Haman
E64502
Haman is the villain in the biblical Book of Esther, known for plotting to annihilate the Jews of the Persian Empire and serving as the antagonist whose defeat is commemorated by the Jewish festival of Purim.
Aliases (2)
Statements (47)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Book of Esther character
→
Persian royal official → biblical figure → villain → |
| action |
built a gallows for Mordecai
→
cast lots (pur) to determine the date for the destruction of the Jews → persuaded King Ahasuerus to issue a decree against the Jews → plotted genocide against the Jews of the Persian Empire → |
| appearsIn |
Book of Esther
→
|
| associatedEvent |
Purim
→
|
| associatedFood |
hamantaschen (symbolically linked to him in Ashkenazi tradition)
→
|
| associatedRitual |
making noise at the mention of his name during Purim
→
reading of the Megillah (Book of Esther) → |
| commemoratedBy |
Purim
→
|
| culturalImpact |
central negative figure in Purim customs and storytelling
→
|
| describedAs |
antagonist in the Book of Esther
→
the Agagite → |
| employer |
King Ahasuerus
→
Persian Empire → |
| ethnicOrigin |
Agagite
→
|
| familyBackground |
descendant of Agag (according to Jewish tradition)
→
|
| fate |
executed by hanging
→
hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai → |
| genreContext |
biblical narrative
→
|
| languageOfName |
Hebrew
→
|
| literaryRole |
embodiment of hubris and downfall
→
|
| motivatedBy |
desire to destroy the Jews
→
hatred of Mordecai → |
| nameInHebrew |
הָמָן
→
|
| narrativeFunction |
foil to Esther and Mordecai
→
|
| notableFor |
being defeated in the narrative commemorated by Purim
→
plotting to annihilate the Jews of the Persian Empire → |
| opponent |
Esther
→
Mordecai → the Jews of the Persian Empire → |
| placeOfDeath |
Susa
→
|
| positionHeld |
high official in the Persian court
→
vizier of King Ahasuerus → |
| religion |
Judaism
→
|
| rememberedFor |
his downfall and reversal of fortune
→
|
| roleInText |
antagonist to the Jews of the Persian Empire
→
|
| scripturalBook |
Esther
→
|
| scripturalCanon |
Hebrew Bible
→
Old Testament → |
| symbolism |
archetype of an enemy of the Jews
→
symbol of antisemitism in Jewish tradition → |
| timePeriod |
Achaemenid Persian Empire (traditional setting)
→
|
Referenced by (8)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Purim
→
|
associatedFigure |
|
Megillat Esther
→
|
containsCharacter |
|
King Ahasuerus
→
|
employerOf |
|
Mordechai
→
|
enemyOf |
|
King Ahasuerus
("Haman (in rabbinic tradition, via Esther’s lineage interpretations)")
→
|
fatherInLawOf |
|
Esther
→
|
hasCharacter |
|
Haman
("הָמָן")
→
|
nameInHebrew |
|
Mordechai
→
|
opposed |