Editing Mordecai (section)

== Biblical account ==
[[File:Pieter Pietersz. Lastman - The Triumph of Mordechai.jpg|thumb|300px|''The Triumph of Mordecai'' by [[Pieter Lastman]], 1624|left]]
Mordecai resided in [[Susa]] (Shushan or Shoushan),<ref name="Esther 256">Esther 2:5–6 of the Bible ([[New International Version]]):
: Now there was in the citadel of [[Susa]] a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who has been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jeconiah king of Judah.</ref> the [[metropolis]] of [[Achaemenid Empire|Persia]] (now Iran). He adopted his orphaned cousin (Esther 2:7), Hadassah ([[Esther]]), whom he brought up as if she were his own daughter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16475 |title=Esther, Ch. 2, translation by Rabbi A. J. Rosenberg}}</ref> When "young virgins" were sought, she was taken into the presence of King [[Ahasuerus#Book of Esther|Ahasuerus]] and was made queen in the place of the exiled queen [[Vashti]]. Subsequently, Mordecai discovered a plot of the king's [[chamberlain (office)|chamberlain]]s [[Bigthan and Teresh]] to assassinate the king. Because of Mordecai's vigilance, the plot was foiled.

[[Haman (Judaism)|Haman]] the [[Agagite]] had been raised to the highest position at court. In spite of the king's decree that all should prostrate themselves before Haman, Mordecai refused to do so. Haman, stung by Mordecai's refusal, resolved to kill not only Mordecai but all Jewish exiles throughout the Persian empire, and won the king's permission to carry out his plan. Mordecai communicated Haman's scheme to Queen Esther, who used her favor with the king to reverse the scheme, leading the king to authorize Jews to kill their enemies, which they did. 

During all this, the king had happened to learn of Mordecai's service in foiling the assassination plot and had asked Haman how a person who did a great service to the king should be honored. Haman answered, thinking the question was about him; and the king followed this advice, and honored Mordecai, and eventually made Mordecai his chief advisor. Haman was executed on [[gallows]] that he had set up for Mordecai. The feast of [[Purim]] celebrates these reversals of fortune.{{sfn|Moore|1971|pp=36-37}}