Esther.
Esther.
§ 132. Esther is called by the Hebrews 
, “The Volume of Esther.” Melito (Epistle ad Onesimum, in Eusebius, bk. 4, c. 25), Athanasius (Synop.), and Nazianzen (Carm. de script.) exclude this book from the canon. However, the Hebrews and the other teachers of the early Christian Church unanimously acknowledge that it is canonical. Therefore those we mentioned first seem to be speaking about what was added to it, or the appendix.
** Sixtus Senensis (Biblioth., bk. 1, p. 5) thinks that no mention was made of Esther because at those times the authority of this book was not yet firm among all the churches. **
Opinions vary regarding the author of this book. Isidore claims that Ezra wrote it, but Eusebius (Chron.) asserts that its author was later than Ezra. The Jew Philo (Chronol.) assigns it to Joachim, priest of the Hebrews, son of the high priest Joshua. The Latin fathers claim that Mordecai wrote it, and Esther 9:20 and 23 favor them.
It has ten chapters and contains an account of ten or, as others wish, twenty years. It describes things that happened to the Jews who did not return to their country but stayed in the kingdom of Persia at the time of King Ahasuerus, who in the secular histories is called Xerxes, son of Darius Hystaspes. Especially, however, it treats the story of Esther, who was honored by a royal marriage and through whom the danger that threatened the necks of the Jews was averted by the miraculous providence and guidance of God. Because the book sets forth a comedy,24 as it were, we can divide this account conveniently into protasis, epitasis, and catastrophe.25