthy of her.
If it be the will
of the Lord.
Hadassah,
what is this about a man?
$0...
Should someone
be asking for your hand?
Is it...
anyone in particular?
I don't know...
The man of my dreams,
perhaps?
But I'll accept whomever
you choose for me.
You know me well,
and you're a wise man.
I know you'll make
the right decision.
Today, with Haman,
I was neither wise nor prudent...
Hadassah,
Ezra is not wrong.
Living among the Persians so long,
we have become like them.
But we are still Jews.
We are different.
But you've taught me that what
matters is what's in a man's heart,
not his blood.
Your father might not
have taught you so.
No father is more dear
to me than you are.
Nehemia!
What are you doing?
The king's jewels,
*** from all over the kingdom.
But they are better off here
than in their original places.
Like that gold basin.
It comes from
the Temple in Jerusalem.
The Jews used it to gather
the blood during the sacrifices.
- Have you washed?
-No.
Everything must be purified
Wash!
Tend to the wine.
And taste it before
offering it to the king.
- What if I die'?
-You can...
But not the Great King Ahasuerus.
Come!
Parathael,
are you instructing him well?
Remember that at court, a false
move could cost him dearly.
Come with me,
Nehemia.
Here's the wine you requested,
my king.
To the health
of our wise king.
May he live forever,
by the grace of the god
Ahuramazda,
for the eternal joy
of his loyal subjects.
If you, my subject,
are so full of joy,
why do you look so sad'?
Won't you reply'?
My lord...
I was thinking
that this feast will soon end.
Your servant Haman is sad because
he cannot make it last longer.
You cannot,
but your king has this power.
I, Ahasuerus,
King of Persia and Media...
Declare...
That every man here
assembled shall drink
without restraint,
each to his own desire.
You spoke well,
but answer this:
Which of the king's jewels
would you desire for yourself?
They're all equally magnificent,
Shetar.
I wouldn't know
which one to choose.
My king, this man finds none
of your jewels worthy of praise.
How brazen!
(clanging)
Haman, you say
that the King 0f Kings...
Doesn't own a jewel
splendid enough to...
Reflect his glory?
My lord,
the king's most beautiful jewel
isn't among these.
Where is it, then?
Let it be brought!
A man's most precious jewels
are his wife's grace and honor.
There's no other beauty
in your empire
that can rival that
of Queen Vashti.
Ishtar,
the goddess of love and war--
she must have her way,
and she is pleased when she sees
the beautiful princess
and the valiant warrior.
Fall in love.
But other gods conspire
against the match.
Ishtar, moved to pity,
begins to blow,
and blow, and blow
until the offending gods
are swept away.
Love triumphs
and the enemies of love...
Are turned into ugly pigs.
Why do I bother to bring artists
and dancers from faraway lands...
If my guests refuse
to show interest in them'?
My queen, we are not used to plays
that ridicule our king's gods.
We are... confused.
I'm not one of those
foolish courtiers
that prostrate themselves
in order to obtain favors.
I am the queen,
and I do as I please
in my chambers.
Harbona, the king's eunuch,
asks to be received.
Don't just stand there,
Harbona, speak.
The king requires
my lady's presence.
For what purpose?
He makes display
of his most treasured objects.
Am I such an object'?
Oh, the most beautiful of all,
my queen!
It does not befit a lady,
much less a queen,
to be displayed before a man
quite drunk...
After too many days
of feasting.
The king wills it.
You are to wear the royal crown.
Say to the king that I refuse.
Queen Vashti!
Queen Vashti wrongs the king
by refusing my command.
Not only the king,
but the officials,
and the whole people
in every province.
A royal command
must be obeyed.
What does the law require?
If it pleased the king,
let a royal order go out
that Vashti be sent away
from palace life
and never return
before the king again.
Let it be written among the laws
of the Persians and the Medes
so that it might not
be revoked.
My king,
when word gets out,
all women will look upon
their husbands with contempt.
Let her royal position be given
to another who is better than she.
Very well, Memucan.
Scribe!
Let it be written to every province
in its own script...
...and to every people
in its own language.
Let it be sent by swift couriers
to every province in the empire...
That I declare
by royal decree...
