Esther (/??st?r/; Hebrew: ????????, Modern Ester, Tiberian ?Est?r), born Hadassah, is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther. According to the Hebrew Bible, Esther was a Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus. Ahasuerus is traditionally identified with Xerxes I during the time of the Achaemenid empire. Her story is the basis for the celebration of Purim in Jewish tradition. (Summary by Wikipedia)