Esther's History Prefigures the Lord's Passion: Women as Types of Christ

FAIN: FT-54053-06

Catherine Brown Tkacz
Unaffiliated Independent Scholar (Spokane, WA 99207-4614)

Esther was one of several biblical women interpreted in mainstream Christianity as a type or prefiguration of Christ. Her typology is attested from the 5th - 15th centuries, as when Rupert of Deutz asserted, “Esther’s history prefigures the Lord’s Passion.” Moreover, the strong difference between how Jews and Christians regard Esther appears to be due in part to the Christian interpretation of her as a type of Christ. Completing an article on her as such a type will contribute to medieval social and cultural history, women’s studies, the study of relations between Jews and Christians, art history, and sermon studies. This article is part of a larger project to study all the biblical women interpreted as types of Christ.