Due to her disobedience,
as she dared oppose
an explicit order by the king.
Harbona,
go bring the queen to me.
- There is no queen, my lord.
- A decision made in haste.
It was the wine.
I revoke my command.
Bring Vashti.
I want her here.
I want to restore her crown.
It was a royal decree,
my lord.
By law,
it cannot be revoked.
And not even the king
can go against the law...
What is your advice?
If it pleases the king...
Speak, Haman.
Let beautiful young virgins
be sought out for the king.
And let the king appoint
commissioners in all the provinces...
To gather the virgins
to the harem in the citadel.
And let the girl
who pleases the king...
Be queen in Vashti's place.
This suggestion...
Pleases the king.
Let it be as Haman has proposed.
Search every house
in the town!
What are they doing?
That's my house!
- Wait! Wait! Wait!
- Break it down.
Hurry up!
Search those houses over there!
- Come on, come on, hurry.
- Don't worry, Mother.
Hurry up!
Bring them all to the palace!
Hadassah!
Any resistance
will be punished!
You must obey
the king's order!
Look in that direction!
Move on to the next street!
- Hadassah'?
- Mordecai?
Thank God you're here.
Quickly, quickly,
- you must hide.
- Why'?
-They're taking girls...
- What for??
For the harem of the king!
Hurry! Hurry!
Get in here!
Do you want to spend
the rest of your life in a harem?
Get in!
Be still!
Shh! Shh!
(knocking)
Open the door!
In the name of King Ahasuerus!
I will send them away.
Man:
Come on, open up!
Yes, yes, yes...
Your daughter
must come with us.
Daughter?
I have no daughter.
Your neighbor says
there is a young girl here,
a very beautiful young girl.
My neighbor is old.
He doesn't see well.
You Jews,
you think you can outwit...
A chamberlain of
the Great King of Persia?
Perhaps it was
a servant girl he saw.
She just cooks for me,
she doesn't live here.
Look for yourself...
No daughter?
What is this?
- Sir, you were lying to me.
- it's not what it seems.
Keep searching
and bring her to me.
- Come on, up, up...
- Please...
- Leave me.
- Let's go. Hurry.
She's an orphan
and a kinswoman.
See here,
perhaps we can discuss...
...an arrangement
Say goodbye
to your "kinsman."
Goodbye,
my dear cousin.
May the God of our ancestors
reward you...
For all your kindnesses.
Tell no one
you're a Jew.
You cannot even
use your name.
Call yourself "Esther,"
you know what it means.
Forget your name,
but never forget
you're a Jew...
Except in the silence
of your heart.
Be brave, my child.
This way. Quick, quick!
Come on!
Separate them!
Find rooms for them away
from the others from Babylon!
Come, come,
enter, my beauties.
Don't be afraid.
Jews.
I am Hegai,
in whose charge
you will remain
until you move on
to the second harem.
Welcome to your new home.
Today, we shall begin
transforming you--
for your encounter with the great
king in the royal bedchamber.
Don't be upset.
We'll begin the prescribed treatments
with oil of myrrh, and later...
- with perfumes and cosmetics.
- Little one, no need to cry.
You will be taught
palace etiquette
and how to conduct yourself
in the presence of the king.
So that,
when your turn comes,
you could even become
a queen.
What is this commotion?
Make her be quiet!
If only she could be
with her sister,
who was also brought
to the palace...
- You know this girl?
- Not until now...
Then she is no concern
of yours.
But her distress
is my concern,
and easily remedied
by a man of authority here.
Men?
You won't find any men here.
I know a man's real strength,
and by your eyes, I see
more strength in you, Hegai,
than in an army of warriors.
Who--
who are you?
- I am Esther.
- Esther?
A Babylonian name.
Your people are from Babylon?
No, I'm from Susa.
Well, Esther of Susa...
Out, everyone out!
To the second wing,
with the Babylonians.
This is the full tribute
of ebony?
Six hundred talents, yes.
And next we have incense.
Not you, again!
I told you,
don't bother me today.
What happens in the harem
is of no concern to me,
nor of any man,
save the king.
If you want a long life,
my friend,
forget the girl...
I am charged by her family
to see if she is well.
