Esther in Early Modern Iberia and the Sephardic Diaspora : Queen of the Conversas

"This book explores Queen Esther as an idealized woman in Iberia, as well as a Jewish heroine for conversos in the Sephardic Diaspora in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The biblical Esther --the Jewish woman who marries the King of Persia and saves her people -- was contested in the cultures of early modern Europe, authored as a symbol of conformity as well as resistance. At once a queen and minority figure under threat, for a changing Iberian and broader European landscape, Esther was compelling and relatable precisely because of her hybridity. She was an early modern globetrotter and border transgressor. Emily Colbert Cairns analyzes the many retellings of the biblical heroine that were composed in a turbulent early modern Europe. These narratives reveal national undercurrents where religious identity was transitional and fluid, thus problematizing the fixed notion of national identity within a particular geographic location. This volume instead proposes a model of a Sephardic nationality that existed beyond geographical borders"--Back cover Acknowledgements 6 Contents 8 List of Figures 9 Chapter 1 Introduction 10 Historical Background 14 Gendered Analysis 22 The Book of Esther 26 Chapter 2 Esther in Iberia & Constructing a Catholic Nation upon the Judeo-Christian Model 30 Queen Esther in Tapestries “Esther and Ahasueros” 34 Panel 1: Banquete de Asuero y Degredación de la Reina Vasti (432 × 800 cm) 42 Panel 2: Exaltación de Ester al Trono de Persia (430 × 770 cm) 47 Panel 3: Ester Salva a su Pueblo (395 × 800 cm) 50 Queen Esther in Two Iberian Autos Sacramentales 55 Appendix 66 Chapter 3 A Jewish Heroine in Early Modern Spain 69 Esther Among Christians: La Hermosa Ester 73 Esther Among Conversos: La Reyna Ester 88 Esther Among Conversos: Comedia Famosa De Amán Y Mardoqueo 113 Chapter 4 Esther in the Portuguese Nation 127 Chapter 5 Sisters in the Law of Moses 154 Between Two Republics 159 Crypto-Jewish Worship 163 Chapter 6 Conclusion 176 Bibliography 179 Index 189 Annotation This work explores Queen Esther as an idealized woman in Iberia, as well as a Jewish heroine for conversos in the Sephardic Diaspora in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The biblical Esther - the Jewish woman who marries the King of Persia and saves her people - was contested in the cultures of early modern Europe, authored as a symbol of conformity as well as resistance Front Matter....Pages i-xi Introduction....Pages 1-20 Esther in Iberia & Constructing a Catholic Nation upon the Judeo-Christian Model....Pages 21-59 A Jewish Heroine in Early Modern Spain....Pages 61-118 Esther in the Portuguese Nation....Pages 119-145 Sisters in the Law of Moses....Pages 147-168 Conclusion....Pages 169-171 Back Matter....Pages 173-189 Emily Colbert Cairns. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.