The Bible In Paintings, #173: ESTHER FAINTS

Bing Images ^ | c.2200 BC - c.95 AD | by the Father, Son & Holy Spirit

[Hebrews 11:6]

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E S T H E R

F A I N T S

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ESTHER
8 – 1 0
New International Version, emphases added
Abrdgd: the complete text is in your Bible


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C L I C K :

To read ESTHER 8-10 in full
To hear MAX McLEAN reading it
To hear a DRAMATIZATION of it
HIGHLY recommended by Maudeen!
To see an ANIMATION of Esther

4 8 3
B. C.

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"When you come to a fork
in the road, take it."

We have arrived at one. The Catholics' Bible is thicker than the Protestants', containing several books considered "integral" by Catholics but "apochryphal" by Protestants.

God called me to create this series, and I am a Protestant and use the NIV, as the top of each post proclaims. Even so, about 90% of the Catholic Bible still gets illustrated here.

You might assume we would avoid any conflict because I would omit the "extra" books (and I will), but it's not that simple. The Catholic Book of Esther contains what amounts to several "extra" chapters; I have indeed skipped them, but many of these artists did not.

There is an "extra" portion of Esther which describes Esther fainting before the king. I didn't go looking for paintings of that scene; rather, I could not avoid finding them: twenty-five artists' depictions of Esther fainting.

As long as I have them anyway, and so as not to deprive our Catholic brothers and sisters, I have included them below, where the NIV has Esther "falling at his feet and weeping." It's the best compromise I can concoct.

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CHAPTER 8

1 That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. 2 The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.

3 Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews. 4 Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.

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1 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by FRANC KAVČIČ, 1815
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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2 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JEAN FRANÇOIS DE TROY
"Esther Fainting"

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3 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JAN STEEN
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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4 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by GUERCINO, 1639
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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5 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
"Esther Brought to King Ahasuerus"

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6 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI, 1630
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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7 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by TINTORETTO, 1547
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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8 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by NICOLA POUSSIN
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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9 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by GIOVANNI BONATI
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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10 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JULIA MARGARET
"Queen Esther before Ahasuerus"

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11 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by GUSTAVE DORÉ
"Esther Before the King"

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12 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by FRANCISZEK SMUGLEWICZ
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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13 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by GHERARDI
"Esther and Ahasuerus"

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14 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by TINTORETTO, 1547
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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15 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
"Esther before Ahasuerus"
St.Ingenuin, Taisten, South Tyrol, Italy

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16 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by PAOLO VERONESE, 1575
"The Fainting of Esther"

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17 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ANTOINE COYPEL
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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18 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by GIOVANNI FRANCESCO ROMANELLI
"Esther and Ahasuerus"

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19 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ANTOINE COYPEL
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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20 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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21 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by FRANČIŠEK KAREL REMB
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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22 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by GIUSEPPE DIZIANI, 1785
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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23 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JULIUS SCHRADER, 1856
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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24 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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25 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JACOPO TINTORETTO, 1546
"Esther Before Ahasuerus"

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5 “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. 6 For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”

7 King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled him on the pole he set up. 8 Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”

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26 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by BERNARD PICART, MATTHYS POOL
"Mordecai Receives the King's Ring"

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9 At once the royal secretaries were summoned—on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language. 10 Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.

11 The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies. 12 The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. 13 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

14 The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.

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15 When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. 16 For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. 17 In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.

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CHAPTER 9

1 On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. 2 The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those determined to destroy them. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them. 3 And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them. 4 Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.

5 The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. 7 They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

11 The number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. 12 The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted.”

13 “If it pleases the king,” Esther answered, “give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be impaled on poles.”

14 So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they impaled the ten sons of Haman. 15 The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

16 Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. 17 This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.

18 The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.

19 That is why rural Jews—those living in villages—observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other.

20 Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, 21 to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar 22 as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

23 So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. 25 But when the plot came to the king’s attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be impaled on poles. 26 (Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur.) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed. 28 These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews—nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants.

29 So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim. 30 And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Xerxes’ kingdom—words of goodwill and assurance— 31 to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation. 32 Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.

