What Are the Additions to Esther?

The version of the book of Esther in the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Bible) differs from the Masoretic version that appears in Jewish Bibles today. Some parts of the Septuagint version of Esther are based on a Hebrew version that may be older than the Masoretic text, but others are later additions. These additions were likely composed at different times, some in Hebrew or Aramaic that was later translated into Greek, and others originally in Greek. They include a dream of Mordecai, the text of letters only summarized in the Masoretic version, and prayers by Mordecai and Esther. Overall, the additions give the book a more religious character, with an emphasis on divine agency (not present in the Masoretic version) and the piety of Mordehai and Esther. The Septuagint version of Esther is considered canonical by the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, and the additions are included in the Apocrypha in some Protestant Bibles.