Esther is one of the more exciting and curious books in the Bible. The story is set over 100 years after the exile to Babylon and while some Jews returned to Jerusalem, many did not. This book is about a Jewish community living in Susa, the capital city of the ancient Persian Empire. The main characters are two Jews: Mordecai and his niece Esther, and two Persians: the King and his official Haman, the cunning villain. A curious feature is that God is not mentioned at all in the book, making it a brilliant invitation to see God's activity and purposes behind the scenes of everyday life.