The Problem of Purim’s Proximity: New Light on Esther and the Akitu Festival

Abstract

Despite the chronological proximity of Purim (in mid-Adar) to the Mesopotamian Akitu Festival (in early Nisan), past efforts to connect them have fallen short. The new approach of fan fiction studies, which views the Book of Esther as a literary transformation of the characters of Ishtar/Esther and Marduk/Mordecai, can shed new light on this conundrum. In Esther 9:24-28, the inserted summary of Purim's origins mentions neither Esther nor Mordecai, suggesting that Purim may have originally celebrated Jewish deliverance apart from these characters. I argue that the proximity of the Purim and Akitu holidays led the author of Esther to "borrow" the Mesopotamian deities and reimagine them as pious Jews whose adventures inspired the popular Jewish holiday. While Purim's true origins remain lost to time, this proposal can help explain the presence of ancient Near Eastern characters in a thoroughly Jewish tale.