The Shushan Post Special Edition | Page 3

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Shushan

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mberlains to retrieve the queen, a command he was certain Vashti would heed. Upon hearing this request, she immediately refused, causing anger to swell within King Achashverosh. (Esther 1:12)

After consulting his advisors, Achashverosh decided to dethrone Queen Vashti and to forbid her from presenting herself before him again. Thus began the king's quest for a new wife.

This goes to show that after each woman sees the king, she never sees him again unless he calls her by name.

The king's servants proposed a method for finding a new wife for Achashverosh: The king should appoint officers in all 127 provinces to gather all of the young maidens to the castle and bring them under Heggai's custody in one of his harems. The maidens would be given ointments, and each be brought before Achashverosh. The one most pleasing to him would then become the new queen. King Achashverosh approved of the idea, and he set it into motion. The young maidens from all one hundred twenty-seven were promptly gathered into the king's palace. First stop: Heggai's harem. (Esther 2:8)

Once each woman arrives in the harem, she is given a number. She finds the room that correspends to her number, and thus the competition begins for her.

After she settles into her room in the harem, each young woman is given six months of myrrh oil treatments, and then six months of perfumes and ointments treatments. This year-long process is done at the request of the king, who is a notorious germaphobe.

After her year is up, each woman's number is called, one

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by one. Haggai, the keeper of the harem, gives her whatever she wants to bring with her to the king. Each woman usually requests something that she thinks will impress the king.

After her night with the king, each woman goes to the second women's harem, the harem of Shashgaz, which is where the king's concubines are kept. This goes to show that after each woman sees the king, she never sees him again unless he calls for her by name.

So what do you think, my dear readers? Would you want to be part of this competition if you knew that you could very likely not win the king's affection and just become a concubine for the rest of your life? It certainly is a rough situation. But hey, it's the king's orders! And we must follow those.

By L'OCCITANE. Get yours!