by the whim of a despot, they courageously stand up to threats. Never freed, their faith remains unshackled. Esther, Judith, and Tobit The canonical book of Esther and the apocryphal books of Judith and Tobit (dated from the 3rd–2d century BC) all depict difficulties faced by Jewish communities under siege by foreign regimes. The threats may derive from malevolent officials who seek their deaths (Haman in the book of Esther), inept kings who fail to protect them against an enraged populace (Ahasuerus