Please.
What's this?
Frankincense, sir.
You call this incense?
This is second rate.
You know people in the court.
You know the eunuchs.
You could ask them.
You made an error.
How'?
What are you talking about?
Here.
Ah. So l did.
It's because
you need an assistant.
Appoint me.
I am a scribe.
I can read and speak Aramaic,
Babylonian, and Persian.
I could be
of great help to you...
All because
you know how to count?
That incense...
It isn't actually
second rate...
Enough.
My assistant...
Perhaps you will sit
within the palace gate.
You're a clever man,
Mordecai the Jew.
The king
will tell you to rise.
Watch...
(laughter)
You will not bow with your head,
but with your heart.
You will walk lightly,
as if on water.
And when you do bow,
you will smile...
But keep your eyes lowered.
(laughter)
Silence!
It is forbidden to look
the king in the eyes,
save for the royal princes
and his closest advisors.
It is forbidden to rise
without the king's permission.
It is forbidden
to dress carelessly,
and it is forbidden...
To scratch yourself.
Forget whatever you
have done up until now.
When it is your night
to go to the king,
you may ask for anything
you want to take with you.
I will ask for a necklace of pearls
that will reach to my feet.
I will have only a fan
of white feathers.
Perhaps the king
will never send me away!
(laughter)
Maimuna,
why has no girl ever
returned from the king?
The first harem
is only for virgins.
And after our first night,
what then'?
In the morning, Shaagaz
will take you to the second harem,
the eunuch in charge
of the concubines.
There you will remain,
unless the king delights in you
and calls for you by name.
Maimuna?
My lady...?
What is it like?
I mean,
to make love to a man?
That depends on the man.
The *** of the governor
of the southlands
is clearly an offense.
Even the king's life
could be in danger.
The assassins must
be found and punished!
Memucan's concern is justified.
We must send someone there
immediately.
This is a very serious matter.
Perhaps you should go,
Carshena.
Everyone knows you've been
coveting the idea of a governorship
in those rich lands.
That is a lie!
Let me go!
I bring a message
to the great king
from the governor
of the southlands.
That's impossible.
The governor is dead.
Boy, don't you know no one comes
unsummoned before the king?
The penalty is death.
It's the law.
But I was summoned.
By whom'?
He was supposed to be here,
my lord.
I don't see him,
but I know his name.
It's...
It's... Carshena.
Carshena?
And where is he now?
I don't see him!
- Execute him!
- I'm innocent, my lord.
I don't want to die.
Be brave. Your death
shall not go unpunished.
If one of you sent for this man,
his blood is on your hands.
There will be an investigation
of this "Carshena."
Esther,
what will you wear
when you go into the king?
You have seen to my every need,
Hegai. You decide.
But it is customary to request
something to take in with you.
Well, in that case,
I'll rely on your wisdom.
I should bring whatever
you think I require.
It's for tonight.
May the god, Ahuramazda,
be with you.
Tell us your name.
I'm called...
Esther.
Esther.
The name of the goddess Ishtar,
the goddess of love, yes?
In the tongue of my people,
it has another meaning.
It means "hidden."
So you hide behind a veil'?
Are you that ugly?
Rise,
So i can see you.
Are you a...
Made'?
Are you Ionian?
Assyrian?
My people are loyal subjects
of the King of Persia, my lord.
That's not an answer.
Silence is a rare gift
in a woman,
but I command you--
look at me.
What do you see'?
My king...
I see a man with courage
and beauty in his eyes.
You're all the same.
You're lying to me,
just like they taught you to.
Well, let us do
what has to be done.
You picked a rose
in the garden.
Is it a gift for your king?
My lord,
I picked it for myself.
Forgive me for taking it.
You are different.
You are courageous.
You're not like the others.
Perhaps.
The truth is that I've always
been afraid of the unknown.
And I've never known a man.
Esther,
no one will hurt you.
Rise, Esther,
Queen of Persia and Media.
Hail to the Queen!
Hail!
Long life and happiness
to Queen Esther!
(cheering)
You're a Jew who bows
before a pagan king.
Esther is crowned Queen
of all Persia. Rejoice!
How can I rejoice
when a Jewish girl...
