In the Bible, the Book of Esther describes how a young Jewish orphan girl became queen of the Persian Empire and how she and her cousin Mordecai saved their people from a plot devised by a powerful enemy "to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews" (Esther 3:13, KJV). Each year, the anniversary of this deliverance is celebrated during the festival of Purim. Because this story has been read aloud for generations during this occasion, many...