Esther — A Jewish orphan becomes queen of Persia; Haman plots genocide; Mordecai and Esther intervene; deliverance comes by providence — and God's name never once appears in the book.

Author

Anonymous; some rabbinic tradition attributes to Mordecai

Date

Events c. 483–473 BC, during Xerxes I's reign (Heb. Ahasuerus); compilation 4th–5th century BC