Is wed to an uncircumcised
heathen, king or no king?
Our sons and daughters are mixing
our precious seed with...
with foreigners, and they take
for themselves foreign names
like "Esther."
Perhaps there is a hidden design
in this turn of events.
There's one way for us,
the way that leads
us back to Jerusalem.
All guards,
two steps forward, march!
Man:
Are you afraid?
It's not the first time
I've killed a man.
It's set then.
Tomorrow night.
Here is the poison.
To slip into his drink.
- You have the dagger?
-Mm-hmm.
Tomorrow night.
Hathach!
Send for Harbona! I must speak
with the king immediately!
It's a question of life
or death.
Yes, my queen.
How came this evil news
to you?
The man they
call Mordecai the Jew,
who sits within your palace gate,
sent word to me.
A Jew?
Cannot the ears of a Jew be trusted
to save the life of our king?
Go on.
Mordecai overheard Teresh
and Bigthan planning to kill you.
My lady, it's the word
of a stranger...
Against that of two noble members
of the king's household.
Harbona, they why don't you show
the king your precious dagger?
I can't, my lady.
I mislaid it several days ago.
It's by the fountain
in the garden.
It was to be Bigthan's
*** weapon.
But everyone was to believe
Harbona was the real assassin.
And then Teresh was to feign
Harbona's suicide with poison.
You wanted to poison me?!
And kill my king?
It's a lie.
- We are falsely accused, my king!
- Enough!
Memucan...
Memucan, you conduct
a search immediately.
Guards!
Hold these men prisoner
pending an investigation!
-No!
- No, please!
It will be done, my lord,
it will be done.
So they are guilty.
But why did
they want to kill me?
This investigation of yours
doesn't say why.
They refused to explain
their reasons.
I had entrusted them
with my life!
They had my complete trust!
Who is behind this,
Memucan?
When will I see an end
to all these intrigues?
Execute them, and let it be written
in the annals.
Let it be written...
In the annals of Ahasuerus,
the Great King,
that in the month of Tebeth,
Bigthan and Teresh...
My lord,
Haman is here.
...and that the plot
was discovered...
- Let him in.
- ...by Mordecai the Jew,
who did save
the life of the king...
With much alacrity
and courage.
My king...
If you bring nothing
but bad news, Haman,
you may go.
One can hide nothing
from you, my lord.
Your stupid gifts
will get you nowhere.
I'm patient, Chamberlain.
And most of all,
I've time to wait.
Memucan...
Memucan,
I commanded you not to die.
How dare you leave me'?!
My lady, no one is able
to make him see reason.
No, my lady, no one may come
unsummoned before the king,
not even the queen.
The penalty is death.
The queen requests
to be received.
She's worried
about your health.
Get away, all of you!
He is in pain, my lady.
He will overcome it.
No one can...
My lord,
you have mourned him
for three whole days.
Do you want Memucan to come back
from the valley of death...
To remind you of your duty?
You must go back
to governing again.
If the queen has lost
the king's favor,
there will be sad days
ahead.
Haman...
What do you want'?
Help me win back the king's favor.
Speak to him.
I'm not in a position
to do so.
You think you can getaway
with this?
I got rid of Carshena for you,
and this is how you repay me?
What's the trouble?
What was that all about?
Shut up,
you foolish woman!
What more do you want'?
The king is about to appoint me
his new Lord Chamberlain.
Are you mad'?
You show no respect
for the king's right hand man'?
Never will I bow to that man.
The king commands it.
Who are you to disobey?
A Jew who prostrates himself
only before the Lord.
(light strumming)
it's not so easy as it looks.
It takes time.
It seems
I have plenty of time.
If you ask me,
our king should pay
more attention
to his beautiful queen.
You know what the king should do
better than the king himself?
Can't you see how she suffers
since she lost his affection?
- My queen...
- Hegai,
am I not still the same Esther
you took under your wing?
Yes...
It seems I have lost favor
with the king.
That cannot be.
If I have done anything,
anything that has displeased him...
Why should you think so'?
He's not sent for me
in weeks.
Please, Hegai, tell me--
what shall I do?
Be patient.
The king attends
to many urgent matters.
