Esther (/ˈɛstər/; Hebrew: אֶסְתֵּר, Modern Ester, Tiberian ʼEstēr), 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.