AHASUERUS was by now ready to grant his lovely Queen any favour, so Esther told him about the pogrom planned for the thirteenth of Adar, which would see her and Mordecai killed along with all their people. ‘Who is it’ raged the forgetful king ‘who dares do this?’

Reminded that it was his viceroy Haman’s idea, Ahasuerus abruptly left and went to the gardens to think. He returned to find Haman apparently trying to force himself on Esther - in fact, he was pleading for his life - and all the King’s wrath boiled over. His chamberlain drew his attention to the gallows Haman had prepared for Mordecai, and Ahasuerus willingly put it to use for Haman.

With the King’s permission, the Jews of Persia now fought and utterly routed the mob Haman had assembled for his pogrom. And the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar were afterwards kept as a holiday named Purim, a time for feasting, and for presents for family and the poor.