Answer
The book of Esther tells the story of an unlikely Jewish woman who became the queen of Persia and saved her people from an evil man named Haman. Esther lived during Persian rule, a time when many Jews had the opportunity to return to Israel, yet many remained in exile. Unlike other post-exilic books, like Ezra and Nehemiah, that are set in Israel, Esther’s story unfolds in the Persian city of Susa. The best evidence suggests that Esther was written between the beginning of the reign of Xerxes I and the fall of Persia, between 486 and 331 BC.
Notably, some Bible translations refer to the Persian king by his Hebrew name, Ahasuerus (e.g., ESV, NASB, KJV), while in others he is called by his Greek name, Xerxes (e.g., NIV, NLT, BSB). He reigned from about 486 to 465 BC. Since Esther was likely written near the end of the king’s life or shortly afterward, these historical details help identify the time of the book’s composition.
The timeframe for the writing of Esther, beginning around 486 BC, coincides with the start of Xerxes I’s reign in Persia. The first verse of the book states, “This is what happened during the time of Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush” (Esther 1:1). Another time marker is found in Esther 3:7, which relates what happened “in the twelfth year of King Xerxes.” This detail indicates that this story takes place in the fifth century BC. However, the timeframe for Esther’s composition is often extended to 331 BC. This later date marks the end of Persian rule when Greece, under Alexander the Great, rose to power.
Although historical context helps determine when Esther was written, identifying its author can provide a more precise timeframe. The problem is that the book of Esther is anonymous. Some suggest a biblical figure such as Mordecai, Ezra, or Nehemiah may have been the book’s author, but there is no consensus. Nevertheless, two details point to Ezra as a strong candidate. First is the timing of his ministry, which began around 458 BC during the reign of Artaxerxes I—who succeeded Xerxes I. Ezra’s time closely follows the period of events described in Esther. Second, as a scribe, Ezra was known for recording Israel’s history (Ezra 7:6).
Furthermore, Esther 10:2 has implications for determining the time of writing: “And all [Xerxes’] 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?” This description—though it does not explicitly mention the king’s death—is a common way to indicate death in the Old Testament (also see 1 Kings 14:29; 2 Chronicles 32:32). Thus, this verse suggests that Esther was written after the reign of Xerxes had concluded.
In one of the book’s most well-known scenes, Mordecai appeals to Esther to save the Jewish people. He says, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). All this happened in the fifth century BC, and the recording of it, documenting God’s faithfulness to His people, occurred soon afterward.
