The name Ahasuerus is equivalent to the Greek name Xerxes, both deriving from the Old Persian language Xšayārša.

The English name Ahasuerus is derived from a Latinized form of the Hebrew Akhashverosh ( אחשורוש ), which is a Hebrew rendering of the Babylonian Achshiyarshu: both this and the Greek Ξέρξης are renderings of the Old Persian Xšayāršā.

Haman ( Also known as Haman the Agagite המן האגגי, or Haman the evil המן הרשע ) is the main antagonist in the Book of Esther, who, according to Old Testament tradition, was a 5th Century BC noble and vizier of the Persian empire under King Ahasuerus, traditionally identified as Artaxerxes II.

Meistersinger Hans Sachs ' many plays on Old Testament topics were widely admired by the Jews of the German ghettos, and from the 16th century through the 18th, the biblical story of Esther was the most popular theatrical theme in Christian Europe, often under the Latin name Acta Ahasuerus.

The name Ahasuerus is equivalent to Xerxes, both deriving from the Persian Khshayārsha, thus Ahasuerus is usually identified as Xerxes I ( 486-465 BCE ), though Ahasuerus is identified as Artaxerxes in the later Greek version of Esther ( as well as by Josephus, the Jewish commentary Esther Rabbah, the Ethiopic translation and the Christian theologian Bar-Hebraeus who identified him more precisely as Artaxerxes II ).

Ahasuerus, ruler of a massive Persian empire, holds a lavish party, initially for his court and dignitaries and afterwards for all inhabitants of the capital city Shushan.

The story told in the book of Esther takes place during the rule of Ahasuerus, who has been identified as the fifth-century Persian king Xerxes ( 486-465 ).

The Hebrew Ahasuerus is most likely derived from Persian Khshayarsha, the origin of the Greek Xerxes.

The Septuagint version of Esther translates the name Ahasuerus as Artaxerxes, a Greek name derived from the Persian Artakhshatra.

Instead, the Hebrew name Ahasuerus accords with an inscription of the time that notes that Artaxerxes II was named also Arshu, understood as a shortening of Achshiyarshu the Babylonian rendering of the Persian Khshayarsha ( Xerxes ), through which the Hebrew Achashverosh ( Ahasuerus ) is derived.

According to the Bible, she was a Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus.

Other works dealing with the Persian Empire or the Biblical story of Esther have also referenced Xerxes, such as the video game Assassin's Creed II and the film One Night with the King, in which Ahasuerus ( Xerxes ) was portrayed by British actor Luke Goss.

At least from the 17th century the name Ahasver has been given to the Wandering Jew, apparently adapted from Ahasuerus, the Persian king in the Book of Esther, who was not a Jew, and whose very name among medieval Jews was an exemplum of a fool.

He refers to a Jewish woman who had married the Persian King Bahman ( Artaxerxes II ), and delivered her people, thus corroborating this identification of Ahasuerus.

Queen Vashti ( Hebrew: ושתי, Persian: و َ شتی, Koine Greek: Αστιν, Astin ) is the first wife of King Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther, a book included in the Tanakh ( Hebrew Bible ) and read on the Jewish holiday of Purim.

According to the Book of Esther, in the Tanakh, Haman was an Agagite noble and vizier of the empire under Persian King Ahasuerus, generally identified as Xerxes the Great ( son of Darius the Great ) in 6th century BCE.

Overcome by rage, Ahasuerus leaves the room ; meanwhile Haman stays behind and begs Esther for his life, falling upon her in desperation.

Bar-Hebraeus identified Ahasuerus explicitly as Artaxerxes II ; however, the names are not necessarily equivalent: Hebrew has a form of the name Artaxerxes distinct from Ahasuerus, and a direct Greek rendering of Ahasuerus is used by both Josephus and the Septuagint for occurrences of the name outside the Book of Esther.

Jewish tradition regards him as the same Ahasuerus of the Book of Esther ; the Ethiopic text calls him Arťeksis, as it does the above figure in Esther.

