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 had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. – Esther 2:5-6

Today's Scripture Reading (September 17, 2020): Esther 2

Nebuchadnezzar II rose to power in 605 B.C.E. after the death of his father, Nabopolassar, due to natural causes. As soon as his father died, Prince Nebuchadnezzar was rushed home to Babylon to secure the throne. But Nebuchadnezzar does not appear to have stayed in Babylon for long over the next twenty years. Instead, he continued to expand the Empire of his father. And at least twice, but possibly three times, Nebuchadnezzar found himself outside the walls of Jerusalem. And each time, Nebuchadnezzar took back with him to Babylon some of the best and brightest that the nation of Judah had to offer. And one of these times, in 597 B.C.E, during the reign of Jehoiachin, the King who Jeremiah often refers to as "Coniah," a man named Kish was taken to Babylon, among the many others captives stolen from their homes by the Babylonian King.

The author of Esther specifies that it was Kish who was carried out of Jerusalem and into exile. That means that his son, Shimei, was born in exile, as was Shimei's son, Jair, and Jair's son, Mordecai. Only Kish had any memory of what Jerusalem and its Temple had looked like before the fall of the city at the hand of the Babylonians. It was Kish that might have heard the words of the Prophet Jeremiah, explicitly written to the exiles, in the early days of their captivity. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). Likely, Kish never went home again, and neither did his son, and grandson, and even great-grandson, Mordecai.

What the family of Kish did do was build their lives and connect with the Jewish community that was being formed outside of Judea. Mordecai, Kish's great-grandson, was a man who was deeply connected with his Jewish heritage, and yet had no connection with Jerusalem or the land of this fathers. The descendants of Kish had settled in the vital community of Susa, located in modern-day Iran. Incidentally, Susa is built adjacent to the modern city of Shush, which is also the place where the Tomb of the Prophet Daniel is thought to be found. In fact, it seems likely that Kish and Daniel were removed from Jerusalem at the same time, and neither of them would see home again. Instead, they would build their lives and form their families in a land that they did not know, among people who were strangers to them.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Esther 3