He instructs a new
Lord Chamberlain besides.
Haman.
This man alone does not show
respect to Your Lordship.
His superiors speak to him
day after day,
but he does not listen.
Pay him no heed.
The man is mad.
I cannot be bothered
by such foolishness.
(glass shatters)
I want to talk to the Jew.
Him!
Bow your head!
You know
I can make you do it.
He despises me.
He insults me.
He turns the sweet honey
in my mouth to bitter bile.
You exercise the power of the king.
Do something.
Kill him.
It's beneath me
to lay hands on him.
Jews!
They cheat us,
then hoard their wealth
to flaunt before us.
They think themselves
better than the rest.
Jews!
I don't want to hear
anything more about them!
We should destroy them.
Destroy every man, woman,
and child among them!
All of them...
All at once.
Forgive me, my lord,
forgive me.
Haman requests to speak
with you.
Let him in.
My lord,
a most urgent matter
that must be discussed...
Away from indiscreet ears.
A certain people,
scattered and dispersed
among the populace
- in all the provinces...
- Yes, yes, yes,
come to the point!
Their laws are different.
There can be only one law.
One day in seven
they refuse to work.
They hoard money
and cheat on their taxes.
How do you suggest
we solve the problem?
Eliminate the problem.
If it pleases the king,
let a decree be issued
for their destruction.
I cannot destroy
my own subjects!
If lawbreaking is tolerated,
others will follow.
Tributes and tax revenues
decline.
Be logical, Haman.
The dead yield no taxes.
It's not a question of taxes.
I will pay 10,000 talents of silver
into the king's treasury if need be.
My lord,
the stability of the entire
kingdom is in danger.
These people
are capable of far worse.
They can conspire against us.
They occupy important positions
in every city of the kingdom.
If what you say is true,
we must act.
Who might these people be?
A small,
insignificant clan, my king.
If my king trusts me,
I'll take care
of the details personally.
There is no one else
I can trust.
You will be granted
all the powers.
I want to know nothing
about the matter.
The lot falls to the 13th day.
And now the month...
The month of Adar
is propitious.
The 13th of Adar...
Men cast the lots
but the gods decide.
The gods decide.
I shall make ready.
Scribes!
To every province
in its own script,
and to every people
in its own language,
by a royal decree
of Ahasuerus:
Let them destroy,
kill and annihilate
all the Jews,
young and old,
women and children...
Young and old, women
and children in one day'?
The 13th day
of the twelfth month,
which is the month of Adar;
and to plunder their goods...
And let this decree be issued
in every province by proclamation,
calling on all the peoples to prepare
and make ready for that day.
Your Persian king
is going to kill us!
No, no.
It cannot be.
We have lived here for years.
They are our friends...
They won't allow this
to happen.
They won't.
We must leave
before it's too late.
Take this and go.
Hey you,girl...
- Come here! Come on!
- Leave me alone!
You know we can do
what we like.
Help!
Somebody help me!
- Jew!
- Leave him be.
We'll deal with him later.
Oh, my God!
Have you forgotten us, Lord?
Have you forgotten us?
Woe to the Jews!
Woe to the children of Israel!
We are undone!
Our enemies sit in ambush.
(moaning and wailing)
Woe to the Jews!
Woe to the children
of Israel!
We are undone!
Why does our God--
why does our Lord
not save us'?
Get away,
you filthy wretch!
Katare!
Mordecai, be quiet.
Get a hold of yourself.
- Shhh, shhh.
- We are undone!
- Quiet, my friend.
-No, no!
Quiet, quiet!
You want to make things worse
for you and your people?
You must not play the fool.
Shhh!
Get a hold of yourself!
He's still there!
But he's been
howling for hours...
Who?
It is the Jew, my lady.
Such a racket.
He wails night and day
without ceasing.
He dresses in sackcloth and ashes
and sits outside the king's gate.
What Jew?
His name is...
It's the man who warned you
of the plot against the king.
Are you sure'?
The queen commands you
to make yourself presentable.
He refused them'?
Why?
Hathach, return to him, please,
and ask him what afflicts him.
Ten thousand talents of silver,
Tell the queen that Mordecai
charges her to go before the king
and plead with him
for her people.
