Ahasueruss

Ahasueruss, also spelled Ahasuerus, is the name used in the Hebrew Bible for the king of Persia who appears in the Book of Esther. The form Ahasueruss is a transliteration variant of Ahasuerus. The name is commonly identified with Xerxes I, who ruled the Achaemenid Empire from 486 to 465 BCE, though the biblical account may not precisely reflect his reign.

Etymology and identification. The name Ahasuerus derives from the Old Persian Khshayarsha, with the Greek rendering often given as Xerxes. In Esther, the king’s capital is Susa, and his court is the setting for Esther’s rise and the plot surrounding Haman. The narrative centers on Esther’s bravery, Mordecai’s loyalties, and the reversal of Haman’s plot, culminating in the king’s authorization of Esther’s petition and the Jews’ survival.

Historical context. The Book of Esther is a religious and literary text, and its historicity is debated among scholars. While many biblical scholars identify Ahasuerus with Xerxes I, others have proposed alternative identifications or view the events as a literary reconstruction rather than a precise historical record. Consequently, Ahasuerus is often treated as a biblical figure representing a Persian king rather than a strictly verifiable historical person.

Legacy and usage. In later Jewish, Christian, and literary traditions, Ahasuerus functions as a symbolic ruler associated with Persia and tyranny in popular retellings, though modern scholarship emphasizes the biblical narrative’s theological and cultural aims as much as any historical reference.

See also: Ahasuerus (disambiguation).