Heidi Norton
Esther underwent a twelve-month beauty treatment before she could meet King Ahasuerus. This included six months with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and other preparations for beautifying women.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of days Esther bathed in fragrances | 6 months |
| Number of days Esther bathed in oil of myrrh | 6 months |
| Total number of days of preparation | 12 months |
What You'll Learn
Esther's 12-month beauty treatment
The 12-month process can be thought of as a cleansing, hygienic exfoliation, followed by a refinement with fragrances. The purpose of the lengthy beauty preparation was to ensure thorough purification, as well as to demonstrate state and grandeur. It also served to ensure that the candidates were not with child by another man before they came to the king.
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Oil of myrrh
According to the Book of Esther, each young woman who was to go to King Ahasuerus had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments, six months of which were spent using oil of myrrh. The oil of myrrh was used to make the skin smooth and soft. The twelve-month process might be thought of as a cleansing, hygienic exfoliation, followed by a refinement with fragrances.
The Book of Esther does not give details of the beauty treatments, but we can make some educated guesses about what they might have included. For example, henna has been used on hair for centuries because of its benefits to the hair itself. Nowadays, we most often think of henna as a red hair dye.
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Perfumes and cosmetics
Esther's beauty regimen lasted for 12 months, six of which were spent using oil of myrrh, and the other six using perfumes and cosmetics.
The regimen was required for all candidates for queen, and was overseen by Hegai, the king's eunuch in charge of the harem. The 12-month process can be thought of as a cleansing, hygienic exfoliation, followed by a refinement with fragrances. The perfumes were used to remove all ill scents through sweat, or any other cause.
The Persian Empire extended east toward India and west toward Greece, and in this dry climate subject to drought and water shortage, people did not bathe frequently. The 12-month process was also partly to ensure that the candidates were not with child by another man before they came to the king.
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Natural beauty treatments
Esther's beauty treatment lasted 12 months, with six months spent using oil of myrrh and six months using perfumes and other preparations for beautifying women.
In a dry climate subject to drought and water shortage, people did not bathe frequently, so the 12-month process might be thought of as a cleansing, hygienic exfoliation, followed by a refinement with fragrances.
The Persian Empire extended east toward India and west toward Greece, so Esther may have had access to a wide range of natural beauty treatments from different cultures.
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The Persian Empire
Esther underwent a twelve-month beauty treatment, which included six months with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and other preparations for beautifying women. The twelve-month process might be thought of as a cleansing, hygienic exfoliation, followed by a refinement with fragrances. The historical accounts do not tell us what these preparations were, but we can make some educated guesses about what might have been included. For example, henna has been used on hair for centuries because of its benefits to the hair itself.
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Frequently asked questions
Esther bathed in fragrances for six months.
The bathing was part of a twelve-month beauty treatment for women who were candidates for queen.
The treatment also included six months of bathing in oil of myrrh.
