Jews lived in Persia from shortly after the Babylonian Exile of the early 6^th century BCE. On account of their ancient pedigree, they were extremely proud of their heritage, developing traditions and legends that spoke to their importance in the Jewish world. One such legend, composed in 1332, fills in gaps in the story of Queen Esther and identifies her as the mother of King Cyrus, the king who authorized the return of Jews from the Babylonian Exile. In this retelling of the story, the source of the redemption of the Jews is herself a Jewess. 

On this page, one of the work’s numerous illustrations, you can see women of the harem assembled and dancing in front of Ahasuerus, known as Ardashir in this work.