A More Religious Esther?

One of the most famous – and significant – features of the Hebrew book of Esther is the absence of any mention of God.  Some of the book’s earliest readers were disturbed enough by that fact that they actually changed it.  They changed a lot of other details, as well.

For readers familiar with the Hebrew book of Esther, encountering the Greek version of the book is a surprising experience.  The most surprising parts are the large sections of the Greek text known as the “Additions to Esther”; these may be found in any Catholic Bible, in collections of Apocrypha, or on-line.