Strange Story: Esther 1 My Timeline of the Story of Esther

Years are those of the reign of King Xerxes

Months are expressed with modern month names

Year 3, at least 187 days into the year (no earlier than early July), Queen Vashti was deposed.
Later (Esther 2:1), but probably still in year 3, the search for beautiful virgins was begun and the first batch of them began their beauty treatments.
During most of Year 4, all the contestants were given one year of beauty treatments before going to see the king.
Late in the 4^th year the process began where one virgin was taken to the king each night (2:14).
During years 5, 6 or 7 – At some point after this process started, but before the second gathering of virgins (2:19), Mordecai was granted a position in the government which required him to be stationed near the gate of the king’s palace (2:19).
October of year 7, Esther took her turn to go to King Xerxes (2:16), about three years after girls had started going to the king each night. It appears that she was made queen very soon after that.
During years 8-11 – At some point after Esther was made queen at the end of the 7^th year, and before the beginning of the 12^th year of Xerxes, Mordecai discovered an assassination plot against the king, told Queen Esther (2:22), and the would-be assassins were killed.
Also during year 8-11, but after Mordecai foiled the assassination plot, Haman was promoted to a high position.
Early January of year 12, Haman cast lots for the day the Jews would be attacked and plundered.
January 13, year 12 – the royal secretaries wrote down Haman’s edit in all the languages of the kingdom and dispatches were sent out (3:12).
Mid January, year 12 – The Jews fasted, Esther requested and held 2 banquets for the king. Haman was found out and killed on his own gallows. Mordecai was made second in command.
March 23, year 12– the royal secretaries wrote down the new edict in all the languages of the kingdom and dispatches were sent out again.
December 13, year 12 – the Jews could defend themselves against their attackers, and got to do damage to their enemies.

OBSERVATIONS LIFTED FROM THIS TIMELINE

There were at least two “gatherings” of virgins. This means that the beauty contests were done in phases, probably just two and Esther was in the second phase. Once she was chosen the contest was over.

The king and his officials did not seem to be in a hurry to choose a new queen. Vashti was deposed in the third year and Esther was chosen at the end of the seventh year. This agrees with my theory that the king was not looking for physical beauty, but for someone who was fitting to be queen in a number of ways. He was looking for character. He did not want another bad experience with a queen who would not fulfill her role properly. In such a large kingdom, it was no challenge at all to find a beautiful girl who could give the king a good time in the bedroom; it was a huge challenge to find a young lady who was not only beautiful but also intelligent, well mannered, wise, poised, well-grounded in reality, a good listener, caring, classy and the list goes on.

Mordecai was given a position at the king’s gate just before the second phase of the beauty contest, and he was still in that position when the assassination plot was discovered and foiled. I think God put him there at just the right time, just like He put Esther in the right place at the right time.