But why?
Why was I not informed
of this decree?
My lady,
these are affairs of the king...
I don't know what gives
this Mordecai the right...
"Plead for her people..."
But it is forbidden to go before
the king without being called!
On penalty of death,
my queen.
But if the king holds out the golden
scepter, that person may live.
Maybe the king remembers
the sweet nights he spent with you.
If there ever was such a time
that he felt such tenderness for me,
it is over.
It has been so long
since he sent for me.
I must go to Mordecai myself.
I must make him understand.
If you are found outside the harem,
outside the palace gates,
in the company of a man...
Do not think that in the King's
palace you will escape...
Any more than all
the other Jews.
Because if you keep silent
at such a time,
relief and deliverance will rise
for the Jews from another quarter.
But you, and with you,
your father's family, will perish.
Hadassah,
perhaps you have come
to royalty
for such a time
as this.
Those were his words.
But, I beg of you, my queen,
do not risk your life.
Seize him.
Come on!
Wait...
Mordecai...
Mordecai...
Mordecai...
Hadassah!
Shhh! I'm Esther.
Go.
Gather all the Jews
to be found in Susa.
Fasten my behalf.
Neither eat nor drink
for three days, night or day.
Esther, if only I could
have spared you with...
Do as I command.
I and my handmaids
will fast also.
Then,
I will go to the king,
though it is against his law.
If I perish, I perish.
May the Lord protect you,
Esther...
Come in aid of Your servants...
We are in overwhelming danger.
Father,
You who chose our fathers...
You who punished us...
And turned us over
to our enemies
because we have sinned
against You...
...still not happy, they want us
to be completely annihilated.
Do not allow them
to triumph, Lord,
but turn their plans
against them,
and strike the first
of our persecutors.
Put the words...
That will touch the heart
of my king into my mouth.
Let them remind him of the love
he once felt for me
and turn his heart against those
who hate and battle against us.
Let him be the one to yield.
Free me...
Free me...
Deliver me from my anguish,
O Lord!
(wind howling)
Maimuna,
I need to bathe and dress.
Please,
lay out my robes.
I'm ready.
Haman: Next, Great King, we have
the trade delegation from Bactria.
King: Have they paid
their tribute?
Not yet, Majesty.
King: Let them wait!
I've been waiting...
I've been waiting for months!
Do not fear, Esther.
If it pleases the king...
What is your request,
Beloved Queen?
It shall be given you,
even to the half of my kingdom.
Let the king...
And Hamann.
Come today to the banquet
I have prepared in my quarters...
For the king.
Let it be...
As our queen desires.
Now,
my delectable queen,
what is your petition?
Come, come.
Tell me.
What is your request?
It shall be fulfilled.
If I have found
favor with you,
and if it pleases the king to grant
my petition and fulfill my request...
Then let the king and Haman
come again tomorrow
to the banquet
I shall prepare for them.
This woman tries
our patience.
Indeed, my lord,
as do they all.
Then I shall tell my wish...
As my king desires.
Bow before the great Haman!
All this does me no good...
As long as I see
that insolent Jew
refusing to acknowledge me!
Vultures will feast on
his insolence soon enough, Father.
Not soon enough for me.
Then build a gallows--
fifty cubits high.
Get the king's consent
and hang Mordecai upon it.
I'll have to build it
immediately.
(screaming)
- My lord'?
- I cannot sleep.
Shall I call a scribe,
with your permission, my lord'?
His readings will help you
fall asleep.
(guards changing)
In the 10th month,
two eunuchs of the threshold
did conspire to assassinate
the king.
By the grace of the god,
Ahuramazda, the Wise Lord,
the plot was discovered
and exposed...
...by a certain Mordecai,
the Jew,
who sat with in the gates
and by whose brave action
did save the life of the king.
Is that all?
The eunuchs were executed
under the laws of Persia.
Harbona!
Ah, my lord, the king wants
to see you immediately.
Do you know what he wants?
I believe he owes a debt
of gratitude to someone.
I am yours to command,
King of Kings.
Tell me,
what shall be done for a man
the king wishes to honor'?
To the man whom
the king wishes to honor...
let royal robes be brought...
