Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

March 12, 2025

The Books of Esther and Ruth Share More Than Strong Female Protagonists

An ever-present God takes a backseat role.

On Thursday night and Friday morning, Jewish communities around the world will read the book of Esther. Reuven Kimelman observes that this book has certain superficial similarities with the book of Ruth: both are named after heroic female protagonists; and both are classified as m’gillot (literally, scrolls), or books read in synagogue on certain holidays. In other respects, the books are radically different: Esther focuses on the affairs of the Jewish people and the Persian empire; Ruth is a romance centered around a single family. Nonetheless, Kimelman argues that the parallels go much deeper:

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