Trend Update: Purim, Tombs of Esther & Mordecai, March 2017
Esther 1:1-2 Now it took place in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, in those days as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in Susa…
Esther 1:5 When these days were completed, the king gave a banquet lasting seven days for all the people who were present at the citadel in Susa, from the greatest to the least, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace.
This is the introduction to the book of Esther. Susa was the headquarters of the ancient Persia and Media Empire. Ancient Susa is also known as Shush or Shushan.
North of Susa is Hamadan. Today Hamadan, Iran is believed to have approximately 470,000 people per 2006 census numbers.
Within the city of modern day Hamadan, the heroes Esther and Mordecai are believed to be buried in the Iranian city. A 500 year old building is the site. The location is reported to be in very good condition. For detail, see the link below.
The burial site and story of Esther draw people to think about the modern city, especially at the holiday of Purim.
Hamadan is back in the news and on the world stage but for other reasons.
August 16, 2016: Since this date, Russia has been launching air strikes from Iran. The Iranians have agreed to give Russia access to the Hamadan Air Base in western Iran. Russia is the first foreign country allowed access to the air base. This was reported by news outlets around the world (The Guardian, RT, Reuters, Jerusalem Post, France 24, New York Times).
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