On its surface, the 5th-century BC document known as the book of Esther tells the fascinating story of a beautiful heroine who saved the lives of her people. Though its author is unknown, this book has been widely recognized as a literary classic because of the suspense of its plot and its dramatic irony. Chronologically, Esther fits between chapters six and seven of Ezra and before Nehemiah. It follows Nehemiah in our Bible, out of chronological order, because of Nehemiah’s close association