The legend has been the subject of German poems by Schubart, Aloys Schreiber, Wilhelm Müller, Lenau, Chamisso, Schlegel, Julius Mosen ( an epic, 1838 ), and Köhler ; of novels by Franz Horn ( 1818 ), Oeklers, and Schücking ; and of tragedies by Klingemann (" Ahasuerus ", 1827 ) and Zedlitz ( 1844 ).

The French writer Edgar Quinet published his prose epic on the legend in 1833, making the subject the judgment of the world ; and Eugène Sue wrote his Juif errant in 1844, in which the author connects the story of Ahasuerus with that of Herodias.

Hudson's protagonist Abel, references Ahasuerus, as an archetype of someone, like himself, who prays for redemption and peace ; while condemned to walk the earth.

But bethink ye, that only one thing can redeem you from your curse ; the redemption of Ahasuerus — Going under!

Esther discovers what has transpired ; she requests that all Jews of Shushan fast and pray for three days together with her, and on the third day she seeks an audience with Ahasuerus, during which she invites him to a feast in the company of Haman.

* The Greek Book of Esther, included in the Septuagint, is a retelling of the events of the Hebrew Book of Esther rather than a translation and records additional traditions, in particular the identification of Ahasuerus with Artaxerxes and details of various letters.

Esther Rabba and the Vulgate present " Ahasuerus " as a different name for the king to " Artaxerxes " rather than an equivalent in different languages, and the Septuagint distinguished between the two names using a Greek transliteration of Ahasuerus for occurrences outside the Book of Esther.

Those arguing in favour of an historical reading of Esther, most commonly identify Ahasuerus with Artaxerxes II ( ruled 405 – 359 BCE ) although in the past it was often assumed that he was Xerxes I ( ruled 486 – 465 BCE ).

Thus this Ahasuerus is commonly identified with Astyages.

The biblical Book of Esther is set in the third year of Ahasuerus, a king of Persia.

She orders Mordechai to have all Jews fast for three days together with her, and on the third day she goes to Ahasuerus, who stretches out his sceptre to her which shows that she is not to be punished.

Ahasuerus is told that Mordechai has not received any recognition for saving the king's life.

Immediately after, Ahasuerus and Haman attend Esther's second banquet, at which she reveals that she is Jewish and that Haman is planning to exterminate her people, including her.

Based on the view that the Ahasuerus of the Book of Tobit is identical with that of the Book of Esther, some have also identified him as Nebuchadnezzar's ally Cyaxares ( ruled 625 – 585 BCE ).

Ahasuerus is traditionally identified with Xerxes I during the time of the Achaemenid empire.

Jonah is mentioned twice in Chapter 14 of the apocryphal Book of Tobit, the conclusion of which finds Tobit's son, Tobias, at the extreme age of one hundred and twenty seven years, rejoicing at the news of Nineveh's destruction by Nebuchadnezzar and Ahasuerus in apparent fulfillment of Jonah's prophecy against the Assyrian capital.

Between Cyrus and Darius, an exchange of letters with King Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes is described ( chapter 4, verse 7 ), the grandson of Darius I, in whose reign Ezra and Nehemiah came to Jerusalem.

Ahasuerus is given as the name of the King of Persia in the Book of Esther.

Ahasuerus is also given as the name of a King of Persia in the Book of Ezra.

Ahasuerus is given as the name of the father of Darius the Mede in the Book of Daniel.

In some versions of the apocryphal or deuterocanonical Book of Tobit, Ahasuerus is given as the name of an associate of Nebuchadnezzar, who together with him, destroyed Nineveh just before Tobit's death.

A traditional Catholic view is that he is identical to the Ahasuerus of Daniel 9: 1 In the Codex Sinaiticus Greek ( LXX ) edition, the two names in this verse appear instead as one name, Ahikar ( also the name of another character in the story of Tobit ).