And the king's horse, with a royal
crown on its head, and...
Let him be conducted on horseback
through the open square of the city.
Good!
Thus shall be done for a man
the king wishes to honor.
(laughter)
lam brought low.
The gods are surely envious
of my glory to so sorely mock me.
What scoundrel invented
my father's misfortune'?
It was I!
I knew not that the king
meant to honor that foul toad.
I thought he wished to honor me!
And thus I proposed
a fitting tribute,
which he then charged me
to execute in favor of my enemy!
If that Mordecai is part
of the Jewish people,
I fear this is but
the beginning of your downfall.
What?
- Open in the name of the King!
- Open up.
My Lord Chamberlain,
are you ready?
The queen's banquet
is prepared.
You see, good wife'?
I'm still the king's
right hand man.
The fowl was excellent.
My lord,
the queen looks like a goddess.
Even if she were to feed me poison,
I would die a happy man.
Take care how you flatter
my wife, Lord Chamberlain.
Your king is a jealous man.
I intend only to praise
my lord's impeccable taste.
Enough.
Now, you promised to tell me...
Your petition and your request.
And it shall be granted?
Even to the half of my kingdom.
If I have won your favor,
and if it pleases the king,
let my life be given me.
That is my petition.
Your life?
And the lives of my people.
That is my request.
She ensnares me in riddles.
I know nothing
about your people.
We are to be sold,
land my people,
not merely as slaves,
for then I would have held
my peace.
You cannot be sold.
You're mine.
We have been sold...
To be destroyed,
to be killed...
To be annihilated!
My lord, perhaps
I can explain...
And no enemy can compensate
for this damage to our king.
Speak clearly, woman.
What damage? What enemy?
Haman.
Through his enmity towards
my kinsman, Mordecai.
- Your kinsman?
- Your kinsman!
Haman has decreed death
to all the Jews,
every man, woman,
and child.
My lady, I beg you...
I had no wish to harm you...
how could I know?
Have mercy on me,
I beseech you,
for the sake of my sons.
I will be your slave
if you but spare my life!
Guards! Eunuchs!
Will he assault the queen
in my house, in my presence'?!
It's a misunderstanding,
I can explain--
He insults the queen and plots
to destroy her people!
The penalty is death!
A gallows 50 cubits high
stands at Haman's house.
He prepared it for Mordecai,
who saved the king!
Hang him on that!
Great Queen, save me!
Tell them the truth!
Wait!
My ring!
No! Have mercy!
Tell them the truth!
Please!
(wailing)
Please, don't bow before me,
cousin.
You are the most powerful
woman in the kingdom.
But that doesn't change
the way I see you.
Mordecai,
you know me well,
remember?
This is the Hadassah I know.
The Lord has granted
my request.
But let us not rejoice
too soon.
It's not over yet.
Yes, that is why the Jews
put their trust in you.
Let them keep their faith.
The king has come back
to me with his love.
I shall goto him and ask him
to revoke Haman's decree.
I will not let
our people down.
Give us your hand.
The trust which we unwisely placed
in the hands of your enemy,
We now confer on you.
My dear cousin,
as my king sees fit to trust you,
so do I,
with all my heart.
I give unto you
my property,
and set you over
the house of Haman.
So shall it be.
And now, if there be
no other urgent matters...
If it pleases the king...
And if I have won his favor...
Yes?
My lord,
how can I bear to see
calamity come on my people?
My own kindred.
Let an order be written
to revoke
the letters devised by Haman
the Agagite,
in which he decreed to destroy
the Jews in all the provinces.
It was a royal decree.
It cannot be revoked.
It is the law.
The laws are made
by the king,
surely they can be unmade
by the king,
An edict sealed with the
King's ring can't be revoked.
Not even by the king himself.
Mordecai,
you have shown yourself to be
both wise and clever.
Please, please, please!
Just one at a time!
If we all speak at once,
then nobody listens.
He's right.
Listen to me.
Why you?
First listen to me.
No, no,
please stop,
because by the time you decide
who is to speak first,
it will be the 13th of Adar
and we shall all be dead.
Now, you said that the Lord
has abandoned us.
What I say is...
we have turned away from the Lord.
Ezra is right.
