an , ▁is ▁off ended ▁by ▁Est her ' s ▁cousin ▁and ▁guard ian , ▁Mor de ca i , ▁and ▁gets ▁permission ▁from ▁the ▁king ▁to ▁have ▁all ▁the ▁Jews ▁in ▁the ▁kingdom ▁killed . ▁Est her ▁fo ils ▁the ▁plan , ▁and ▁wins ▁permission ▁from ▁the ▁king ▁for ▁the ▁Jews ▁to ▁kill ▁their ▁enemies , ▁and ▁they ▁do ▁so . ▁Her ▁story ▁is ▁the ▁traditional ▁basis ▁for ▁Pur im , ▁which ▁is ▁celebrated ▁on ▁the ▁date ▁given ▁in ▁the ▁story ▁for ▁when ▁Ham an ' s ▁order ▁was ▁to ▁go ▁into ▁effect , ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁same ▁day ▁that ▁the ▁Jews ▁killed ▁their ▁enemies ▁after ▁the ▁plan ▁was ▁revers ed . ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁reference ▁to ▁known ▁historical ▁events ▁in ▁the ▁story ; ▁the ▁narr ative ▁of ▁Est her ▁was ▁invent ed ▁to ▁provide ▁an ▁a eti ology ▁for ▁Pur im , ▁and ▁the ▁name ▁A has uer us ▁is ▁usually ▁understood ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁a ▁fict ional ized ▁X er xes ▁I , ▁who ▁ruled ▁the ▁A cha emen id ▁Empire ▁between ▁ 4 8 6 ▁and ▁ 4 6 5 ▁B CE . ▁Pers ian ▁k ings ▁did ▁not ▁marry ▁outside ▁a ▁hand ful ▁of ▁Pers ian ▁noble ▁families ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁unlikely ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁Jewish ▁queen ▁Est her ; ▁in ▁any ▁case ▁the ▁historical ▁X er xes ' s ▁queen ▁was ▁Am est ris . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁According ▁to ▁most ▁sch ol ars , ▁the ▁name ▁Est her ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁Mes