ESTHER, Fast of (IRpX Sn^??.!?), so called from the fact tliat it was ordered b}' Esther to avert the impending destruction which at that time threatened the whole Jewish population of the Persian dominions (conip. Esther iv, 16, 17). The Jews to this tXny keep this fast on the 13th of Adar, the day which was ap- pointed for their extirpation, and which precedes the feast ofl'urim, because it was ordained both by Esther and Mordecai, that it should continue a national fast, to be observed annuallj' in commemoration of that eventful day (comp. Esther ix, 31). During the Mac- cabiean period, and for some time afterwards, this fast was temporarilj' superseded by a festival which was instituted to celebrate the anniversary of the victory obtained bj' Judas INIaccabiBus over Nicanor on the 13/A of Adar (comp. 1 ]\Iacc. vii, 49 ; Josephus, Ant. xii, 10, 5; JfegiUatk Taaniih, c.-^ii; Josippon ben-Gorion, iii, 22, p. 244, ed. Breithaupt). But this festival has long since ceased to be celebrated, and as early as tlie ninth cen- turj' of the Christian ajra we rind that ih"fist of Esther was again duly oliserved (comp. Sheelthoth of R. Achai, Purim 4), and it has continued ever since to be one of the fasts in the Jewish calendar. The Jews entirely abstain from eating and drinking on tliis day, and in- troduce into the dailj' service penitential psalms, and offer prayers which have been composed especially for this occasion. If the 13th of Adar happens to be on a Sabbath, this fast is kept on the Friday, because fast- ing is not allowed on the Sabbath (Xaj. Some Jews go so far as to fast three dags, according to the example of Esther (comp. iv, 6). — Kitto, s. v. See Calendak, Jewish.
Estiennc. See Stephens.
Estiiis, Gui.iELJius {WiHiam ITessels van Est), an eminent Roman Catholic theologian, was born at Gor- cum, Holland, 1542, and studied at Utrecht and Lou- vain. He was for ten j'ears professor at Louvain ; in 1580 he became professor of divinity at Douai, and in 1603 chancellor of tlie University. Estius obtained great repute for learning and pietj'. Benedict XIV named him doctor fundatissimus. He died at Douai Sept. 20, 1613. His ])rincipal writings are Commenta- rii in Ejnsto'as ApostoHcas (Douai, 1614-16 ; Col. 1631, 3 vols. fol. in 1 ; Paris, 1679, fol. ; Rouen, 1709, 2 vols, fol.) : — In quai. libros sententiarum commentarii (Par. 1638, fol. ; Naples, 1720) : — Annot. in pracipua difficili- ora S. S. (Antw. 1621, fol.). His Conunentary on the Epistles is extolled alike by Romanists and Protes- tants. There is a new edition, edited b}' Sausen (May- enee, 1841, 8vo). — Home, Introd. Bib. Appendix, p. 134 ; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Ginirule, xxi^•, 588.
Estrangelo. See Syriac Language.
E'tani (Hebrew Eytam' , D^'^^S etjrie, i. e. place of ravenous birds; Sept. Hrff/i in Judges, Airaf.i in 1 Chron. iv, 3, elsewhere Alrar ; Josephus AiVdi^ in Ant. V, 8, 8, Hrajui in Ant. viii, 10, l,"}l^afi in Ant. viii, 7, 3 ; Vulg. Etarn), the name apparently' of two places in Palestine.
1. A village ("i^H) of the tribe of Simeon, specified only in the list in 1 Chron. iv, 32 (comp. Josh, xix, 7) ; but that it is intentionallj' introduced appears from the fact that the number of places is summed as rive, though in the parallel list as four. Near this place (hence its name, q. d. eagle's nest) was probablj' situ- ated a " rock" ("30, Trirpa, silex) or cliff, into a cleft or chasm (""'"C, A.V. " top") of which Samson retired after his slaughter of the Philistines, in revenge for their burning the Timnite woman who was to have been his wife (Judg. xv, 8, 11). This natural strong- hold (jTiTpa i)' iauv oxvpc'i, Josephus, A7it. v, 8, 8) was in the territory usuallj' assigned to the tribe of Judah, yet not far from the Philistine border ; and near it, probably at its foot, was Lehi or Ramath-lehi, and En- hak-kore (xv, 9, 14, 17, 19). As Van de Velde has,
i with great probability, identified Lehi with Lekiyeh, on the edge of the Philistine plain S.E. of Gaza {Xar- rative, ii, 141), he is probablj' also right in locating this Etam at tell Khevelfth, a little north of it {Me- moir, p. 311), in the immediate vicinity of tell Hara or En-hakkore (q. v.). Schwarz's location of Etam at Khitdna (he says Gutna, i. e. Utma, Palest, p. 124) is without support.
2. A citj' in the tribe of Judah, fortified and garri- soned bj' Rehoboam (2 Chrcn. xi, 6). Fiom its posi- tion in this list we may conclude that it was near Beth- lehem and Tekoah ; and in accordance with this is the mention of the name among the ten cities which the Sept. insert in the text of Josh, xv, 60, "Thecoe and Ephratha, which is Bethlecm, I'hagor and ^tan (Ai'- r«j')," etc. Here, according to the statements of the Talmudists, were the sources of the water frcm which Solomon's gardens and pleasure-grounds were fed, and Bethlehem and the Temple supplied. (See Lightfoot, on John v.) Hence we may perhaps infer that the site
! was identical with that of Solomon's Pools at El-Eu- j rule, near Bethlehem (see Schwarz, Palest, p. 2C8). See Jerusalem; Water. Josephus (J n^ viii, 7, 3) places it at fifty stadia (in some copies sixty) from Jerusalem (southward), and alleges that Solomon was in the hab- it of taking a morning drive to this favored spot in his chariot. It is thus probable that this was the site of one of Solomon's houses of pleasure, where he made him gardens and orchards, and pools of water (Eccl. ii, 6, 6). The same name occurs in the lists of Judah's descendants (1 Chron. iv, 3), but probably referring to the same place, Bethlehem being mentioned in the fol- lowing verse. See Jezreel 3. Dr. Robinson (Pe- searches, i, 515 ; ii, 168) inclines to find Etam at a place about a mile and a half south of Bethlehem, -where there is a ruined village called Urtas, at the bottom of a pleasant valley of the same name. Here there are traces of ancient ruins, and also a fountain, sending forth a copious supply of fine water, which forms a beautiful purling rill along the bottom of the valley. This location is in accordance with all the foregoing notices, and is adjacent to Solomon's Pools (Thomson, Land and Bool; ii, 431). Williams (Holy City, ii, 600) fully accredits the above Rabbinical account, and also states that the old name is perpetuated in a u-ady Etam, which is on the way to Hebron from Jerusalem, and that there are still connected with it the largest and most luxuriant gardens to be met with in the hiliy region of Judaea.