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27 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by AELBERT JANSZ. VAN DER SCHOOR, 1643
"Esther and Mordecai"

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28 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ARENT DE GELDER
"Esther and Mordecai"

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29 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by FERDINAND BOL
"Esther and Mordecai"

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30 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by LILIAN BROCA, 2005
"Queen Esther with Mordechai" – glass mosaic

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31 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by FERDINAND BOL, 1654
"Esther and Mordecai"

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32 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ARENT DE GELDER, 1685
"Esther and Mordechai Writing the Second Letter of Purim"

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33 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by REMBRANDT
"Esther with the Decree of Destruction"

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34 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by Francois Langrenee, 1775
"Esther and Ahasuerus"

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CHAPTER 10

1 King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores. 2 And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.

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→ a n d…. f i n a l l y ←

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35 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by "Tomb of Esther and Mordechai", Hamadan, Iran

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36 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
"Tomb of Esther and Mordechai"

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Preview of
COMING
ATTRACTIONS

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SNEAK PEEK: Next time,
J O B ' S
W O E S

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R E S O U R C E S

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If you'd like to see for yourself the Bing page
which yielded most of the works above, here is the link:

Esther before Ahasuerus

Image Sources are provided for most individual works.
Where no attribution appears below a work,
the source did not provide the artist's name.
Works are numbered to facilitate your commenting.

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Links to three masters who painted Biblical scenes prolifically:

REMBRANDT HARMENSZOON van RIJN

GUSTAV DORÉ
241 wood engravings for
La Grande Bible de Tours

JAMES TISSOT
180 watercolors depicting Bible scenes

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Links to two Bibles with comprehensive illustrations:

The Art Bible (1896)

The Maciejowski-Morgan Bible (c.1245)

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This series keeps moving from one Bible passage to another,
so here is a fascinating and enjoyable link to assist in following along:
BIBLE TIMELINE

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Here are links to the
PREVIOUS 172 POSTS IN THIS SERIES
with descriptive titles to assist you in finding those which interest you

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Finally, what God did to initiate The Bible In Paintings:
HOW GOD STARTED THIS SERIES
BY SHOWING ME JUST ONE PICTURE

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SPECIAL THANKS
to FReeper left that other site,
who allowed God to make her His conduit
for incomparable enthusiasm, encouragement,
education, advice and technical assistance!

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NOTES ON MY SELECTION CRITERIA

A r t Q u a l i t y

The Bible and its Author are my focus, not the art: this is The Bible in Paintings, not "Great Paintings" nor even "Good Paintings." So, works need not be masterpieces to qualify for inclusion here—they don't need to be housed at the Louvre nor auctioned by Sotheby's. They only need to illustrate successfully some aspect of the Biblical text or, frankly, just tickle my fancy, which I'm always asking the Holy Spirit to guide.

Often, artists misrepresent the Scripture, but unless the error is material, licentious or heretical I usually include the artwork, trusting that the Spirit is perfectly capable of defending Himself. So, with such forgiving filters, it means that you're seeing practically everything I'm finding.

T e x t S e q u e n c i n g

The Protestant Canon does not (for several reasons) follow a strictly chronological sequence. There are many examples where, for God's good purposes, stories are told out-of-order. Nevertheless, for the sake of simplicity, clarity, and my sanity, I have chosen to proceed linearly and methodically from Genesis onward, illustrating each Bible passage as we come to it. Where two passages cover the same incident I omit the second telling, excepting the four Gospels which I will treat synoptically. Now, onward!

P a c i n g

The pace here may seem appallingly snail-like to those eager to see their favorite events illustrated. My commission is to search for art on each Bible passage in sequence: if I find enough, then it becomes the next installment, even if undramatic (but where there is little or no art, that Bible passage goes untold here).

Then, there is the human element: this is not actually a daily series, because I can only research, compose, edit and post five or six of these installments weekly. And because I only get to do this series once, I'm taking my time, chiefly by posting everything; if I find lots of art, I don't cherry-pick some and discard the rest. Rather, I line up all of them and then sort them into manageable bunches, often resulting in multiple days' episodes of the same story. Obviously, I like being thorough. Were you in a big hurry?

