Book of Wisdom; the seventeenth book of the Old Testament; the seventeenth book of the Bible.
Author: The author is unknown. Mordecai, Ezra, or Nehemiah are the most common traditional possibilities.
Audience: Esther was written for the Jewish people, to display the providence of God, in relation to the Feast of Purim. This book was to be read by the Jewish people during this Feast as a remembrance of the great deliverance from their enemies, which God provided through Esther. Observant Jews continue to read the book of Esther during Purim, celebrated on Adar 14 on the Jewish calendar, and usually occurring in March.
Date: Most likely between 465 and 425 BC.