Changes

*The "black and beautiful" as described in [[Song of Songs]] at [https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16445/jewish/Chapter-1.htm#v5 [Song of Songs 1:5<nowiki>]</nowiki>] was ambiguous to Western and Middle Eastern thinkers for a long time, but following restablishment of contact with the Ethiopian Beta Israel, it has been theorized that the "black and beautiful" is a reference to the [[Queen of Sheba]], who visited [[King Solomon]] according to Ethiopian historical accounts.<ref>{{cite book |title=The complete guide to the Bible |last=Miller |first=Stephan M. |page=175}}</ref> In the [[2 Chronicles 1-9 (Translated)|second book of Chronicles]], it is stated that she shared royal gifts with Solomon. The 14th century Ethiopic work ''Kebra Nagast'', it is stated that her son, the offspring of Solomon, visited him as an adult and Solomon acknowledged him as his rightful son.

*The "black and beautiful" as described in [[Song of Songs]] at [https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16445/jewish/Chapter-1.htm#v5 [Song of Songs 1:5<nowiki>]</nowiki>] was ambiguous to Western and Middle Eastern thinkers for a long time, but following restablishment of contact with the Ethiopian Beta Israel, it has been theorized that the "black and beautiful" is a reference to the [[Queen of Sheba]], who visited [[King Solomon]] according to Ethiopian historical accounts.<ref>{{cite book |title=The complete guide to the Bible |last=Miller |first=Stephan M. |page=175}}</ref> In the [[2 Chronicles 1-9 (Translated)|second book of Chronicles]], it is stated that she shared royal gifts with Solomon. The 14th century Ethiopic work ''Kebra Nagast'', it is stated that her son, the offspring of Solomon, visited him as an adult and Solomon acknowledged him as his rightful son.

*In the [[Book of Esther]], many details, such as the borders of the empire of [[Xerxes I The Great|Xerxes]] (or Ahasuerus in Hebrew) and the court life of the King match up with the writings of [[Herodotus]] and contemporary Persian sources.<ref>{{Cite web |last=MOORE |first=CAREY A. |date=1975 |title=Archaeology and the Book of Esther |url=https://www.andrews.edu/sem/inministry/uploads/2014coursesyllabi/archaeology_and_esther-moore.pdf |access-date=18 Jun 2023 |website=Andrews.edu |publisher=[[Gettysburg College]] |page=69}}</ref>

*In the [[Book of Esther]], many details, such as the borders of the empire of [[Xerxes I The Great|Xerxes]] (or Ahasuerus in Hebrew) and the court life of the King match up with the writings of [[Herodotus]] and contemporary Persian sources.<ref>{{Cite web |last=MOORE |first=CAREY A. |date=1975 |title=Archaeology and the Book of Esther |url=https://www.andrews.edu/sem/inministry/uploads/2014coursesyllabi/archaeology_and_esther-moore.pdf |access-date=18 Jun 2023 |website=Andrews.edu |publisher=[[Gettysburg College]] |page=69}}</ref>

* A specific part of the Book of Esther discusses how Esther sentenced men to death who attempted to kill the Jews of the Persian Empire. [https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16482/showrashi/true/jewish/Chapter-9.htm#v13 [Esther 9:13<nowiki>]</nowiki>] This lines up remarkably closely with [[Herodotus|Herodotus]]'s account of Amestris (pronounced am-ESTR-IS), wife of Xerxes, who had been recorded to have the power to give the death penalty to enemies of her family.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Esther, Mordecai & Ahasuerus in Archaeology |url=https://www.biblehistory.net/newsletter/Esther-Mordecai.htm |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.biblehistory.net}}</ref>

* A specific part of the Book of Esther discusses how Esther sentenced men to death who attempted to kill the Jews of the Persian Empire. [https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16482/showrashi/true/jewish/Chapter-9.htm#v13 [Esther 9:13<nowiki>]</nowiki>] This lines up remarkably closely with [[Herodotus|Herodotus]]'s account of Amestris (pronounced am-ESTR-IS), wife of Xerxes, who had been recorded to have the power to give the death penalty to enemies of her family.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Esther, Mordecai & Ahasuerus in Archaeology |url=https://www.biblehistory.net/newsletter/Esther-Mordecai.htm |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=www.biblehistory.net}}</ref> Admittedly, there is no written historical records of Persian history about the set period until after Herodotus's time, which may explain the lack of a more concrete outside evidence of the events that took place in the Book.<ref>{{Cite web |title=If Achashverosh is Xerxes, is Esther his Wife Amestris? - TheTorah.com |url=https://www.thetorah.com/article/if-achashverosh-is-xerxes-is-esther-his-wife-amestris |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=www.thetorah.com}}</ref>

*In the [[Book of Ruth]], the first verse describes a famine in the land. [https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16453/jewish/Chapter-1.htm#v1 [Ruth 1:1<nowiki>]</nowiki>] In 2013, scientists found pollen grain evidence that points to a [[Levant]]ic famine around the end of the 2nd millennium, B.C., which is when [[Book of Judges|Judges]] takes place.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eames |first=Christopher |date=15 Aug 2020 |title=Evidence for Ruth's Famine—From Ancient Pollen? |url=https://armstronginstitute.org/270-evidence-for-ruths-famine-from-ancient-pollen |access-date=2023-06-18 |website=ArmstrongInstitute.org |language=en}}</ref>

*In the [[Book of Ruth]], the first verse describes a famine in the land. [https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16453/jewish/Chapter-1.htm#v1 [Ruth 1:1<nowiki>]</nowiki>] In 2013, scientists found pollen grain evidence that points to a [[Levant]]ic famine around the end of the 2nd millennium, B.C., which is when [[Book of Judges|Judges]] takes place.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eames |first=Christopher |date=15 Aug 2020 |title=Evidence for Ruth's Famine—From Ancient Pollen? |url=https://armstronginstitute.org/270-evidence-for-ruths-famine-from-ancient-pollen |access-date=2023-06-18 |website=ArmstrongInstitute.org |language=en}}</ref>