The Bible is a thick book, as you know; but we'll get there eventually, Lord willing—this is His project, after all. And always remember:
love, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control is a fruit of the Spirit!

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Art is merely the Toy Department of Bible study,
so I'm just having fun here—I hope you are, too!
Thank you for your understanding.

Hebrews 11:6
Dan Lewis
DodgerDan
'55 '59 '63 '65 '81 '88 '20

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To be alerted to each new posting,
either reply here or FRmail me.

No contracts, startup charges or monthly fees;
no hazing or initiation rituals; cancel anytime.

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[Hebrews 11:6]

At the Holy Spirit's prompting, I am surveying "Bible art" to give God glory, as many of these artists have done, and for my own amusement and learning; and I thought others might enjoy it and be blessed by it, too. My plan is to proceed methodically from left-to-right, Genesis to Revelation, as the Lord wills. Back soon with another.

The Bible encourages us to meditate on it (Ps. 1:1-3, 119:11-16, etc.); these artists have done so, and their works can assist us and enrich our own thoughts about biblical characters, incidents and concepts, and increase our faith in He who is behind it all. As you encounter and consider these images and the related Scriptures and the Spirit enlightens your understanding, please share it with us!

But it is not only oil-on-canvas that can so help us; I refer to the astonishing video series The Chosen, which strolls through the four Gospels at the most leisurely pace. The eight episodes of Season 1 are finished, and the second of a planned seven seasons is being filmed right now. I say "leisurely" because after an entire year's viewing Jesus still has only seven of the apostles (although He's preparing to call up Thomas from the minor leagues--but Thomas is skeptical, of course). Anticipating a canvas of fifty-plus hours instead of a movie's paltry two hours, The Chosen turns the characters (especially including Jesus!) into three-dimensional humans and brings the Gospels alive--you have never seen anything even remotely like it! Here is the Official Trailer.

Here is a link for free viewing of The Chosen: "Works with your phone, tablet, and you can cast to your Roku or Chromecast." Last fall I paid $34.98 for DVDs and ongoing internet access—best 35 bucks I've ever spent (I don't recall how much our marriage license cost, but then it was 43 years ago).

[Hebrews 11:6]

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P r e s e n t e d . . F o r . . Y o u r

CONSIDERATION

ENJOYMENT

& BLESSING

[left that other site]

Good Morning, Dan!

The Apocrypha! I think I’m gonna FAINT! LOL.

[Hebrews 11:6]

[left that other site]

I don’t have any pearls to clutch,

But I’ll bet Esther had some.

[Hebrews 11:6]

In Maureen O'Hara' words to John Wayne in The Quiet Man, "You'll get over it, I'm thinkin'."

[left that other site]

One of my family’s FAVORITE movies.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Maureen has always been special to me because her sister was my Catechism teacher at St. Cornelius in Long Beach, c. 1961: Sister Margaret Mary.

[Forgiven_Sinner]

My! What a massive body of work devoted to Esther, even her fainting spell in the Apocrypha. (Which book and verse, by the way?)

I noticed yet again the portrayal of the Jewish hero and heroine Mordecai and Esther, yet these same artists and the wealthy who commissioned them persecuted the Jews (by and large) in the middle ages. Makes me wonder how they reconciled their persecution with the honor.

[Hebrews 11:6]

(Which book and verse, by the way?)

Originally, as I understand it, Jerome added six distinct chapters to the Jews' Esther, but now they've been interspersed among the original chapters. I encountered the artworks but did not bother pinning down the citation, as I have enough to do illustrating The Holy Bible without traipsing around the Apochrypha.

[Ezekiel]

I luv #32, because it’s truly serious business and a righteous endeavor against all odds, to save an entire people.

I can see their focus and determination.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Well-noticed. #28 had the technical skill to knock it out of the park, but he lacked the wit #32’s artist had: to include some action, some hint of why it was even worth painting. Two statues vs. two serious people.

[TheConservativeParty]

So many awesome paintings! Thank you.

[Hebrews 11:6]

242 paintings covering Esther. Up next: Mr. and Mrs. Job entertain their friends Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar and Elihu.