Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-28
| NOTEDPERS|AN T0MBS
Where the Remains of Morde-
Cal and Esther Rest.
IAN OBJECT OF VENERATlON
Mysterious Pendant Bag Rifed of
Its Contents.
BURIAL PLACE OF ALEXANDER
Conflicting Reports Concerning the
Death of Cyrus and the Dis
position of His Body.
ny WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.

| RY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Written f,r The Star and the Chicago Record
! Herald.
While Mr.. s. NJ. Jordan. principal of the
| American School at Teheran. was in
| Washington not long ago he told me an
/ interesting story of the tomb of Mordecai
and Esther. which is preserved near
! Hamadan. one of the principal cities of
! Persia. situated about half way between
/ Teheran and Bagdad You will renlem-
/ Der that the first chapter of the Book of
! Esther tells us that Ahasuerus, who was
/ the great Xerxes. Lord of the Whole
! World reigned from India even unto
! Etiiiopia'-that is. his empire in Africa
extended to the boundaries of Abyssinia.
! in Asia, to the Indian ocean. and in
/ Europe to the Adriatlc sea. But not
withstandng his power and glory his
wife-EasFti was her name-did not obey
! him a good wife should obsv her hus-
! band. Some women were very stubborn
| in those times. just as they are in these
/ latter days The Good Book says: THE
| King Ahasuerus commanded Vashti to be
! brought in before him. but she came not "
| so he got a divorce and issued decree
| which should be repeated by President
! Roosevelt. That all wives shall give to
their husbands honor, both to great and
| small"
| Then the king. needing new wife.
called for competitive examination.
| Now IN Shushan, the palace. there was
a certain Jew whose name was Morde-
| cal the son of Jair. the son of Shimei.
| the son of kish. Ben jaminite. who had
been carried away from Jerusalem with
/ the captivity. And he brought up Ha-
dassah-that is. Esther. his uncle's
| daughter-for she had neither father nor
mother. and the maid was fair and beau
| tiful: whom Mordecai. when her father
and mother were dead. took for his own
J daughter. So ii came to pass when the
| kings comma nttlnents and his decree were.
| heard. ana when many maidens were
| gathered together under Shushan, the
| palace. that Esther was brought also
| unto the kings house and the King loved
| Esther above all the women. and she oh
tanned grace and favor in his sight more
than all the virgins. SO he set the royal
| crown upon her head and made her
| queen instead of Vashti." And Mordecai
| sat at the kings gate.
| Hannah, the prime minister. became, of
| Tended at Mordecai for exposing con-
| spiracy -''Nherefore Hamapi sought to
destroy att the Jews that were through
out the whole kingdom of,,.Ahasuerus
even the people of Mordecai."
/ Xerxes, did not know tEat his new
queen was Jewess, but she disclosed the
| fact and saved her people ard "they
| hanged Haman on the gallows that he
| had prepared for Mordecai And the
| king took off his ring. which he had TAX
| en- from Haman. and gave 1t unto Nor
| deca'" and the Jews had light and
| IL -, ass and JOY and honor. for Morde
| a. tn. Jew was next unto King Ahasue
| rus. And all the acts OF his power and
! gf n!s might. and declaration of the
! greatness OF Mnrderai. whereunto tine
/ king advanced him, are they not ritten
| in the Book of the Chronicles of the
! Kings of Medea and Persia"
Inscriptions on Mountain Side.
| But the Book OF Chronicles is not the
nniy record which Cyrus, Darius Xerxes
! ,Ahasdarus). Artaxerxes ard other Per
| sian in@narchS caused 10 be made OF
| their achievements and the splendor of
/ their reigns. On til" rocky mountain
| sides II that part of Persia are numerous
! Inscriptions carved in the everast ing
! rock relating 10 the events of that dy-
i NASTY, and at several places the
| ruins Of palaces and pilared malls which
| testify To the grandeur III which they
! lived. On his tablets Darius tells us
| how ne became king ~ the grace of his
gods and by his own prowess. recounts
the battles he fought. the victories lie
won. the revoits IN. crushed and the con
quests ny which he formed his great
empire. Great is Aura mazda tile great
St Of all gods. who created tic earth.
who created the feaNens who created
man, who made Xerxes king. the one