The JPS Bible Commentary: Esther
This informative commentary (part of JPS's Bible Commentary series) dissects the book of Esther and, by extension, the Jewish holiday of Purim. Berlin begins with a lengthy introduction, discussing Esther as comedy and as diaspora literature; the introduction also does a fine job of explaining the Persian period and its various art forms. Concerning Purim, Berlin posits that the text of Esther may have been included in the biblical canon because the Purim holiday had already taken a strong hold. Berlin concludes that "Purim existed, in one form or another, before the book was written." The commentary section presents the Hebrew text of Esther alongside the JPS translation, with Berlin's extensive annotations below. (Feb.)Children's ReligionCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.