er un ner ▁of ▁the ▁Virgin ▁Mary ; ▁among ▁other ▁reasons , ▁because ▁both ▁acted ▁as ▁inter cess ors , ▁and ▁because ▁Est her ▁being ▁allowed ▁an ▁exception ▁to ▁the ▁strict ▁Pers ian ▁law ▁on ▁un inv ited ▁entry ▁to ▁the ▁king ' s ▁presence ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁par alle ling ▁the ▁unique ▁Im mac ulate ▁Con ception ▁of ▁Mary . ▁▁▁ ▁Contempor ary ▁view ers ▁would ▁probably ▁have ▁recogn ised ▁a ▁similarity ▁between ▁the ▁faint ▁and ▁the ▁mot if ▁of ▁the ▁S wo on ▁of ▁the ▁Virgin , ▁which ▁was ▁very ▁common ▁in ▁dep ict ions ▁of ▁the ▁Cru c if ix ion ▁of ▁Jesus . ▁The ▁f ain ting ▁became ▁a ▁much ▁more ▁popular ▁subject ▁in ▁the ▁Bar o que ▁painting ▁of ▁the ▁following ▁century , ▁with ▁examples ▁including ▁the ▁Est her ▁before ▁A has uer us ▁by ▁Ar tem is ia ▁Gent il esch i . ▁ ▁Can onic ity ▁in ▁Christian ity ▁The ▁status ▁of ▁Est her ▁as ▁a ▁canonical ▁book ▁of ▁the ▁Bible ▁has ▁histor ically ▁been ▁under ▁dispute . ▁For ▁example , ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁several ▁centuries ▁of ▁Christian ity , ▁Est her ▁does ▁not ▁appear ▁in ▁the ▁lists ▁of ▁books ▁produced ▁by ▁Mel ito , ▁Ath anas ius , ▁Cy ril , ▁Gregory ▁of ▁Naz ian z us , ▁and ▁others . ▁Additionally , ▁no ▁copies ▁of ▁Est her ▁were ▁found ▁at ▁Q um ran ▁in ▁the ▁contents ▁of ▁the ▁Dead ▁Sea ▁Scroll s . ▁Nevertheless , ▁by ▁the ▁fourth ▁century ▁CE , ▁the ▁majority ▁of