Purim: Chronology to understand everything about generations of battles
Everyone knows that Purim is the story of the Jewish victory over the wicked Haman.
Some know that it happened in Persia.
Fewer know what has become of Persia today.
Very few understand the deep causes, the generations involved, the links between Amalek, Agag, and Haman, or even who they really are.
Very few also know where and when to place these events on a calendar or a world map.
In this article, you will understand everything, simply, chronologically, visually, the Or HaZeev way.
I. Overview: 6000 years of History
According to Jewish tradition, the History of the world lasts a maximum of 6000 years.
It is divided as follows:
- 2000 years of "Tohu", a period of spiritual chaos
- 2000 years of Torah – Israel's golden age, from Abraham to the destruction of the Second Temple, including the giving of the Torah
- 2000 years during which Mashiah can reveal himself
We are currently in the year 5786.
II. From Creation to the death of Moses
- Adam and Eve
- The Flood
- The division of the world into three:
- The Hamites in Africa
- The Japhetites in Europe
- The Semites in Asia
With Shem and Eber, the Hebrews lived between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River. The land belonged to the Hebrews long before Canaan.
- The dispersion of peoples after the Tower of Babel
- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
- The 12 tribes, the sale of Joseph, and the descent into Egypt
- The Exodus. The Hebrews became the Israelites.
- The giving of the Torah
- The Mishkan (Tabernacle) in the desert
The history of the Torah concludes with the death of Moses. This marks the end of the five books of Moses, the set of 54 portions (parashiot) we read every Shabbat.
III. Joshua and the Kingdoms
Joshua reconquered the Land of the Hebrews.
Then came the period of the Judges.
Afterwards:
- Saul, the first king
- David made Jerusalem the capital
- Solomon built the First Temple
After Solomon, the kingdom split:
- Kingdom of Israel in the north (10 tribes)
- Kingdom of Judah in the south, with Jerusalem
Assyria destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Only the Kingdom of Judah remained, also called Judea. The Israelites were henceforth called Judeans, or Jews.
IV. History seen by the Empires
Five empires dominated successively:
- Assyria
- Babylon
- Achaemenid Persia
- Seleucid Greece of Alexander the Great
- Rome
Babylon destroyed the First Temple. Persia overthrew Babylon. It was under Persian rule that Purim took place.
Darius (Daryavesh), son of Ahasuerus (Achashverosh), later authorized the rebuilding of the Temple.
Then came Seleucid Greece. Finally, Rome destroyed the Second Temple and renamed the region Syria Palestina, after the Pelishtim (invaders), to humiliate the Jews. The Jews were thereafter called Palestinians by the Roman occupier.
Then began the exile.
And finally: The modern State of Israel. The terms Jews and Israelis are today intertwined.
V. The 4 key moments leading to Purim
0. The root: Esau and Amalek
Jacob had a brother: Esau, who hated him.
Timna, a princess rejected by the Patriarchs, became the concubine of Eliphaz, son of Esau. From this union, Amalek was born.
Amalek is therefore the grandson of Esau, a cousin of Israel, raised in hatred.
1. Amalek attacks in the desert
After the Exodus, the whole world had the fear of God after the ten plagues and the crossing of the sea.
Amalek attacked Israel, striking the weak at the back of the camp. Moses prayed with arms raised toward the heavens. Joshua fought below.
By his attack, Amalek defied this fear in the eyes of everyone. He wanted to erase the fear of God. God then declared that the memory of Amalek would be erased. But Amalek survived.
2. Saul and Agag
Generations later, God ordered Saul to eradicate Amalek.
Despite the divine order to destroy everything, after winning the war, he spared Agag, the king of Amalek of that generation, and left the cattle and spoil to the soldiers.
The king, considered the greatest sorcerer of the time, succeeded according to the Midrash in mating with a servant whom he transformed into the image of a cow, who would later become a woman again. Thus continued the physical and moral lineage of the Amalekite people who hate Israel.
The prophet Samuel executed Agag. But a descendant survived.
3. Haman the Agagite
Under Persia, between the two Temples:
Haman, a descendant of Agag, became minister to King Ahasuerus (Achashverosh). He attempted to exterminate all Jews.
Mordecai and Esther overturned the decree. Purim is the historical repair of Saul's fault.
Even today, Amalek returns under the guise of the Ayatollahs of Iran.
VI. Shabbat Zakhor: three readings, one battle
The Shabbat preceding Purim is called Shabbat Zakhor.
We read the weekly portion as usual, this year Tetzaveh. But instead of reading the Maftir and Haftarah of Tetzaveh, we read the Maftir of Zakhor and the Haftarah of Zakhor.
Zakhor means "remember".
In the Maftir, we recall the war against Amalek in the time of Moses. In the Haftarah, we read about the war against Agag in the time of Saul. Then comes Purim, where we recall the victory against Haman.
Three readings. Three generations. One same battle.
VII. Where are we?
We are at the end of the 6000 years.
At the moment of writing these lines, two years have passed since the atrocities of October 7, 2023.
Despite this tragic pogrom:
- All hostages have returned home.
- The majority of the people of Israel have returned to their land.
- The enemies from the north, south, east, and west are defeated or dependent on Israel.
- Never have we been so strong internally since 1967, when Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria were taken back at the end of the Six-Day War.
Only a few judges and Iran remain trying to hold on.
The year is 5786. Mashiah cannot come after the year 6000. This means that 5800 represents an absolute limit. Fourteen years at most.
Given the speed at which events are accelerating, let us all pray that by this Passover we may offer the Korban Pesach in the Third Temple.
Amen.
