In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar. And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.
If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries. And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy. And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.
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1 The image for this page was generated from a grayscale linescan image of an Achaemenid Cylinder Seal. The information provided on Wikimedia.org about this image states: “Linescan image of Achaemenid cylinder seal, 5th. cent. BCE. A winged solar disc legitimizes the Persian king who subdues two rampant Mesopotamian lamassu figures. A finely detailed date-palm (Phoenix dactylifera) terminates. Seal: grey chalcedony, 28mm x 14mm.” You can see a photo of the original Here at Wikimedia.org. The ring is from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, circa 550-330 B.C..
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