How can the Lord hear our prayer
so far from Jerusalem?
We should return
while there is yet time.
What safety
is there in Jerusalem?
The walls lie in ruins.
Listen!
Listen, friend! Please!
Please listen
to what I have to say.
- You're not one of us!
- I am a Jew, just like you!
But how could I survive
at the Persian court if I told them'?
He's Nehemia,
the king's cup bearer.
Let him speak.
Ezra is not wrong.
One day, the Jews must
return to Jerusalem, but...
But?
Ls it so easy to give up
what we have struggled to build?
Our homes
and our families are here.
Our fathers and grandfathers
lie buried in this ground.
Listen to me!
- Listen to me!
- No, you must let him speak!
Listen...
Listen...
The king has given authority
to Queen Esther and Mordecai
to find a solution.
Give them time.
Have faith a little longer.
Have faith?
In the laws of Persia?
Or have faith in the Lord?
Salvation for the Jews--
our very survival--
dwells in the land
promised to Abraham.
I would sooner live
in a city with no walls
than in the richest empire
that has no true faith.
How will we find
a way to save us'?
Oh Lord, why have you
turned away from us'?
Please, put the right words
into my mouth and turn his heart...
Ah!
Turn his heart...
Turn the heart of he
who battles against us...
Turn!
Can't you see?
We have asked the Lord to turn
our fate against our enemies,
and in His goodness,
He has given us the means
to do so.
The law.
To every province
in its own script,
and to every people
in its own language.
And to the Jews
in our script and our language,
by royal decree of Ahasuerus,
King of Kings,
to all his governors
and officials:
Let the Jews in every city
assemble and defend their lives,
to destroy, kill and annihilate
any armed force of any people
that might threaten them
on a single day:
the 13th day
of the 12th month of Adar.
Let this decree be published
in every province,
and issued
to all peoples,
and let the Jews prepare
and make ready for that day.
Ezra!
Ezra,
have you heard the edict?
It doesn't promise triumph,
only bloodshed.
There's no guarantee
we will win.
At least we can defend ourselves,
if all we have is tools and stones.
Is this battle the right way?
This battle will keep
the Jews alive.
Let us begin...
Blessed art Thou,
O Lord,
Whose hand is gracious
to those who seek You.
Protect and defend your people
tomorrow on the day of battle,
and deliver us
from our enemies...
(sounds of battle)
The Jews have defended
themselves well.
Hundreds of people have
been killed, on both sides.
We are still awaiting reports
from the provinces.
I wanted to tell you myself.
Rejoice, my queen.
You have saved your people.
It's over, Esther.
The peril. The blood.
it's all over.
Now I have a request for you.
And I ask you to listen
to me...
If I have found favor
in your eyes...
Be my queen.
Share my kingdom,
my nights...
Be the light of my life.
I shall be your lover
when you desire me,
and your counsel
when you need me...
I've never given a woman
the love l feel for you.
It shall be so.
I, Esther, Queen of Persia,
decree that each year...
The Jews will commemorate
the 14th and 15th days of Adar,
because this was the month in which
their despair was turned into joy,
their mourning into
a feast of celebration,
with exchanging of gifts
and alms giving to the poor.
And to remember how their fate,
or Pur, was turned around,
it shall be called
The Feast of Purim.
(music and celebration)
While many Jews
still remained in Persia,
others decided,
under the leadership of Ezra,
to return to the land from which
their ancestors had been deported.
They were sustained
on their long journey
by the desire to rebuild
a nation of their own.
In the Temple of Jerusalem, which
rose again after the destruction,
they would pray together
with those of the Jews
who had returned after
King Cyrus' edict years before.
The walls of Jerusalem
would rise again too,
under the wise ruler,
Nehemia,
who was appointed Governor
of Judea by the Persian King.
Ezra,
the scribe and priest,
became the spiritual leader
of the people of Israel,
and helped them to preserve
the divine word of the Bible
at the center of their lives
and at the heart of their faith.
"In the beginning,
God created the heaven
and the earth.
And the earth
was without form,
and void and darkness
was upon the face of the deep.
And the spirit of God moved
upon the face of the waters,
and God said,
'Let there be light,'
and there was light..."