, 1875-03-21
PURikA.


a.v Tt,is ioyous festival is in commomorataon ! .
- t,,a es.ane OF the Hebrews from the pereecu-
.;o,, ;r.,;ratet by Han,an as recorded N tno
o., ~ Fa+,,er. The name Purim is dezlFeo .
-, +1,a uord "pur" meaning dice ~ IL e1-
.,s,-od in the book itself In the 7th verse
~ IA I'd chapter Of Esther, it says
~, ~. f;nnt month. tba: ia, the mouth N'san'
3: ~. +gelftb ,e.r Of ENG Ahssuerus, thes
"... DIV that ia. tho lot, before Hannah l.
oSs ~ sn.,;,,, dica that be fixed upon the 1sth
~ 1oont,, Adar for the destruction OF tue
49, Hence AZ it is written in the 26th verse
of the 9th chapter, : they caaeo - ND'oS
Tanritn. after tire Dslss OF Fur. x.,,,r.1 of ths
nu hnl;oav js The raoet joyous 1estlga " WIG
.u.,~egs and, although falling into Decay a.
r,,;;yirus feest, 1t ts still seasoa ,usH y. ~
sa;seaS d.r- and is 20 Kept by orthodox Hebrews
a.se,oamoration Of the fast Of Es:hes pe'ete
N n "a herself to King Ahahuetu5 70 oe-
.aecp se oernission for the jews to detgno 6nena,
+telyes against their persecuto1s. ..nl;,,t, .nd
;sasE Tss dsy Of feasting and drans,ns, ~ ~
s ecree to which the latter practice once pr
sne 5oav 1ee inferred from the prosorb'al pre-
cent in regard to the day: "'Dt1nS ts1i sou enu
.aar 1er teji tha difference between Moraecn sna
Ham.n-" Beside he,ng M 4;, aay " 4sn,eInbrsnces
a,nanr friends, the bestowal Of gifts ana at sne
st5sa As5 ~ anec,.l charity to the poor among
aAsAs e. a,4hodox Hebrews the day is honoreo as
~ ;n,,s and ostional festival In aocoroahce WIN
the command given 10 tne cooc'nsoe W o. pnr;1n
1a,ot 1T Esther -. Thar these days CT fuI,M 1na
.hon,d nat fail from among the Jews, noe tne
Ms,an,i.i ~ tbe1n pe.iah from their seed.
Tns Reformed Hebrew Church, however ana la
1ibersi thlnkers generally thtouenous tnss
nationality. view the Booh @ O. 1n;n 1';atn,;cn3
TTaina' The language is not pure heoIes, s',
1,nt has been corrupted by Persian ano esI,an ,s'
s1n,;1tnres. s It is from considerations OF tn's
ant thst Hebraisss assign the prodoctlon u 1.e
book to period subseqnehs 70 tho .ho GTe.t md
1s.hEn two centuries before Christ. Ahssuerns
IL the Pern,aa King known in history ~ Aer1ea
hnt whose mama in Persian u CusasA
sh;ch ia Ike the Hebrew Toru t tsu
dered Ahasuesus IN tno =, ISeR ~ R,ol a
ratber are. however, bald to be purely mythca
The origin Of the feast itself 10 Iaceac4o ~
s,nilar feast among the ancient Fefsians, s 1ruu
rvhou, it WAS acquired by the Hebrews axan 9ds.
vi Nhach was identical In character with tns ia
~alshrated by the Jews, WAS !" Pu1d'gnn. -
festival having been acquired IN this way, y
story Of Esther Was afterwards httea 70 u. !.
the Book Of Iob1t, which as coun.ea .eaF auss 20,
snocrTphal writings, there occurs anotnos ves
non II The story OF Haman and Moroecai, wntc !a!
-. n sho,r that there was current tIaoiao
nf The sort, that was subsequently, atnphnco nl in
the story OF Easher, and connected "itn Ine - .
Wan festival sp9Tn tba x nipe see is sennacha1b vi
1;ve1 come seyen centuries before Chr1s1, ~
Haman and Mordecai are mentioned IN tetu y
thss ;nd,cate that both were Ministers Of Il
Einc. and in the conflict for the cMe1 po"
Moruecai, tue Hebrew: oset.n.1m sn,-anee a,no,
the Heb1ows during tho middle acen; me her
ard relentless prosecutions to which they ne
rnbtaetod turned their thoughts, With ?