The book of Esther tells of the faithfulness of a woman and her uncle. It is only one of two books that contain the heroism and courage of a female heroine. The story of Esther accomplishes two profound things, first: "demonstrating God's providential care for his people, even those outside the land of Israel, and 2) praising the observance of the Feast of Purim by telling how it originated" (Breneman 289). Unlike the rest of the Bible, the story of Esther does not directly state or speak about God, but instead shows God's plans for all of our lives and how in all of life's scary moments, He remains faithful to those who trust and have faith in Him. “Despite the omission of any name for the deity, there is no other book in the entire Bible in which God is more evident, working behind the scenes, than in this book” (Willmington 200). To understand who Esther was as a woman and her significance in Jewish history, we must first examine the circumstances and other individuals who influenced the events leading up to and after Esther became queen. Many significant events took place between that time of King Xerxes' expulsion of Vashti and his marriage to Esther. One of those famous events was the battle between King Leonidas, who led the Spartans, and the massive Persian army led by the powerful King Xerxes. King Xerxes ruled over 127 provinces. The provinces extended from India to the Nile possessions in the southern regions of Egypt. King Xerxes reigned from his palace in Susa, which had been initiated by his father, King Darius. King Xerxes was harsh, surly, arrogant and vain. He had succeeded in subduing and occupying large lands and had extended the borders of Persia very far. Many believe that the great party that is......in the middle of the paper......is starting to end. For a king like Xerxes who could have everything he wanted and saw himself as a god, loving and wanting to give half of his kingdom to this woman of no noble origin could only be done through the power of God. Because it was for a moment like this that Esther was called upon, and she performed all that God wanted for her. Works Cited Breneman, Mervin. The New American Commentary Volume 10 - Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. Nashville: B&H Pubs. Group, 1993. Print.Holy Bible: Holman Christian Standard Bible. Nashville, Tenn: Holman Bible Publishers, 2004. Print.Stern, David H., Trans. Complete Hebrew Bible: An English Version of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and the B'rit Hadashah (New Testament). Clarksville, MD: New Testament Jewish Publications, 1998. Print.Willmington, Guide to the Bible by H L. Willmington. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 1981. Print.