The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-02-15
Purini. The Origin of this Jewish
Festival.


Medes and Persians, the people of
Ahasuerus' kingdom. The cause of
this hatrtd on the part of Haman
arose from the fact that Mordecai, a
jew, had refused to bow down be-
fore him as others did and reverence
him. This Mordecai was uncle to
Esther, the fayorite Queen of Alias
ueras, and at one time he had saved
the Kings life from a party of con-
spirators. He had, however, charged
Esther, to whom he was nursing
father as we'll as uncle, not to divulge
her race and kindred, and thus he
was only q very poor and humble
servant in the Kings palace. But
Haman, being filled with wrath be.
cause this humble servant did not
reverence him, not only planned the
destruction of the whole Jewish race
in Persia, but, By advice of his wife,
built a very high gallows for the
special benefit of Mordecai. 1t
transpired that Hannah himself was
afterward hanged on this gallows,
and from this we have the trite
phrase, changed as high as Hannah"
This naughty Prince cast lots in or
der to discover an suspicious time
upon which to have the Jews slain,
and it fell on the twelfth month and
18th and 14th days. That is the
month of Adar, and these days cor
respond with the 9th and 18th of
February. But it so happened that
the King, after attending with Ha-
man a banquet of wine set by Es-
ther, could not sleep as even men to
this day cannot, after such a ban.
quet, and he had the chronicles
brought out to be read to him, and
it happened that his servants had
read of the service which Mordecai
had done him and which had been
as yet unrewarded. Then he called
for Haman and asked of him what
should be done unto the man whom
the King delighteth to honor. Ha-
man believed, of course, that this
man whom the King desired to
honor could be no other than him
self, so he said: "Let the royal
apparel be brought forth, which the
King useth to wear, and the horse
that he rideth upon and the crown
royal, which is set upon his head,
and let this apparel and horse be
delivered to the hand of one of the
Kings most noble princes, that they
may array the man withal whom the
King delighteth to honor, and bring
him on horseback through the street
of the city and proclaim before him.
Thus shall it be done to the man
whom the King delighteth to honor"
So the King ordered Haman to do
these things unto Mordecai, and. it
was done, but of course it very much
affected Humans pride, who had
intended to hang Mordecai, instead
of exalting him. He told his wife
Of what had befallen him, and she
thereupon predicted his fall. While
they were talking of it the Kings
chamberlain came and FASTENED Ha-
man away to another banquet pre-
pared by Esther, to which she had
obtained promise from the King
that he would attend with Haman.
Here Esther told the King of the
plot against her and her people, the
Jews, and the King ordered then
that Haman be hanged on the gal.
lows he had prepared for Mordecai;
and his ten sons were also hanged,
and all the enemies of the Jews were
slain on the dag set apart for their
slaughter. For these reasons the
Jewish race keep these days-Feb-
ruary 9th and 2Sth--as a festival.
Purim is Persian word, signifying
"lots," and its root, found in the
Semetic and Indo-Germanic Ian
puapeS. is march. sipnifvinp nartS of-